For Love and Family by Victoria Pade Page A

she’d brushed it, she twisted it into a figure-eight knot at the back of her head.
    Then, judging herself unlikely to stop traffic but sufficiently presentable, she left the cabin, wondering at the fact that she’d just spent the entire day with her nephew and Hunter and still couldn’t wait to get back to them.
    But it wasn’t only Johnny and Hunter who were in the kitchen when she went in through the mudroom door. Willy and Carla were there, too.
    â€œCarla brought us a ham, cheese and potato casserole,” Hunter informed Terese when the greetings were finished. “I’m twisting their arms to make them stay and eat with us.”
    â€œGood,” Terese said, for the most part meaning it. She genuinely liked the ranchhand and his wife, it was just that there was also a tiny drop of disappointment that now she would have to share Johnny and Hunter. She knew that was uncalled for.
    The table was already set for three—Terese assumed Carla had done that, too—so Terese set two more places while Carla took the casserole from the oven. The other woman also took an already prepared salad out of the refrigerator, and everyone sat down to eat.
    Small talk occupied the meal. Terese learned that Carla frequently brought Hunter and Johnny dinner that she left for them when she picked up Willy after a day of work. And that Carla and Willy didn’t usually stay despite the fact that Johnny liked it when they did.
    Carla and Willy were also anxious to know what the doctor had said about Johnny and were relieved to hear that he was fine, that his blood count was good, and that, with the exception of being cautious, he could go on about his everyday business just the way he always had.
    With four people for cleanup after they’d all eaten, the kitchen was shipshape in no time and then Carla and Willy insisted—in the face of Johnny’s best efforts to get them to linger—that they had to go home.
    â€œHe’s just trying to get out of taking a bath,” Hunter said as Johnny huffed off in a pout to engross himself in his toys in the living room and Hunter and Terese walked Carla and Willy to the front door.
    But rather than saying a simple good-night once they were there, Hunter turned to Terese and said, “After a day to think about it, is your offer still goodto stay with Johnny if I go through with my trip to Europe?”
    He hadn’t mentioned a word about that all day and Terese certainly hadn’t expected him to bring it up now. But since he had and she hadn’t changed her mind, she didn’t hesitate to say, “Absolutely.”
    â€œWell,” Hunter said, “I talked it over with Carla and Willy before you came in tonight and they think I should go, too.”
    â€œYou can’t not go,” Carla said emphatically. Then, to Terese, the other woman added, “He did this after Margee died, too. He was overly cautious and didn’t want to let Johnny out of his sight for fear something else bad would happen. But I told him that between the three of us we’ll watch Johnny like a hawk.”
    â€œWe will,” Terese assured Hunter.
    â€œAnd even if something does come up,” Willy contributed, aiming his comment at Hunter, “you can get on a plane and be home in no time. But not to go at all? You have too much riding on this to just blow it off.”
    Hunter didn’t disagree with that. But he did look into the living room at his son for a moment before he finally seemed to make his decision.
    â€œI guess I am being a little paranoid,” he said.
    â€œYes, you are,” Carla confirmed. “Now say you’ll go. You’ll probably worry yourself to death, but say you’ll go, anyway.”
    Hunter laughed at his friend’s bossiness. “Okay, okay. If Terese really will stay so she’s nearby if he needs blood, I’ll go.”
    â€œAnd everything will be fine. You’ll see,”