“How do you know that?”

“He said she invited us to dinner and would I please go easy on her.”

“And he said that because?”

“Because when I met her at her Halloween party a while ago, I didn’t go real easy on her. But she didn’t go real easy on me, either. When I asked her what her muffins tasted like, she asked what I like and I told her pork chops, potatoes and gravy and she said then I’d like the muffins. Trying to trick a kid—cheap shot.”

He laughed again. “Is it possible you’ve met your match? She might be almost as smart as you are.”

“Well…”

“Can you go easy on her? Give her a chance? Find out if you actually like her before you put a curse on her?”

“What do I care?” she said with an insolent grimace.

“Just put yourself in his position. It should be easy for you—think of yourself and how much it’s meant to you to have Amber as a friend, to have better grades, to have a new look that gets the attention of the most handsome guy at the stable. All that feels good, right? So if someone wanted to make enough trouble for you so you couldn’t have those things, that would be very disappointing, right?”

“I don’t get what you’re saying,” she said, because it was true.

“I’m saying that your dad—”

“Lief,” she corrected.

“I’m saying that Lief has been very lonely since his wife died and it would be a good thing for him to have friends. To have an adult relationship. Just as it’s good for you to have teenage relationships—boys and girls. It balances things out for the family.”

She leaned toward him. “I don’t have relationships with boys!”

“Maybe not yet,” Jerry said. “But you wouldn’t find it sporting if Lief did something to humiliate you in front of Gabe, the handsome one.”

She thought about that for a moment.

“I’m just saying, don’t make it impossible for Lief to have a friend,” Jerry said. “He’s earned it. It doesn’t make you any less important to him.”

She thought some more. Then she said, “And if he decides he loves her or something?”

Jerry shrugged. “So?” he asked.

“I don’t want a new mother! I’ll never have another mother!”

“Good terms,” Jerry said, tripping her up yet again by agreeing with her. “Make those your terms. You’ll be receptive and accessible and friendly—but you draw the line at having a new mother. If this woman who is having you to dinner wants to take the place of your mother, you are within your rights to tell her no, thank you. You are definitely within your rights to say you’re only interested in having friends. How does that sound?”

She grimaced. Actually, it sounded very practical.

“Chances are she doesn’t want to be your mother, but rather just be on good terms with you. Kind of like Amber wants to be on good terms with your dad so you two can enjoy your friendship. It’s not very complicated.”

After a long, thoughtful moment, Courtney said, “I think I’m being brainwashed here. I should call someone, like the police. Get deprogrammed.”

He laughed at her. “So tell me about the puppy. Spike. Do you get to bring him home pretty soon?”

Kelly knew how to slip most of the bones out of a raw Cornish game hen. It had to be done the day before roasting or baking, then refrigerated, then stuffed, then baked. She pulled out the spine and ribs, but left the leg and wing bones so there was something to hold the bird together and give it shape.

She had an amazing rosemary dressing for the little birds. Because Picky Courtney was coming to dinner, she was keeping it simple—buttered peas and baby glazed carrots rather than anything as “exotic” as brussels sprouts. She’d serve appetizers, hard rolls, chopped salad and, for dessert, chocolate pie. And if the little twerp was difficult, she’d offer her a hot dog!

“I think your talents are wasted on sweet relish and chutney,” Jillian said, observing the boneless hens being stuffed.

“It takes a good chef to do all these things. Sauces aren’t easy, canned goods are dicey, if the flavor is going to be right. Besides, as sous chef, I was more of a supervisor than anything else. Creating a special dinner for five—it’s a treat.” Then she looked at Jill and said, “Help me with Courtney. Please. Especially if she likes you.”

“Are you worried about it?”

“I’m worried about Lief being miserable. He gives her so much and I suspect he asks for very little in return.”

“Don’t worry, Kell. I have a secret weapon.”

“Oh?”

“Colin Riordan, king of the wild men!”

Kelly frowned. “Okay, I’m not sure what that means, but don’t hurt her.”

“Promise,” Jill said with a laugh.

Less than an hour later, when the sun was lowering in the sky, the table ready, Jill and Kelly on the porch with their glasses of wine, Lief pulled up. When he and Courtney got out of the truck, the sisters couldn’t keep their mouths from dropping open in shock and wonder. That little stinker was stunning! Her hair was smooth, dark auburn and swept her porcelain jaw in a sleek wedge. Her lips were pink! Her nails were not black! And though she was tiny, she did sinful justice to a pair of tight dress jeans, shiny boots and a denim jacket.

Courtney kept her eyes averted, but Lief couldn’t help smiling as he approached the ladies on the porch.

“Courtney!” Kelly said before she could stop herself. “This is a whole new you!”

Courtney merely shrugged.

“Kid, you look amazing!” Jillian said. She ran a hand over her own dark, layered locks. “Who did that? Tell me it was someone within driving distance. I have to have the name!” She looked at Kelly, smoothing her own hair along her cheek. “I could do that, couldn’t I?”

“Annie did it,” Courtney said. “My trainer. I mean, riding instructor. She’s a beautician and has a shop in Fortuna. So you like it?”

“Like it?” Kelly said. “If I didn’t have to spend an hour taming all these wild curls, I’d pay a lot of money to get that cut.”

