Heather (Seven Sisters Book 1) Read online

  “Oh, he’s fine. Trying to train that stallion again. I really wish he’d sell the thing and be done with it. I don’t know why he’s so obsessed.” Michael shook his head. “He was sorry to pull me away from you so quickly, and he’s excited to get to know you.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting everyone.”

  “Good because Mom has a party planned for tomorrow evening. She’s having everyone over for a game night. If you can survive a Muir game night, then you’re in.”

  “In what?” she asked.

  “No idea, but you’re in it!” He grinned at her, taking her hand in his. “The drive to my house is long, and we’re an hour behind you. You may want to sleep while I drive.”

  She shook her head. “Nah. I’m too nervous to be tired.”

  “Nervous? About what?”

  “Meeting your mother. Do you have any idea how many men have taken me home to meet their mothers?”

  He frowned. He didn’t like thinking of her with any other men. He was feeling very territorial where she was concerned, and that was a new thing for him. “How many?”

  “None. You’re the first, so meeting your mother makes me nervous. Doesn’t that make sense?”

  “I guess it does.” He grinned at her, pleased with her answer. “I’ve only met the mom of one of my girlfriends. Well, one since high school.”

  “And who was that?”

  “You. Don’t you remember?”

  She laughed. “I thought you meant other than me. Stop trying to mess with my head!”

  During the long drive, she regaled him with the errors her students had made during the ballet. “And then little Susie tripped over her own feet and fell into Abigail, who fell into Tiffany. It was pretty funny.”

  “No one was hurt I hope?” he asked, grinning at the picture her words painted.

  “Nah. I wouldn’t be laughing about it if one of the girls had been hurt. It was just silly.”

  “Did you bring your leotard?” he asked.

  “Nope. I left it in Texas, but I did bring my leg warmers. I figured I’d need them here more than there.”

  He turned the car into a long driveway with a huge house at the end. “I live in the guest house at the back of the property. Mom is still in the main house. This is my ranch.” He looked at it through a stranger’s eyes, noting that it was time to replace the sign out front.

  “It’s huge.” Her own parents’ home was half the size.

  “Come on. Mom’s waiting up for us.” He grabbed her luggage from behind the seat and led her to the front door, knocking once and going in. “Mom! We’re here!”

  An older woman with short brown hair and green eyes hurried into the kitchen. “You must be Heather!”

  Heather nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I appreciate you letting me stay with you.”

  “You are welcome any time. I’ve seen how happy knowing you has made my Michael.”

  “He’s made me happy, too.” Heather glanced over at Michael, who was looking everywhere but at her.

  “I’m going to take your luggage to your room. You two get acquainted.”

  Mrs. Muir walked over to the stove. “I’m going to make some tea. Would you like some?”

  “I’d love some. It’s a little colder here than I’m used to.”

  “Yes, I heard you’re from Texas. It’s a lot warmer down there. It’s supposed to get down to five degrees tonight.”

  Heather shook her head. “I can honestly say that I don’t ever remember being anywhere that cold.”

  Mrs. Muir poured tea into cups and served it with some cookies. “I hope you’re not always watching your figure, because I do like to bake.”

  “I probably would be if I didn’t dance as hard as I do. When you’re always twirling around, you don’t tend to put a lot of weight on.” Heather did weigh a little more than she had when she was cheering but not much. She was happy with her weight, which she knew a lot of women couldn’t say.

  “Good. I wouldn’t want to see you skimping on my yummy baked goods.”

  Michael arrived back in the kitchen then and sat down with them. “Thanks for the snack, Mom.”

  “No problem. I’ll eat with you two and then show Heather her room. You two have been alone for long enough today, and now you get to share her.”

  Heather grinned, loving that Michael’s mother wasn’t afraid to give him her opinions of anything. “I am pretty sleepy.”

  “I’m sure you are. What time did you have to wake up to catch your flight?”

  “Six. I had a layover in Dallas Fort Worth, but it was a straight shot from there. It’s been a very long day.”

  Michael frowned at her. “I wasn’t thinking about how long you’d been up. You should have told me to grab fast food so you could get to bed sooner.”

