The MacBrides Read online

  RJ tried to smile. The man was always studying and judging her. It was obvious he found her lacking in some way. She wanted to tell him to go to hell, but for Sandy’s sake she would try. “Yes, I taught her to drive and it seems she got us here just fine.”

  “I’ll give you that,” he acknowledged before turning back to Sandy. “But I see why Clay won’t let you out on the range.”

  Sandy laughed. “Seriously, you guys are so thickheaded. Come on, RJ, I want to show you the shop.”

  Logan caught the subtle look Sandy sent him. Assuming it meant she still wanted him to give her a tour and try to talk her into staying he sighed. “Sandy, I know you want to show RJ around the shop. But once the shop opens, I was thinking I could give RJ a tour of the ranch.”

  RJ narrowed her eyes at the offer. But when Sandy acted surprised and gushed that RJ should go and have a good time, she realized they planned this. Doing an internal eye roll, she decided to let Sandy have her way and agreed.

  “Can you come back in an hour?” Sandy asked Logan. He nodded and strode off leaving the sisters alone again.

  “Subtlety is not your strength, oh sister of mine,” RJ said in a sarcastic tone. Then looping her arms through her sister’s, turned to inspect the shop. “Wow. It’s bigger than I thought.”

  The building was shaped and painted like a small red barn with white trim. The windows had flower planters attached and were in early bloom. The double doors had windows on the top portion and x-shaped trim on the bottom. It was charming. There was a large gravel parking lot to the right of the building.

  “I bet you thought it was going to be a little hut.”

  RJ smiled. “Okay, kind of.”

  Sandy unlocked the doors and propped them open. “I need to move some displays outside. If you give me a hand, I can give you a tour inside after.”

  It only took them fifteen minutes to set the displays up to Sandy’s satisfaction. They had moved a chalk board that listed times for winery tours and a number to call for private tours. They set up a small display of homemade jams and lavender products. The displays were offset by varying sized planters filled with pansies, marigolds and small spiked grasses. It was a visually appealing and inviting setup.

  When they were done, RJ wandered into the shop itself. The inside also reminded her of a barn with an open pitched ceiling and white painted beams. To one side there were several displays, similar to the sampling they’d set up at the front doors, but with more variety. On the other side was a small white counter with a low glass guard. To the rear of the shop was a bar of sorts and behind that, lining the rear wall, was a selection of wines.

  “What do you think?” Sandy asked interrupting RJ’s perusal.

  “I think I underestimated the operation. What is that white counter for?”

  “We sell homemade fudge from that counter when it’s available. Clay’s mom loves to make fudge, and it rocks. I talked her into letting me sell it on the agreement that we only did so when the spirit moved her to make it.” Leaning towards her sister she whispered, “And between you and me it’s fabulous. The locals call frequently to see if Bea MacBride’s fudge is available.”

  Smiling, RJ pointed to the back-bar area. “And that?”

  “Come on back. I need to set this up. We do wine tasting here also. We try to encourage wine sales and many times it will lead to a full wine tour and tasting.” Sandy explained as she started to set the bar area up. There was a mini ice maker under the counter used to fill a basin to chill the white wines.

  RJ allowed her gaze to sweep around the store again trying to take it all in. “Are all the products in here produced on this ranch?”

  Sandy understood the awe. It was a vast operation and this store only represented a portion of it. “All the lavender products are. Many of the jams are also but most are from surrounding peach orchards. The wine is all Rocking Bar labels. No competitors allowed.”

  “Wow.”

  “I know. And this is just a small portion of the business. The primary operation is all about the cattle,” Sandy explained smiling. “And yes, you guessed right. I asked Logan to give you a tour. I thought you’d like to see the MacBride legacy. I’m barely familiar with the wine and lavender portions of the business.”

  Laughing, RJ pulled a strand of her sister’s hair. “Brat.”

