Stepping into the house was a kind of revelation. How a house looks says much about what kind of person living there
Hold it… Was he an interior decorator as well? He walked her down a long hallway towards the family room and kitchen. Stopping to show her the first room, he said, “The dining room, of course.” But it was much too simple a statement. The room was something out of Architectural Digest or a Western living magazine.
She was amazed at the high ceiling with large wooden beams. A long metal chandelier hung over an elegant, wooden dining table with many chairs. French doors opened onto a sunny stone patio with a grass yard that seemed to stretch on forever.
“You must like to mow.” Stunned at what she had seen so far, Lily cracked a small joke hoping he wouldn’t see her embarrassment.
“Maybe once in a while, but my foreman, Jason Bates, has a man do it. Don’t worry – he has a John Deere riding mower and enjoys the heck out it, or so he says.”
He led Lily on down to the family room and kitchen.
“This is where we spend all our time anyway. That dining room gets lonely from disuse. Well? What do you think so far?”
“… Sandy, this is wonderful. Homey, stylish, warm,” she gushed. “I have to ask: did you do this yourself or have help?”
A small smile spread across his face. “Okay, now I see where you’re going. And no, I have no interior decorating skills. I hired a decorator from Tahoe to help me. Would you like to see more of the house?”
It was hard for Lily to leave the comfort of the family room. Again she saw high ceilings with a Western-style chandelier hanging in the center. An immense stone fireplace blazed with heat and light. Comfortable chairs in soft greens and browns sat on a luxurious braided rug covering much of the hardwood floors. Was that oak? A few paintings of horses and stagecoaches hung here and there with table lamps giving the room a warm glow.
“If you tell me you painted those pictures, too, I will have to leave,” said Lily smiling. “I don’t think I could take it if you were a poet and a painter.”
“Ha. Don’t I wish I were that talented… Again, the decorator from Tahoe found them. I think they look real nice in here, though. Don’t you?” He seemed anxious for her opinion.
“Oh, Sandy. This is the most welcoming home I’ve ever been in. It’s lovely! Your decorator filled it with beautiful things, but it’s the people who make it a home.” Lily blushed again. Why was she lecturing him?
He smiled as he looked around. “Thanks. I feel that way too. Come on and let me show you the rest of it.” He turned to speak to his son. “Jesse, it’s your turn to feed the dogs.”
Jesse went off to do his chore. The rest of the house was as terrific as she thought it would be. Bedrooms, exercise room and media room were all beautifully decorated. Wait a minute. Media room? In the middle of an enormous room with dark shades on the windows was a large television that covered nearly one whole wall. On other walls were rows and rows of movies. Was he a movie lover? Now things were getting interesting.
“I have to ask about the media room with the huge TV. Are you a movie buff?” Beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Was he uncomfortable or had she said something wrong?
Sandy shrugged. “It’s really for my mother. She’s the movie buff, but I’m learning. Do you like movies?”
“Absolutely. Movies and books are my pastimes.” She wondered if his pastimes were roping or calving, besides the cowboy poetry.
They ended the tour back in the family room. The atmosphere was warm and cozy. Sandy was clearly a man of substance and she wondered what the heck she was doing with him. Jesse ran up, dogs at his heels.
“Miss Cable, Miss Cable! Would you like to see my horse now?” Jesse smiled broadly and Lily longed to sweep back that mass of hair always falling in his cherubic face. She smiled back at him.
“You bet. Lead me to him. Is it a him or a her?” she asked Sandy.
He laughed, “A her. This way.” He cupped Lily’s elbow to usher her out the back door towards the barn. That now familiar spark from his touch no longer made her uncomfortable. Sizzle, maybe, but definitely not uncomfortable. He smiled at her and clutched her arm even tighter.
The backyard area also seemed to go on forever. A large barn sat on one side with other low level buildings mixed in the countryside. He must have a building for everything. The main house backed up on one side to tree-covered hills. Behind the hills were the Sierra Mountains complete with remnants of the snow pack. Like the town, his ranch was a picture postcard. It would be hard not to love this place.
