Page 38 of Cowboy Falling Hard

ORCHID ALWAYS ENJOYEDchurch, and it was even more fun after spending the morning with Dwight and Powell. Even better when she was looking forward to a wedding afterward. A simple, beautiful wedding of two people who loved each other.

She had to admit she was really looking forward to their picnic that afternoon as they gathered up Kendrick and Owen after they hugged their parents.

Paisley, their nanny, had smiled, a little shy. Orchid figured she’d probably make a really good friend.

“If anything happens, I don’t have any plans, so call me. If you need me.” Paisley hugged both of the children.

“You’re welcome to come if you’d like, but I understand it’s nice to have a little time off.”

“The kids have really been looking forward to it. It’ll give them a break from me.”

“Thanks. We’ll call you if anything comes up.”

She nodded, and Orchid took Kendrick’s hand. The little girl seemed precocious and completely unconcerned about leaving her parents as she chattered about what they’d packed for their picnic.

Powell was practically prancing in place as Owen and Kendrick walked out the door with them.

Owen was a little quiet, he was a few years older than the girls, but Powell and Kendrick hit it off immediately, chattering like old friends by the time they pulled out of the church parking lot.

Dwight had been rather quiet, whether that was because he was listening to the children, or whether there was something else going on, Orchid wasn’t sure.

She hadn’t been talking much either.

Mostly because she was happy. She’d had a good time that morning, had enjoyed breakfast and driving to church. The message had been excellent, they’d been challenged to think about others rather than themselves. That a person’s problems had a tendency to grow smaller as they stopped looking at themselves and started helping other people.

Orchid had tucked that in the back of her head to think about and wait for an opportunity to put it into practice.

Then, of course, the short but beautiful wedding. Someday, hopefully, it would be her.

In the meantime, she was looking forward to taking the kids and having a great day.

Actually, she was looking forward to spending the day with Dwight.

They went to Powell’s house where they changed quickly and walked out to the barn.

“There are two four-wheelers, and they’re exactly the same. The few times we’ve ridden before, they’ve worked really well.” Orchid walked easily beside Dwight, the picnic basket in her hand, while he carried a blanket and a jug of water.

The kids ran ahead of them, Kendrick and Powell carrying kites, while Owen had a book in one hand and a fishing rod and tackle box in his other.

“Good to hear. I’m not exactly super mechanical, and if they break down, we’ll have to call someone.”

“Coleman can fix a few things, and if he can’t take care of it, his best friend Nolt probably can.” She smiled easily but noted Dwight seemed to tense beside her.

Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned her brother and his friend. Perhaps her comment might have made him feel like he wasn’t taking care of her and she had to find friends of her own to help her?

She hadn’t meant it that way, but sometimes men could be sensitive.

It wasn’t that she had to walk around on eggshells in order to not offend him, but she wanted to be considerate.

“Or we could just sit there until you figure something out.” She slanted her eyes over at him, joking a little and wondering if this was something he could laugh about, or if she was going to have to be seriously careful.

He gave a self-depreciating grin. “Was it that obvious?”

“No. I just suspected.”

“Sorry. I guess I was a little bit annoyed, not with you, with myself. I’m taking a girl out, afriendout,” he emphasized the word friend. “I want to be able to take care of her. Not have to have her call her brother.”

“That’s what I figured. I’m sorry. I wasn’t being very considerate.”

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