His eyes brightened. “Thanks.”
Was she ever that young? Lil wondered. So that a compliment from an instructor or trainer put that look in her eyes, that spring in her step? She supposed she had been.
But she’d been so focused, so absolutely determined to carve out her route. Not only to reach the goal but to make up for what she’d lost. To make up for Coop.
She drew a breath as she studied the compound. All in all, it had worked out for her. Now it would be her decision, her choice if she wanted to open back up, take back what she’d lost.
She heard the steps on the gravel, slow steps, and whirled to defend. Matt wheeled back so quickly he slid and nearly went down.
“Jesus, Lil!”
“Sorry, sorry.” Had she been braced like that all day? she wondered. “You startled me.”
“Well, you scared five years off my life, so we’re more than even. I want to set up to examine the female tiger.”
“Right. Eric wants to assist.”
“That’s fine.” Matt gave her just the lightest pat on the shoulder. For Matt, Lil knew, it equaled a hug from anyone else.
“There’s a lot of inside work. You could be doing that.”
“He should see me. If he’s watching, if he’s out there, he should see me. See that I’m doing what I always do. It’s about power.” She remembered what Coop had said. “The more I hide, the more power I give him. And hell, Matt,” she added when she saw Farley and Tansy exchange a kiss by his truck. “It’s a really good day.”
“Is it?”
“Wait and see.”
She stuck her hands in her back pockets and strolled toward Tansy as Farley drove away.
Tansy turned, and her shoulders went up and down with a bracing breath as she walked toward Lil.
“You knew.”
“Let me see how it looks on you.” She grabbed Tansy’s hand. “Fabulous. Perfect. I am good. Though he actually picked it himself, unless my mental shove actually worked.”
“It’s why you were babbling this morning. You thought I was talking about Farley asking me to marry him. Not the e-mail.”
“There was momentary confusion,” Lil allowed, “but no babbling.”
“He told me, just now, how he’d planned to ask me last night. He had a bottle of champagne and candles. He was going to set the stage in my apartment.”
“And instead he went to take care of family.”
“Yes, he did.” Tansy’s eyes went damp. “That’s who he is, and that’s one of the reasons this ring’s on my finger. I figured it out. So he’s younger and paler than I am. He’s a good, good man. He’s my man. Lil? I’m going to marry Farley.”
With a laughing hoot Lil grabbed Tansy to dance in a circle.
“What the hell is this?” Matt demanded.
“I told you it was a really good day.”
“So the two of you are yelling and jumping?”
“Yes.” Tansy ran to him, leaped, and nearly knocked him over with a hug. “I’m engaged. Look, look, look at my ring!”
“Very nice.” He eased her back, out of his personal space, and smiled. “Congratulations.”
“Oh! I’ve got to go show Mary. And Lucius. Well, mostly Mary.”
When she ran off, Lil just grinned. “See? A really good day.”
FAMILY CAME FIRST, Lil reminded herself and tried not to worry as she sat at her parents’ dining room table. Her mother wanted-insisted on-a celebrational family dinner, so she was where she should be. With them, and Farley and Tansy, with Lucy and Sam, who’d stood as Farley’s unofficial grandparents. And, of course, with Coop.
But her mind kept turning back to the refuge. Security system up and running, she reminded herself. Matt and Lucius and two of the interns on-site.
Everything was fine. They were fine, her animals were fine. But if something happened when she wasn’t there…
As conversation buzzed around them, Coop leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Stop worrying.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder.”
She lifted her wineglass and made sure she had a smile on her face.
Late summer wedding. She tuned in. And here it was already April, so much to be done. Debates ran on the venue. The farm, the refuge. On the time. Afternoon or evening.
Did he know she wasn’t there? Lil wondered. Would he try to hurt someone just to prove he could?
Under the table, Coop took her hand and squeezed. Not supportive and lover-like, but cut it out.
She kicked him, but pulled herself back. “If I get a vote, it’s for here at the farm, afternoon. That way we can party right through the evening. We’ll close the refuge for the day. There’s more room here, and if we have any sort of bad luck with the weather-”
“Bite your tongue,” Jenna ordered.
“Well, the house is more accommodating than the cabins.”
“Close for the day?” Tansy pushed that single point. “Really?”
“Come on, Tans. It’s not every day my best friend gets married.”
“Oh, boy, we have to shop!” Jenna winked at Lucy. “Dresses, flowers, food, cake.”
“We were thinking to keep it kind of simple,” Farley put in.
To which Joe muttered, “Good luck, son.”
“Simple’s no problem. But simple still has to be pretty and perfect.” Jenna emphasized the point by jabbing a finger in Joe’s arm. “I hope your mother can come out soon, Tansy, so we can put our heads together.”
“There’s no stopping her. She’s called three times since I told her, and already has a stack of bride magazines.”
“We’ll have a girl trip when she comes. Oh, this will be fun! Lucy, we have to have a shopping safari.”
“I’m already there. Jenna, remember the flowers at Wendy Rearder’s daughter’s wedding? We can outdo that.”
“Simple.” Sam rolled his eyes at Farley.
“Before you women get too far along and start talking about releasing a hundred doves and six white horses-”
“Horses.” Jenna interrupted her husband by clapping her hands together in delight. “Oh, we could do a horse and carriage. We could-”
“Just hold on, Jenna. Farley’s looking pale.”
“All he has to do is show up. You leave the rest to us,” Jenna told Farley.
“Meanwhile,” Joe said, pointing a hushing finger at his wife. “Jenna and I talked about some practicalities. Now, the two of you might have something else in mind, or maybe you haven’t thought about it as yet. But Jenna and I want to give you three acres. Room enough for you to build a house, have a place of your own. Close enough to make it easy for both of you to get to work. That is, if you’re planning on staying on here at the farm, Farley, and Tansy’s staying on with Lil.”
Farley stared. “But… the land should go to Lil, by rights.”
“Don’t be an ass, Farley,” Lil said.
“I… I don’t know what to say or how to say it.”
“It’s something you’ll want to talk to your bride about,” Joe told him. “The land’s yours if you decide you want it. And no hard feelings if you decide you don’t.”
“The bride has something to say.” Tansy rose, went first to Joe, then Jenna, to kiss them both. “Thank you. You’ve treated me like family since Lil and I were roommates in college. Now I am family. I can’t think of anything I’d like more than to have a home here near you, near Lil.” She beamed over at Farley. “I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
“I’d say that’s settled.” Joe reached up to close his hand over the one Tansy had on his shoulder. “First chance we get, we’ll go scout out that acreage.”
Too overcome to speak, Farley only nodded. He cleared his throat. “I’m just gonna…” He rose, slipped into the kitchen.
“Now we’ve got something interesting to talk about.” Sam rubbed his hands together. “We’ve got a house to build.”
Jenna exchanged a look with Tansy as she got up and followed Farley.
He’d gone straight through and stood on the porch, his hands braced on the rail. The rain Lil had scented that morning pattered the ground, soaked the fields waiting for plowing. He straightened when Jenna laid a hand on his back, then turned and hugged her hard. Hard.