Id like to see your drawings, she said.
He shrugged. I left them at home.
Rachel pushed back from the table and crossed to the desk at the far end of the kitchen. She grabbed a fresh sketchbook and her box of colored pencils, then returned to the table. Here, she said. Take these.
Really?
Rachel nodded. Yes. You should pursue your drawing while youre here. When I was younger, I used to draw all the time. You never know where it will lead. When I got out of high school, I went to art school in Chicago. And now I draw greeting cards. She shrugged. Well, why dont you have something to eat. It will be a while until dinner. We have to do the milking first. Where is Taylor?
He fell asleep. He was really upset in the car. All the crying kinda wore him out.
Its good that he has you, Rachel said.
Trevor nodded, then sat down at the table and grabbed a sandwich. He gobbled it down in huge bites and Rachel quickly poured him a glass of milk. He ate a second sandwich, then polished off a handful of potato chips and four cookies, before he was sated.
Feeling better? she asked.
He nodded. Im gonna go out and see the goats.
Rachel wanted to tell him to change his clothes, but then decided against it. There are some rubber boots in the milk house. Take off your shoes and find a pair that fits before you walk through the barn. You dont want to step in goat poop your first day on the farm.
Trevor headed out the door and Rachel cleaned up the mess from his lunch. Then she put a plate together, poured another glass of milk and took it upstairs to Taylor. As Trevor had said, he was sprawled across the bed, sound asleep. She set the meal on the bedside table, then pulled the shades against the afternoon sun.
As she watched him sleep, she thought about Dermot and everything hed gone through as a kid. It was difficult enough losing her parents and theyd lived a long and happy life. But Dermots parents had just sailed away, never to return, leaving four young boys to grieve their loss.
Tears pressed at the corners of her eyes and she swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. Until Jane returned, shed do her best for Trevor and Taylor. Shed try to be a friend and a confidante, and someone they could trust with their feelings.
She walked to the bedroom door and took one last look at her nephew. He was family. And though shed once thought shed lost most of her family, she realized that wasnt true. She had two nephews and a sister who needed her. And she intended to do everything she could to make their lives happier.
DERMOT STOOD BACK and watched as Trevor guided a goat into the milking stanchion. There you go, he said. Youve got it now. Show her whos the boss.
Trevor locked the goat into the stanchion, then stepped away, a smile on his face. The goat bleated, the sound startling the boy. He jumped back, then turned to Dermot. Did I hurt her?
Nope. She knows what shes supposed to do. But goats can be stubborn and willful. Theyre very clever, too. I was standing next to one of the goats a few days ago, and before I knew it, hed eaten a hole in my shirt.
Dont they eat everything? Trevor asked.
Pretty much. You have to be careful to keep the extra feed out of their way. Theyll overeat and then they get bloat, which can be pretty serious. Theyll find a way to crawl over a tall fence if they think it means more food. We lock everything up. Thats very important.
As he explained some of the rules to Trevor, Dermot realized how much hed learned about goat farming in a very short time. Rachel could leave Clover Meadow in his hands and hed be able to run it on his own. He smiled to himself. Maybe he could treat Rachel to a day off before he left for good.
Hows it going?
Rachel and Taylor walked in the door of the milking parlor, dressed in their rubber work boots. She walked over to Trevor and pointed to his brand-new John Deere hat. I see Eddie has given you the proper uniform.
Trevor nodded, then grabbed another hat from a nearby shelf. Here, Taylor, this ones for you.
The younger boy put on the cap, then stood waiting for instructions. Go ahead, Dermot said. You show him what you learned. You know what youre doing.
Dermot moved to Rachels side and watched as the boys brought the next ten goats into the milking parlor and locked them into the stanchions. Eddie then guided them through the steps on how to attach the milking machines, and by the time they got to the last goat, the first one was ready to move out the opposite door.
The two boys fell into a good pace and Eddie glanced over at Dermot and gave him a wink. They learn a lot faster than you, he said with a grin.
They had a better teacher, Dermot shot back.
It looks like youve been made redundant.
Trevor glanced between the two of them, a worried expression on his face.
