Page 10 of Belong With Me

“I always have enough food for Logan. He’s in and out of here so much I just assume he’s going to be here, even when he’s not.” She started toward the house. “I better go check on dinner.” With that, she climbed the steps and disappeared through the door.

“Is Dolly inside?” he called after her, but there was no answer.

Shaking his head, his gaze landed back on me. “Dolly?” I asked.

“Yeah, she’s our youngest sister. Her name’s Mackenzie, but we all call her Dolly.”

Curiosity got the better of me. “How’d she get that nickname?”

He motioned me toward the house, and I followed a few steps behind as he climbed the steps. “She sings a lot, and when she was little, Momma and Dad used to play these old Dolly Parton cassettes. She picked it up and was singing Dolly before she could read. It started as a joke, but I guess she’s well and truly stuck with it now.” He opened the door and stepped back, allowing me to enter his home first. This cowboy had been raised with manners. His momma sure would have been proud.

The entry hall was simple, but large. There was a row of hooks on one wall. I noted that as soon as he entered, he automatically hung his hat on one of them and took off his boots, setting them on the shoe rack underneath. Suddenly, I felt so dirty, with bare feet and wearing someone else’s shirt. “Now, have you decided if you are staying here, or are you heading to the hospital?”

The answer came to me easily, much easier than I thought it would have, considering I was standing in the home of a complete stranger. “If the offer is still there, then yes, I would like to stay here.” He nodded in answer.

“I’m a man of my word, darlin’. If you want a bed here, then one’s yours. Where were you meant to be staying, anyway?”

There was a noise from what I presumed was the kitchen, and I heard Savannah swear extravagantly before she darted into the hall. “I spilled gravy on my top. I better get changed. I don’t want to look like a slob for our guests now, do I?” Her brother and I watched her as she hurried up the stairs, dabbing furiously at her top with a tea towel.

Shuffling on my feet, I turned back to Ryder, and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m staying at the Johnsons’ Bed and Breakfast.

“Ahh yes. Patty and Steve run a good establishment.” Leaning in closer, he nudged my shoulder with his, whispering the next sentence like it was a secret. “But they don’t put up a feed anywhere near as good as my sister does.”

I smiled at his words. It was clear from the look in his eyes that he was close with her. “I’ll have to let them know that I won’t be checking in tonight.”

“Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. I’ll let them know for you. Now, I best be calling Logan. Bathroom is through that way if you need to freshen up at all. I’ll be in the kitchen through here when you’re finished.” He indicated which way each room was.

Another young woman came down the stairs as Savannah’s footsteps fade away. “What’s up with her?” She jerked a thumb back over her shoulder.

“Dolly, there you are.” Ah, so this was the baby of the family, his other sister Mackenzie. “Savannah’s just fixin’ to pitch a hissy fit because Logan’s coming for dinner,” he replied.

“Got it.” She nodded knowingly. I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what she knew.

“This is Sienna.” He waved at me, and I offered her a smile along with a small wave. “Are you able to show her to Wyatt’s old room?”

“Sure thing!” she said happily, turning on the staircase. “Follow me, Sienna.”

“Thank you,” I murmured to him.

“You’re welcome, Sienna-Grace.” With that, he turned and headed in the direction of the kitchen. And as he walked away, all I could think of was how glad I was that he never decided to put that spare shirt on.

The room Mackenzie directed me to was neat, and by no means small. Looking around, I spied a simple large, wooden bed and a door off to the side, which I presumed opened to an attached bathroom or closet. “There’s a bathroom through there.” She pointed at the door. “If you want to put your bag down, we can head to Savannah’s room for a change of clothes. It’s just down the hall to the left.” She moved from the doorway.

After I placed my bag on the bed, I was struck by how dramatically my day had changed. From landing in Texas, to hiring a car, to having a car accident, and meeting a perfect stranger. And now, there I was, standing in the home of one of the people who I had been sent to convince to sell us some land—exactly where Daddy wanted me to be.

Either way, I needed a shirt that wasn’t Ryder’s if I were to get started on the objective immediately.

Following Mackenzie’s instructions, I made my way down the hall to Savannah’s room. The youngest Larsen sister stood with a pair of jeans draped over her arm, and Savannah was passing her a shirt. Through the door to Savannah’s room, an almost perfectly clean shirt caught my eye. It was draped over her laundry hamper with the tiniest speck of gravy evident on the collar. The shirt she had changed into? Definitely nowhere near as casual as the old one.

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