  “Why would I do that? The Italian place you took me to was amazing. I’m fine. I’m not working in the morning, so I have all the time in the world.”

  He grinned at that. “Are you happy to be off work for a while?”

  She nodded. “I do love my students, but every once in a while, I need to be able to sleep late.”

  “I can understand that.” He covered her hand with his. “Plan on sleeping late tomorrow. I’ll be up before dawn as usual for work, but you don’t have to do anything while you’re here.”

  Heather frowned. “I’m sure I’ll at least help your mother with cooking and take some of the burden of having a houseguest off of her.”

  “You will not!” Mrs. Muir exclaimed. “I’m thrilled to have you, and you will be lazy this week. It’s your job.”

  Heather grinned. “Being lazy has never been something I’m good at.”

  “I have a good library of romance novels. You are welcome to immerse yourself in them.”

  “I could do that.” Heather actually liked the idea of having some time to read. She couldn’t help but wonder how much time she’d have with Michael while she was there.

  “I want to show you around town at lunchtime tomorrow. There’s a little café that’s good, and we can explore.” He didn’t add that he had a surprise for her, because he wasn’t sure if she was ready.

  “That sounds like fun.” Heather hid a yawn behind her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m sleepier than I realized.”

  His mother got to her feet. “Come with me. I’ll show you your room. You’ll have a private bath and a nice big guest room.”

  “Sounds nice.” Heather smiled at Michael. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He nodded. “I’ll come by for you around noon.”

  “I’ll be ready.” She wanted to lean down and kiss him goodnight, but she didn’t want to do it in front of his mother. It would just be too awkward.

  He seemed to agree. He squeezed her hand as she walked by. “Goodnight.”

  “G’night.” Seeing him again made all of the old feelings rush back. She hoped she could sleep instead of lying in bed all night staring at the ceiling and thinking of him. He would certainly be on her mind a lot, though she wished it was different.

  Mrs. Muir led her to a large bedroom on the second floor of the house. There was a bathroom off the bedroom. “There’s another bedroom that connects to this bathroom, but no one is staying there. This big old house is lonely now that all my kids have flown the coop.”

  “You have a beautiful home.” Heather couldn’t imagine living alone in a place like this, but she had to admire the older woman for keeping it so clean.

  “It’ll be Michael’s as soon as he marries. I’ll move into the guest house, and he can rattle around in here.”

  Heather frowned. “I think you should get to keep your house.”

  “But there’s only one of me, and when he marries, I expect there will be more than two quickly.” Mrs. Muir gave Heather a probing look that had her blushing. Yes, she wanted to be that wife. Yes, she wanted to have those children.

  “It will be a change for certain.”

  “Yes, it will.” Mrs. Muir stepped toward
the doorway. “I’m just down the hall if you need anything.”

  “I won’t be afraid to ask.” Heather watched as the door closed and then went for her suitcase. Jammies and bed were all she could think about at the moment.

  Chapter Eight

  When Heather woke the next morning, she looked around the room, her eyes still wanting to stay closed. There was a moment of panic as she tried to remember where she was, and then she fell back on her pillows. Idaho. She was in Idaho, and she’d be spending her day with Michael. Well, part of her day, anyway.

  She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was just past nine, and she climbed from the bed. That was after ten her time, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so late. After a quick shower, she dressed and made her hair full and pretty.

  She walked down the stairs, not knowing what she’d find. Mrs. Muir had seemed so nice, but Michael had been present for most of their interactions. Heather hoped the older woman would be just as nice when he wasn’t there.

  When she reached the kitchen, a cheerful Mrs. Muir grinned at her. “I hope you slept well!”

  “I did. Thank you.” Heather desperately wanted to make a good impression on Michael’s mother, but she wasn’t sure how. How do you make the woman who is your potential future mother-in-law happy?

  “Sit down! I have a couple of muffins for you and a cup of coffee. Are you a coffee drinker?”

  Heather nodded. “Not always, but I do enjoy a cup from time to time. I’m not one of those people who has to have it within thirty-six seconds of falling out of bed or her day is ruined, though.”