Dermot chuckled then pulled the brim of Trevors cap over his eyes. Hey, Im happy to pass my responsibilities on to these two. I can spend more time putting those new downspouts on the old homestead. He grabbed Rachels hand and pulled her along behind him, out of the barn and into the evening sunshine.
Shouldnt we keep an eye on them?
Eddies watching them. Theyll be fine. They certainly dont need all three of us hovering over them.
So, I guess we have some free time, Rachel said. What are we going to do with ourselves?
He draped his arm around her shoulders. Lets take a walk.
Where?
I dont know. Lets just see where we end up.
She slipped her arm around him and they walked past the barnyard and then turned north, toward her favorite spot on the creek.
I think theyre doing all right, Rachel said. What do you think?
I think youre worrying far too much.
This is a lot of responsibility, Rachel explained. Im the adult in charge. What if something goes wrong? What if they do something bad?
Just what would you consider bad? Dermot asked. Im very interested to hear this.
I dont know. What if they get an F at school? Or they get in a fight? Or they swear at a teacher? There are a million things that could go wrong. God, being a parent must be sheer hell. No wonder my sister looked like such a wreck.
It cant be that bad, Dermot said. Most people seem to come through it without major problems.
I dont know. Maybe Im not cut out to be a mother. Theres just too much that could go wrong. Id be a bundle of nerves.
He dragged her into his arms and gave her a hug. Rachel, you would be a fabulous mother.
How do you know?
Because youre kind and compassionate and loving. A child would be lucky to have you for a mother.
She pushed up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. Have you ever thought about having children?
No, not really. Not until this afternoon. I was talking to Trevor and I was thinking, maybe I could do this. I think Id have a lot to teach a kid.
I guess it wouldnt be that much different than goats, Rachel said.
Dermot couldnt help but laugh. Really?
You know what I mean. Goats can be very mischievous. And they never listen to what you say. And when they get sick they cant tell you whats wrong with them, youre just left guessing. And you spend a lot of time cleaning up after them.
Goats are exactly like children, Dermot teased. And husbands are exactly like donkeys and wives are exactly like chickens.
You have that right, Rachel said with a nod. She set off across the field.
Dermot caught up to her and grabbed her hand. So thats your opinion of marriage?
I have no opinion of marriage, Rachel said. I think it can be harmful to develop an opinion of marriage before youve actually had a proposal. If that ever happens, then I figure Ill decide what I think. She gave him a sideways glance. Do you have an opinion youd like to share?
Dermot frowned. Considering her opinion, or nonopinion, maybe it was best that he kept his to himself. No, he said. I havent thought much about it.
Its a big risk, she said. A leap of faith. I mean, my parents were married for forty-five years. How did they know that they werent going to get bored with each other after ten or fifteen years. I buy a sofa that I love one day, and two months later, I think its the ugliest sofa on the planet.
Now men are no longer donkeys, theyre sofas?
Im just throwing out some analogies, she said.
Youre lucky youre such a good artist, because you suck at analogies, Dermot said.
Rachel giggled. All right. Maybe I do. But the thought of mating for life is kind of scary. Its a long, long time.
Penguins mate for life, he said. I saw that on Nat. Geo.
Eagles do, too. And geese. And swans.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, Dermot considering her comments. Hed never met someone he could imagine marrying, until now. In truth, hed spent more time with Rachel than he had with any other woman in his life. Every day for almost six weeks. Almost every night, too. They were as close to married as hed ever been and he hadnt thought once about running.
He raked his hand through his hair, stunned by the realization. In the past, he rarely continued a relationship after a few months. He grew bored and she grew clingy or they both were too busy to pursue anything further. But with Rachel, hed stepped into her life one day and hadnt thought about leaving.
Five weeks together and he still looked forward to waking up with her beside him in the morning and falling asleep wrapped in her arms at night.
They reached the creek and Rachel sat down on a grassy spot near the bank. It was the kind of perfect scene that he would remember for a lifetime, the sun gleaming off the wet rocks, milkweed seeds floating on the air, and a sky so blue it hurt to look at it. And then there was Rachel, her pale hair caught up in a haphazard knot and her face flushed from the heat.