“Well, I don’t,” Jill said. “Can you believe we weren’t adopted? One curly blue-eyed blonde and one dark horse with straight hair! I could do that cut—but I’d have to grow a lot of stuff out first!”

Remarkably, Courtney laughed. “You don’t have nearly as much to grow out as I did. I mean, come on—pink, purple, burgundy and ink-black.”

Kelly sat forward. “What made you do it?” she asked, sincerely curious.

“I scared the horses,” she said, with a smile.

And Kelly noticed—shining, straight teeth. Underneath that scowl was a beauty. “Naw,” Kelly said with a laugh. “I heard they were color-blind.” She nodded at Courtney’s feet. “I like your boots.”

“Yeah, great boots,” Jill agreed. “If I didn’t have to wear rubber in the garden, I’d copy those, too.”

There was the tooting of a horn as Colin came speeding up to the back porch in the garden mobile, basically a golf cart with a flatbed back that Jill and her assistant used to get themselves and supplies between gardens. He stopped right in front of Lief and Courtney.

“Hey,” everyone said as he got out.

“Courtney, wanna drive?”

She was stunned silent for a minute. “Seriously?” she said.

“I have to go with,” Colin said. “I mean, it’s Jilly’s buggy. But you can drive as long as you’re not too crazy.”

“You bet,” she said, jumping into the garden mobile.

Colin took a moment to show her reverse, forward, power and brakes. Then they backed away, turned around, and Courtney jerked toward the road that went between the trees to the back meadow. Then she found her comfort zone and, with a squeal, went as fast as the cart would take her.

“Can I help myself to a beer?” Lief asked.

“Of course, but what happened to her?” Kelly asked. “I almost asked where Courtney was!”

“I suspect the good-looking guy at the stable, but it could be the Hawkins family or maybe even the counselor. Who knows? Do I care? It’s the first time I haven’t lived with an alien in over a year. I’ll be right back.”

While Lief was getting his beer, Jill and Kelly watched the garden mobile disappear through the trees. Then they only heard it; they couldn’t see it. After just a moment, they heard Courtney’s high-pitched squeal and Colin’s deep laugh. Then they heard that again and again and again as the sounds got farther and farther away. Lief was back on the porch with his beer, listening along with them. “What’s his secret?” he asked Jill.

“He doesn’t really care for kids that much,” she said. “Therefore he doesn’t treat them like kids, but rather like short adults. Seems to work like a charm.”

Lief took a long pull on his beer. “Wow. I’ll try to remember that.”

Within a few minutes the garden mobile reappeared, running full speed toward the house on the road between the trees. Colin was leaning back, one big foot propped up on the dash, holding his hat on his head with a hand. Courtney, however, was leaning into the steering column, grabbing it with gusto, sailing past the house down the drive to the front.

Lief, Kelly and Jill burst out laughing when the vehicle had passed.

“Think she’ll be willing to give it up so Colin can have dinner?” Lief asked.

“Oh, sure,” Jillian said. “It won’t be long now.”

“How do you know? She looked pretty happy in control of that thing,” Lief pointed out.

Jill tilted her head. “It’s going to run out of gas. Pretty soon.”

Ten

After Courtney’s wild ride in a garden mobile, Kelly hosted her at three successful dinners, all within the space of two weeks. If she wasn’t mistaken, Courtney was actually pleased to be there. True, she was considerably friendlier and more outgoing to Jillian and Colin, but Kelly understood that. After all, they weren’t threatening her position with her father. And she was civilized, if cool, toward Kelly. She even seemed to like the meals Kelly prepared, though she had a tiny appetite.

Courtney loved the garden mobile, and she loved Colin’s painting just as much. For a guy who didn’t take to kids, he certainly had a way with Courtney.

Tonight would mark their fourth dinner together—the five of them. Then it was suddenly reduced to a three some as Colin and Jillian announced last-minute plans to meet Colin’s brother and sister-in-law, Luke and Shelby, at a restaurant in Arcata for a nice dinner out. Apparently Colin’s mother, Maureen, had arrived early for the Thanksgiving holiday and was babysitting Luke’s son, little Brett.

“Will you manage?” Jill asked.

“Sooner or later we’re going to have to find out if she’s going to let her father have a girlfriend.” Kelly fanned her face. “My arms are aching from holding him off!”

Jill just giggled. “Good luck with that,” she said.

Kelly made a decision. She’d make it one of the best dinners ever. If she was flying solo, she was going to figure out how to win Courtney over. The menu was already geared to a teenage girl’s tastes—ravioli. Courtney was not impressed by her culinary achievements; in fact, there didn’t seem to be anything about Kelly that impressed her.

Kelly didn’t want much, nor did she expect much. They didn’t have to be best friends, she and Courtney. But before she could let herself fall in love with Lief, she had to at least be on level ground with the girl.

She lit the fire in the kitchen hearth, cut some colorful mums from the front walk and put them in a vase on the table, set a beautiful table with two plates on one side and one on the other. Her place was closest to the stove and work island for convenience in serving. She warmed freshly baked bread, tossed the salad and uncorked the Shiraz to let it breathe. Finally Lief came to the back door, smiling as he let himself in.