  5

  Logan just finished meeting with his sister, Hannah, at the main house. Something was going on with her, but she wouldn’t share. Ever since she came back from her most recent trip to France she had been subdued. Hopping into his truck, he cast another glance at the house. Figuring out women was definitely not for the fainthearted.

  Those thoughts brought another woman to mind. RJ. He couldn’t quite figure her out, and each time he believed he understood who she was she threw him for a loop. He was uncomfortable with his feelings surrounding her. He had met and been with many beautiful women over the years and none tied him in knots before. With her, he went from intrigued to irritated, compassionate to confused in a matter of seconds. Pulling up to the store, he decided it probably had to do with the experience of introducing new people into his family. His natural male instincts were at war with his family protective ones. Feeling better at the rationalization, he hopped down from his truck and strode into the store.

  His eyebrows rose when he walked in to find both RJ and Sandy laying on the floor looking up at the ceiling. Craning his neck, he looked up trying to determine what they were staring at. Stumped he cleared his throat to draw their attention. Both turned their heads. Sandy broke out in a grin, while a dull red flush crept up RJ’s face.

  “Is there something wrong with the ceiling?” he asked watching both ladies get to their feet.

  Sandy brushed the back of her jeans off as she and RJ stood. “Nope. Not a thing.”

  Waiting for further explanation, he frowned when no one elaborated on why they were on the floor. Deciding he was probably better off not knowing, he focused on RJ. “Okay, you ready to go?”

  She gave him a stiff nod but he didn’t miss the punch in the arm she gave Sandy. Leading the way outside, he tossed over his shoulder, “I’ll take her back to the main house for lunch. Meet you there.”

  When she joined him on the front porch of the shop, he tipped his hat back. “I thought we could do a quick walking tour of the public area first before I take you back to the private, family portion of the ranch.”

  “That’s fine,” was all she gave him as a response. Sighing, he started walking towards the large building that had the Rocking Bar logo on the front.

  “This building is the winery and cellar combined. I’ll be honest and tell you I don’t know much about the process of making the wine. Clay’s the vintner of the family. He and Sarah, our youngest sister, like to run tours that include a light lunch with a wine pairing, a tour of the vineyard, and then the winery itself.” Pausing at the front doors, he pointed to the vineyard. “The vineyard you see over here is where they started. It’s about thirty acres. Once they got going, and started having success in producing wine, the family set aside another fifty acres for an additional vineyard. That vineyard isn’t accessible to tourists as it sits closer to the private, family area.”

  “Amazing,” RJ told him after they’d walked through the winery and what his sister Hannah called the lavender house. He had given an even briefer description of what he knew his sister did here. “I didn’t realize how many products could be made from the lavender plant.”

  Logan thoroughly enjoyed watching RJ absorb his world, and as she got more engaged she became less standoffish. “I didn’t either. Hannah just got back from a recent trip to Paris with more ideas on what she wants to do with this part of the business. If you’re ready, let’s head out to the part of the ranch I’m more familiar with.”

  Her laugh caught him off guard. Smiling at her he thought she looked carefree and happy. And beautiful. Not sure why she was laughing, he raised an eyebrow at her.

  St
ill smiling, she enlightened him. “For a guy who says he doesn’t know much about this part of the family business you do alright. I can only image what I’ll learn about the part of the business you feel educated on.”

  Feeling a bit sheepish, he kept his smile in place. “I guess I paid more attention during all the family discussions than I thought.”

  They walked back to his truck. “No UV?” RJ asked him.

  “Nope. Going to need my truck later.”

  “How come I didn’t see any of your brothers or sisters around this morning?”

  He started the truck and threw it in reverse. “The girls are helping mom this morning around the house and Brand’s helping Clay in the other vineyard I told you about.”

  He drove them down one of the lanes leading deeper into the property. Once he felt they had sufficient privacy, he pulled the truck to the side and stopped. Shifting in his seat, he stared at her. He knew he owed her an apology for yesterday and now was a good time to give it. Turning to meet her questioning gaze, he was again struck by her. This was a woman he felt compelled to understand.