Once they were in the barn, Sandy nodded to her. “Have you ever ridden before, Lily?”
“Actually I have. I grew up on my parents’ ranch in Sonoma. My Dad still breeds ranch horses.” She looked around at the airy loft filled with hay and the individual stalls housing several sturdy horses chewing complacently.
“So you might be a Westerner after all,” he teased.
“I have a funny feeling I might.”
“I thought you said he had a winery.”
“He does that too. He doesn’t have many acres of grapes, but Dad loves the process of winemaking. He sells a few bottles around town. I’ve learned a lot from that man.”
“What about your mother?” Sandy pulled down a worn saddle decorated with silver rounds. “You haven’t mentioned her or is it none of my business?”
Lily touched the soft leather of the saddle. “She died several years ago. Had a heart attack one night after dinner and just died sitting in a chair in the living room. We thought she was asleep… She wasn’t.”
“I’m so sorry.” Sandy took her hand as Jesse ran up.
“What’s taking you guys so long, huh? Scout wants to take off. Let’s go!”
Sandy put saddles on two of the young horses, a bay and a lovely chestnut mare. After cinching the saddles, he helped Lily mount and handed her the reins. “Okay?”
Sitting a horse felt so familiar and she felt her childhood stirring. She tied her hair into a quick ponytail and took the reins. “Yep, let’s go.”
They walked their horses for a while, began to trot and then Sandy arched a playful eyebrow. “Ready, ma’am?”
Lily laughed, “Yes, sir.” And they took off at a gallop. Jesse was already far ahead shouting for them to catch up. The happy dogs were out loping along with him. They’d turn and run back to Sandy getting what looked like a pretty good workout.
Wow! What a gorgeous view.
Their horses ran through a meadow covered with yellow and purple wildflowers. Recent rains had green grasses sprouting everywhere. Gentle sloping hills in the distance resembled steppingstones to the gigantic mountains behind them. When they stopped at a stream for the horses to drink, Lily wanted to run through the meadow like Maria in the Sound of Music singing about the hills being alive.
Sandy bent forward in his saddle. “Penny for your thoughts.”
“You’re going to think I’m a hopeless romantic, but I feel like Maria in the Sound of Music.
“Does that make me Captain Von Trapp?” With an infectious laugh, Lily laughed with him.
“You’re so exotic to me that you should be the Frenchman in South Pacific instead.”
“Why exotic? And you’re the second person to bring up that movie to me recently.”
They were walking their horses now while chatting across the saddles. Conversation was easy, natural. Jesse rode ahead and was busy giving the dogs orders, which they blatantly ignored.
“Who else brought up that movie to you? And why?”
“Hmm… I guess I can tell you this.”
Sandy told her about the conversation he had with his mother last night. He admitted that he was apprehensive about inviting a woman over and needed a sounding board. Lily grinned during his recitation, but her eyes widened with the information about her grandfather, Joe Cable.
“My dad told me he had gone to school with your father, Miles, but he didn’t say anything about Gran
dpa Joe knowing your grandfather. I didn’t realize the Cables had such deep roots in Naples. Dad never mentioned it.”
She looked at him sheepishly and continued. “I called Sam, my dad, probably when you called your mother. Interesting that we did the same thing, don’t you think?”
He nodded and gave her a look that said many things were interesting between them, their families and where this relationship might be going. Perhaps she saw what she wanted to see…
“But wait a minute. You called me exotic. What did you mean by that? You’re the one with the exotic flower name of Lily.”
“I’m not sure that a lily is an exotic flower. I think of orchids as exotic,” she began.
Sandy shrugged, waited for her to go on.
“Okay, why are you exotic? Well,” she blushed. “Uh…I think our horses want to run again, don’t you? Let’s go!” With that Lily flicked the reins on her horse’s flank and the mare took off running. Sandy laughed and took off after her.
Jesse yelled, “Wait for me, Miss Cable!” So they slowed to wait for him and rode together for a while, enjoying the day. Walking the horses on the ride back to the ranch, Sandy told her he had invited his mother to come over for dinner.