Dermot wandered to the edge of the water and picked up a wildflower from a clump on the creek bank. Hed grown so comfortable here on the farm and he tried to imagine Rachel in his environment. Could she ever feel the same way about Seattle?
As much as he tried, he couldnt seem to make the image jell in his mind. This was exactly where she belonged, in this place, on this farm. Dermot turned and looked at her, her gaze fixed somewhere on the horizon.
Hed never expected these choices to be easy. But then, hed never expected them to be excruciatingly painful either. Once he fell in love, hed just assumed it would all work out exactly as he wanted. He had a week left on the farm before hed head home. Shed stay here forever, as she was always meant to.
There was only one thing he knew for certain. Hed have to learn to deal with the loss or spend the rest of his life wondering what might have been.
THE TOWN OF LAKE GENEVA was the closest thing to a tourist trap that could be found in the county. Known for its quaint shops, pretty streets and gleaming lake, Rachel usually made the short drive every few months to treat herself to a haircut or manicure.
Today she had Dermot, Trevor and Taylor for company. Theyd stopped first at a discount store and picked up the list of school supplies shed downloaded from the high school website, reassuring the boys that they would be ready when Monday rolled around.
After that, theyd enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a local hamburger joint, the boys inhaling their meal between one-word answers to Dermots and Rachels questions. Though they were feeling more comfortable at the farm, taking them out of that environment made her nephews a bit uneasy. And any discussion of school sent them both into a silent funk.
Hey, theres a movie theater a few blocks from here, Rachel said. Why dont we check whats on and if you guys want to see a movie, Dermot and I will do some more shopping.
Yeah, Trevor said with a wide smile.
What if I want to see the movie instead of going shopping with you? Dermot asked.
That caused a laugh from Taylor. Uh-oh, he murmured.
II guess that would be all right, Rachel said. I just thought youd want to She forced a smile. Never mind. I can shop on my own. I do it all the time.
Dermot grinned as he reached out and grabbed her hand. Im just teasing. Of course Id love to go shopping with you, Aunt Rachel. Its my favorite thing to do in the whole world. Dermot rolled his eyes dramatically and Rachel threw a crumpled napkin at his face.
This caused the boys to dissolve into laughter, Dermot egging them on with silly faces. At heart, they were all just little boys, so easily amused. Maybe I dont want you to come now, Rachel said.
Aww, they all groaned in unison.
Im not sure I like this. Three against one. She stood up and grabbed the check. Come on, lets get out of here. We dont want to be late for the movies.
In the end, the two boys decided to see the latest sci-fi action hit while Dermot was happy to accompany Rachel. They headed for her favorite antiques store, a small shop just off Main Street with wide plate-glass windows and an old-fashioned center entrance.
Dermot held open the door and ushered her inside. Rachel walked right to the counter. Sylvia, the elderly woman who owned the store, was working behind the register. Rachel. I didnt expect you to come in so soon. I just called on Friday.
I was in town. And I wanted to see what you had.
Come in back and Ill put it out over a table. Its really quite beautiful. One of the nicest Ive seen.
Rachel had been buying antique quilts from Sylvia for almost a year, her only indulgence in a very strict budget. But her passion for collecting quilts had come from her mother. As a child, Rachel had accompanied her mother to auctions at least once a month in search of the hand-stitched creations.
Her first quilts had come from her grandmother, beautiful hand-pieced bedspreads made of faded calico fabrics. Then shed inherited her mothers eclectic collection. And now she was adding quilts of her own.
Sylvia pulled the quilt from a bag and threw it over an antique dining table. She patted Rachels shoulder. Ill give you some time to enjoy it.
Rachel sighed. Thank you, Sylvia.
Dermot stood by her side. Its a quilt.
Its a piece of American folk art, she said, smoothing her hands over the fabric. It tells a story. All of these fabrics came from old clothing the family had worn. I use pencils and ink and they used old aprons and shirts and dresses. And the pattern represents the maker. And each region of the country has favorite patterns. The women worked together on the quilting. See these tiny little hand stitches? And the designs they make? Its beautiful. She stepped back and pointed to the price tag. Tell me how much it is. Im afraid to look.