  “I want to apologize for yesterday. I was out of line.”

  She cocked her head to study him. But after a moment said, “Apology accepted. Thank you for offering it.”

  Pleased, Logan couldn’t resist asking, “So, why were you on the floor this morning looking at the ceiling?”

  “I can just imagine what it looked like to you.” She laughed. “It’s just something Sandy and I always did as kids. When things got rough at home we would lay on our bed and look at the ceiling making plans on the type of life we wanted to have. This morning it felt right to be in that position as Sandy told me of the life she was now planning.”

  Logan wondered if she realized what she implied with her statement about how things got rough. Deciding to let that slide for the time being, he went with the positive. “That’s sweet. Kinda like when Clay and I would go to the hayloft to discuss things as boys.”

  RJ smiled and nodded. As they held each other’s gazes, Logan felt heat rush through him. He was struggling with his growing desire to drag her across the cab of his truck and kiss her when she cleared her throat and broke eye contact.

  “So, where to next?”

  “The Homestead. I can show you around the working part of the ranch before we meet up with everyone for lunch. There isn’t enough time to actually go out on the range.” He put the truck in gear and started back down the road. He was still rattled by the feelings rushing through him.

  Logan walked her around the Homestead area where the main house stood with barns, corrals, and bunkhouses. The house was close enough to the other buildings but far enough away to afford some privacy. As she walked alongside him heading back towards the main house he saw her studying the design of the building. It still filled his heart whenever he approached it. The home was a combination of stone and wood. The main level boasted a large porch that ran across the entire length of the house, and the second floor had four dormer windows on the front, running the length of the porch.

  “What year was your home built?” RJ asked.

  “If you mean my home, then I built it two years ago. But the main house has been around since the early nineteen-hundreds. We’ve updated the inside quite a bit over time to keep it comfortable and functional,” Logan answered.

  “It’s absolutely beautiful. And seems to belong in this environment. I can see that Clay tried to duplicate the design with his own home.”

  Logan slanted a glance towards RJ. He had been trying to avoid looking at her since the moment in the truck. He was still trying to tamp down the urges she sparked in him. “Yeah, it does, and he did. I went slightly different with mine. It’s also nestled in a grove of aspen and evergreen but made mostly of wood with some rocks for accent.”

  Then she turned to look at him. Mistake! The urge to kiss her ignited rapidly again.

  “Where is your house located?” she asked.

  Did she sound a little breathless? He hoped she wasn’t unaffected by whatever was going on between them. “It’s about three miles north of Clay’s house. We each picked out areas for our own homes years ago. Mom and Dad wanted to make sure we stayed close.” Jogging up the front steps, he opened the door. “Ready to meet the rest of the family?”

  RJ’s stomach was full of butterflies, and had been all morning. The emotions surfacing yesterday were still raw, but she felt more balanced after her time with Sandy. She could also appreciate, and if she were honest, envy the way the MacBride men defended their own. She never had that but was very happy her sister had found it.

  This morning’s tour left her impressed and a little overwhelmed. And Logan, well he was having an effect on her also. There were a couple of times she thought he was going to kiss her. And darned if she couldn’t decide if she wanted that or not. Now looking at him by the front door, smiling at her, she was still undecided. “As I’ll ever be,” she muttered and slowly went up the steps to join him.

  Following him inside and to the back of the house, she took in the home as they walked through. The first thing she noticed was the noise. Apparently, others had already arrived and were talking and laughing. The house itself had a comfortable look and while there were definitely modern upgrades to be seen, there were also the unique designs of the original home.

  When they walked into the kitchen area the noise level lowered dramatically as face after face turned towards her. Sandy was sitting on Clay’s lap smiling. When she saw her sister, she hopped up and hurried over.

  “Hey, how was the tour?” she asked as she grabbed RJ’s arm and gave it a slight squeeze. RJ assumed it was a gesture to reassure her.