“Actually, Mom invited herself. She’s a pretty strong character and I know she wants to meet you. I’m sorry about this, since I barely know you myself.”
“No, it’s fine. I would like to meet her and ask her more about the Cable family. She seems to know more than I do.”
With the horses back in the barn, fed and watered, Jesse ran to the house yelling about his new computer game. Sandy walked over to his pregnant mare and started to examine her. The horse was a beautiful Appaloosa with white and gray markings. Lily stood back to take a good look. She didn’t know anything about horse pregnancies but Sandy began to explain a few things and how the procedure should go.
“My foreman is busy this weekend and my vet, Dr. Walker, is on call. He knows she could deliver anytime.”
“Doesn’t the horse pretty much give birth by herself? What do you want the doctor for? An emergency or something?”
“Exactly. Horses are too expensive to leave anything to chance. And this is my horse, Anna. I’ve had her for a few years and wouldn’t like anything to go wrong. This is the only time I plan to breed her. She’s too valuable to me.” He had been looking at the horse. Glancing at Lily he shyly said, “When you find something of value, you want to keep it.”
Oh, man… This guy really was from Jane Austen’s time. He was eloquent, sensitive, a good father and loved his mother. He seemed to good to be true. Maybe he’d turn into a frog if she kissed him.
“Lily? Are you there? You spaced out on me.” His eyes twinkled. “Come on. Let’s go and get an early dinner started. I planned to barbecue various meats. I hope you’re not a vegetarian.”
“Absolutely not.” Especially since she had recently pictured him as a big, juicy steak.
“You look like you’re ready to take a bite out of me,” laughed Sandy as he headed to the barbecue area.
You’ve no idea. Lily sighed as she joined him.
* * *
CHAPTER SEVEN
Smoke from the barbecue grill rose up the outdoor chimney and out into the sky. Flavorful aromas from the cooking meat filled everyone’s noses and made their mouths water. Sandy had cooked steaks, hot dogs, chicken, brisket and kabobs. There was enough food to feed much of the town, not just the four people over for dinner. Roasted corn, salad, beans and cornbread rounded out the meal.
Jeanne Johnson was an interesting person, all right. Lily noted that she took care of herself, kept her figure trim and had her hair done regularly. She was perky and feisty, and her eyes shone with love every time she looked at her son and grandson. Her eyes on Lily were questioning.
Throughout dinner, Jeanne had told Lily all about the Johnson family, including Sandy’s brother in Reno and his sister in Winnemucca. They were married with several children each and had ranches of their own, so visits home to Naples were always filled with fun and large dramatic family gatherings. Sandy was the eldest and had inherited the family home when his father died. Sandy was to be caretaker of the ranch and carry on the family business. He had built Jeanne a nice log home a few miles away, still on Johnson property because she didn’t want to live in the main ranch house after her husband died.
Jeanne also told Lily about the Cable family when they had lived in Naples. She too had been in Sammy Cable’s school class.
“It is so exciting to learn more about my heritage, Mrs. Johnson. My dad may have lived here, but my mother was from San Francisco. I wonder why Dad never told me about their life here in Naples.”
“Please, my dear, call me Jeanne. I really would like to know why he suggested you move here and never told you the other half of the story. Hmm...I think a story’s in there.” Jeanne winked at Lily.
“You know, Mom,” began Sandy, “Perhaps it’s none of our business.”
Lily caught the stop meddling look he shot his mother.
Sandy waved a hand. “Anyone up for dessert? Mom brought one of her fabulous red velvet cakes.”
Jesse had eaten quite a bit and had given the dogs a few kabobs under the table. “I’m ready!” The dogs perked up their heads. More food?
“I don’t think I could eat another bite. Maybe I can take a slice home,” said Lily. She couldn’t remember when she had last eaten such a big meal.
After dessert, Jeanne and Jesse went into the family room to work on his puzzle, while Sandy and Lily did cleanup. This was nice: A family eating and conversing together… Lily didn’t even have a cat to talk to at mealtimes. Maybe she was lonelier than she thought.
