Second Chance at Sunflower Ranch (The Ryan Family #1)(5)

“Earth to Addy,” Grady chuckled.

“I’m sorry.” She turned slightly to focus on him. “Did someone say something? I was off in another world.”

“Evidently.” Grady grinned. “I asked if you would pass the muffins. I’ve got time to eat one for breakfast dessert before Sonny and I have our weekly visit.”

Addy passed the basket of blueberry muffins to Grady and then lowered her gaze to her half-full plate of food. Even after twenty years and so many life events had passed, she still got flutters in her stomach when Jesse Ryan was anywhere near her. They had discussed everything from the time neither of them could even talk plainly. He knew when Addy had gotten her first kiss. She knew that he had had a crush on Jenny Lynn Baker in the seventh grade. Then that last night before he left, things had gone from a goodbye kiss to a helluva lot more right out there in the bunkhouse. The next morning, she had awakened earlier than Jesse and she had slipped away before daylight. That was the last time she had laid eyes on him until right now.

She had thought that not being at the ranch when Jesse and his brothers came home would help, but maybe running from him had been a mistake.

“I don’t want to ruin our friendship,” she had said that night just before they started making out. “If we dated or even had a fling, things would be awkward between us. I don’t want to chance that.”

“What if we’re meant to be together?” Jesse had toyed with a strand of her hair.

“We’re eighteen, Jesse. We’ve got so much to do before we even think like that.” But he’d kissed her, and the rest was history. She had used the Jesse Ryan yardstick to measure every man she had dated since then, and they’d all come up short. Now Jesse was back. Time could not be turned back, and life had gone on for both of them.

“You’re doing it again,” Mia told her mother.

“I’m sorry—again.” Addy blushed and passed the muffins to Grady.

Grady chuckled. “My best friend’s mind is off in la-la land this morning. I already finished a muffin, and even though I could eat another one, the elastic in my scrub pants is already stretched pretty far. Sonny and I are going to the office for a checkup now.”

“I’ll help Pearl do the cleanup while Mia goes to take care of her sheep.” Addy pasted on a smile.

“See you tomorrow in church?”

“Of course. I’ll save you a seat in case you get pulled into an emergency,” she said.

“And dinner right here afterwards,” Pearl said. “Maybe we’ll have a game of dominoes in the afternoon.”

“Sounds good.” Grady laid his napkin on the table and stood up.

Sonny did the same and used his cane to lead the way to the office.

“So you and Grady are best friends?” Jesse asked.

“He’s a good man.” Addy sounded defensive even to her own ears. “And we have a lot in common, him being a doctor and me a nurse, so we kind of speak the same language.”

“Hey, everyone needs a best friend.” Jesse smiled.

“I wish he was more than her friend.” Mia got up and started toward the door. “I like him, and he makes her laugh. Maybe things won’t work out with him and his new girlfriend. We can always hope.”

“Grady is a good friend, nothing more, not even in the future.” Addy didn’t leave room for argument.

“Speaking of the future, remember that I told you about this new trial drug for MS? It seems to be slowing down the symptoms, and we’re grateful for that.”

“Does he get out to check fences or—” Jesse started.

“Every day,” Addy butted in. “We help get him in the truck and drive him around the fence lines. We let him check the cattle and make decisions about moving them from one pasture to the other.”

“But Mama and I have been helping with the bookwork.” Mia turned around from the back door. “He hated doing it anyway, and it gives me work experience for my degree.”

Pearl reached over and laid a hand on Jesse’s. “You can’t know how glad we are that you are home, son. If you could drive him around after breakfast, it would be a big help.”

“Whatever you need, Mama,” Jesse replied. “I’ve also had medical training.”

“That’s great,” Mia said. “Now we’ve got a nurse and a medic on the ranch. Can you do vet work? We could save a lot of money if we didn’t need a vet a couple of times a month.”

“Sorry, but that’s not in my field,” Jesse answered. “But if you break a leg or get on the wrong end of an IED, I can fix you up enough to get you to a hospital.”

“I don’t think there’s any bombs on Sunflower Ranch,” Addy said.

Other than the one about to go off in your heart right now? Her grandmother’s voice popped into her head.

She ignored the question and stood up. “I’ll help with cleanup, and then when Mia gets back from the sheep pens, we can get out there to get a pasture full of hay baled and ready for the barn. Think Sonny will ever go for the big round bales?” Keeping her hands busy would keep her crazy emotions in check—hopefully anyway.

Pearl shook her head. “He says there’s too much waste in those things. Besides he likes to give jobs to the high school boys in the summertime. Says it teaches them hard work.”