  “I’m still reeling,” RJ told her and reached up to give her sister’s hand a squeeze back.

  “Let me introduce everyone.” Turning, Sandy walked her over towards a big kitchen island. There were two younger women and an older woman working at putting food out. “RJ, this is Hannah and Sarah. And this is Clay’s mom, Bea.”

  RJ nodded to each as they said hello. These gorgeous women were going to be part of Sandy’s family soon and she wanted to make a good impression but old insecurities just left her feeling lacking in some way. Their scrutiny was uncomfortable. She was glad when Sandy turned her to introduce her to another brother. “You know Clay and Logan, but this is their brother Brand. The only one missing is Jacob who’s in the military.”

  “Hello,” She finally eked out after all the introductions. RJ decided there wasn’t anything about the MacBrides that didn’t just overwhelm someone. They were all good-looking and full of energy. When she caught Logan’s eyes again, he gave her a reassuring smile. Startled, she felt an arm settle across her shoulders and squeeze.

  “Welcome, RJ,” Bea MacBride said. “Pull up a seat and tell us a bit about yourself.”

  She was led to a stool next to the island. “Not much to tell. I’m a photographer that lives in Denver.”

  “Oh, you’re just being modest.” Sandy jumped in. “She’s a well sought after photographer, which is why I know my wanting her here this summer was a hard request.”

  Okay, so that was the problem, RJ thought. They all found her lacking for not being here this summer to plan her sister’s wedding.

  “What’s the RJ stand for?” Sarah asked.

  RJ blushed and Sandy laughed. “You want to tell them or do you want me to?” Sandy giggled.

  “By all means, you tell it since you got the better name of the two of us.”

  “I sense a story with this,” Bea MacBride quipped.

  “Well,” Sandy drawled as she drew in everyone’s attention. “Mom was a big Grease fan. She loved the movie. She always told us she couldn’t decide if she loved Olivia Newton-John or Stockard Channing’s character best. Which gave way to her choices of names. I’m named after one of them and RJ the other.”

  Bea laughed. “Sandy and Rizzo!”

  “Your real name is Rizzo?” Logan said grinning at RJ.


  Tilting her chin up, RJ decided the best way to deal with this was to embrace it and go for the hopefully humorous haughty approach. “Rizzo Jane to be exact.”

  There was dead silence for a moment, then everyone started to laugh. Something in RJ’s chest loosened. She didn’t realize she was seeking acceptance from Sandy’s soon to be new family. There were the expected jokes but without any meanness. Growing up, both her family and school mates would tease her, but their words were sharp and mean. This teasing was warm and fun. Chancing another glance at Logan, she saw he had a big grin on his face and she couldn’t help but grin right back at him.

  6

  RJ could see why Sandy was so taken with the MacBrides. Clay was very attentive during lunch and clearly in love with her sister. The others, regardless of the teasing and, on a couple of occasions disagreements over something, really cared for each other. This was what RJ always imagined a real family was like.

  Since she was a teenager, she’d escape her own reality by imagining a person in a perfect picture that portrayed their very essence. She had wanted to capture this family. Ideas were already forming in her head.

  Hannah was a nurturer like her mother but softer. Sarah was full of energy with a just do it attitude. Brand was deep and quiet, taking everything in and absorbing it. Clay was a man of the soil with an appreciation for what came out of it. Logan was a man of the earth thriving on the outdoors and taming his environment. Bea embodied aspects of all of them, or maybe it was more appropriate to say they all represented parts of their mother.

  She then formed group shots in her head based on commonality. Clay and Hannah were the ones to coax life out of the soil, while Sarah wanted to show it off. Logan and Brand ruled the land. Bea was the very definition of a matriarch with her brood supporting and honoring her.

  Maybe she could talk them into letting her take their pictures sometime this summer. She could give them as gifts after the wedding. Her thoughts were interrupted when Bea, as she asked RJ to call her, clapped her hands.