Sandy glanced at Lily and wondered what she was thinking. It had been wonderful to have her join them. He found out more things about her: She was a good conversationalist, loved animals, books, movies, and loved food. Her metabolism must help her out or she jogged; her figure was too good for her to eat dinners like this all the time.
She had a love for the works of Jane Austen. Sandy promised he would read Pride and Prejudice, her favorite. She had called him Mr. Darcy once and his mother had smiled at her. He definitely needed to find out what that was about.
“Sandy,” began his mother. “Would you mind if Jesse came home with me tonight? I promised to help him with his homework.”
“His homework?” asked Lily.
“He has a poem due Monday and I know his teacher would be very disappointed if he didn’t finish what he had started.” Jeanne winked at her.
Smiling, Sandy nodded. “Jesse, go get your stuff for a night at Grandma’s. That okay?”
Jesse was already running down the hallway to his bedroom. “Sure,” he called over his shoulder.
When Lily went to freshen up in the bathroom, Sandy cornered his mother.
“What are you doing, Mom? Lily’s not staying the night. For Pete’s sake, we just met!”
“I know that, darlin’, but you will get to know her a bit better if little Jesse is not underfoot. Right? You’ll have plenty of time for her to get to know him. You two need a little private time,” The big smile on her face seemed to be growing.
“I always worry when you start smiling or smirking.”
Just then Lily came around a corner. “What are you smiling about, Jeanne?” Lily glanced from Jeanne to Sandy.
“Just that I am thrilled to have met you, Lily dear. I hope to see much more of you in the future. After all, you do work occasionally at my friend Millie’s candy store. I am sure we will meet again.”
“Bye, Miss Cable,” sang Jesse. “Thanks for coming to ride horses with us. Wasn’t it fun?” Lily gave him a big hug and looked longingly at him.
“Bye, Mom, thanks again,” said Sandy as Jeanne took Jesse out to her car. As they took off, Lily and Sandy looked at each other. With her black hair, she was nearly swallowed in the darkness. Sandy opened his mouth to say something and CRACK!
Li
ly anxiously jumped. “What in the world was that?”
“That’s called thunder in Nevada, Lily. When it starts, it really starts. We’d better get ready for a storm. They happen suddenly and stop just as suddenly.”
They ran around closing windows. Lily hurried outside to roll up the windows of her car. When Sandy was satisfied that the house was ready for a storm, he called his mother. She and Jesse had made it safely to her house and were also getting ready.
The thunder had warned of the lightning that was coming. A sudden flash of light brightened the landscape as lightning sparked in the distance. The rain came quickly and fell hard. “It doesn’t rain like this in San Francisco, I bet,” Sandy teased as he moved quickly through the house.
CRACK! There went the thunder again sounding like a plane had just hit Mach 1. The howling wind crept up and screamed around corners of the house.
“We’d better get out to the barn and check the horses. I want to make sure Anna is all right,” Sandy yelled over his shoulder to Lily as he ran out the back door. Rain pellets beat at them as they made their way. Hail mixed in with water hurt when it hit their bodies and the wind made staying upright difficult.
“Cover your eyes, Lily!” Sandy grabbed her, shielding her with his jacket. Maybe only twenty steps to the barn, but they were already soaking wet.
Once inside, Sandy closed the big door sheltering them from the wind and rain that continued a relentless staccato rhythm on the roof. He went over to inspect his horse.
“Damn! It really rains here, doesn’t it?” Lily was wet through and shivered. She tried to wring out her blouse and jacket. “It doesn’t seem to make much difference in my degree of wetness, does it?” she laughed.
Sandy looked her over and smiled. She was beautiful even when wet. She didn’t seem to mind and, for some reason, that pleased him.
“How’s Anna doing?”
“She’s definitely in labor. Of course, in the middle of a sudden storm, she goes into labor. Doc Walker won’t be able to get here in time, so we’re on our own,” Sandy paused for her reaction.
Lily gulped. “…A… horse delivery?” She shook out her hair. “Never saw that on Animal Planet. Okay, okay, whew… Everyone just breathe.” She took a few calming breaths, looked Sandy squarely in the eyes and said, “What can I do to help?”