  Mrs. Muir grinned. “I can usually last forty-three seconds before I ruin my day over coffee.” She placed two blueberry muffins on the table in front of Heather along with a cup of coffee.

  “Thank you. I didn’t mean to sleep so late.”

  “Nonsense. You were tired, and you had every right to sleep as long as you needed to.” Mrs. Muir got herself a muffin and a cup of coffee and sat down across from Heather. “Michael should be here in an hour and a half. He’s excited to show you our little town.”

  Heather took a sip of the coffee, liking how it filled her with warmth. She would have been just as happy with hot tea or hot chocolate, but the coffee was good, too. “I’m looking forward to it. He thinks a lot of this place. He talked about it all the time while he was in Texas.”

  “I’m sorry we had to call him home early. We honestly needed him here.”

  “I understand completely, though I would have liked a little more time with him.” Heather shrugged. “Family first, though.”

  “I appreciate you understanding. We’d have expected you to do the same if it had been one of your sisters. Michael says you’re the oldest of seven girls.”

  Heather nodded. “I am. The youngest is in college.”

  “Do you think you’d be able to move away?”

  “I really don’t know. I love what I do, and my business is doing well. It seems like it would be crazy to leave it at this time.” But it might be crazier not to.

  “Maybe it would. Maybe it wouldn’t. I know that I would think it was crazy to have love in the palm of your hands and let it go. I’d have given anything for just a few more years with my love.”

  Heather frowned. “Michael told me his dad died young.”

  “He did. And I made him wait a couple of years to marry so I could finish my college degree. I never used that degree because I immediately became a housewife and then a mom. I should have married him as soon as he asked.” Mrs. Muir stared off into the distance as she spoke. “I’m not telling you what to do, Heather. I just don’t want you to have the kind of regrets I have.”

  “Thank you.” Heather didn’t know what else to say. The warning was understandable, but she hoped nothing like that ever happened to Michael. She knew it would tear her up.

  “Everyone will be here tonight. You’ll get to meet all four of my other children. I thought I’d make a nice supper and then we’ll play some games. I have Trivial Pursuit.”

  Heather grinned. “I love that game!”

  “I do, too. It’s so fun. I always feel a little slow, but we play in teams, and that helps.” Mrs. Muir leaned forward, as if to impart a secret. “I sometimes read through the first thirty or so cards in each box so I’ll have a fighting chance.”

  Heather giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “I’ll never tell!”

  “Good girl. I knew I liked you.” Mrs. Muir got up then and started to clean up the small mess they’d made. “Michael should be here in an hour. You might want to wander around outside for a bit . . . explore.”

  Heather nodded. “I’d like that a lot.” She hurried upstairs and put on her outside gear. When she was covered with leg warmers, a coat, gloves, a hat, and scarf, she went back down the stairs and stepped outside. It was snowing lightly, and Heather wanted to spin around, trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

  She’d seen snow a few times, but it was sticking to the ground here and looked like they may even get enough for a snowman. She had always wanted to build a snowman!

  She wandered around to the back of the house and found a small path that led back through some trees. There she found another house that was much smaller. She looked at it for a moment, contemplating. It must be where Michael lives, she decided.

  There were no festive decorations on the smaller house as there were on the bigger one. Someone had gone all out to decorate the big house for Christmas, and she knew that someone was Michael’s mother. This house looked like a bachelor lived in it. There wasn’t even a wreath on the door, and she highly doubted there would be a tree in the house.

  It made her sad to think that he didn’t even decorate for Christmas. At home, her house was completely decked out for the season, inside and out. She knew she wouldn’t actually spend the holiday at home, but she’d instead go to her parents’ house as she did every year. That didn’t matter about the decorations, though. She was happy to put them up.

  Suddenly she wanted to decorate with Michael. She wanted them to have a home together to decorate every year. Glancing over at the big house his mother lived in, she knew it would be theirs. Well, he did have to ask her to marry him first, but that was just a formality as far as she was concerned.

  Heather continued on her walk, daydreaming about someday having his baby. Even though she wouldn’t be surrounded by her family, she would still be surrounded by a family. Michael’s family would become hers. There was no doubt in her mind.

  She was just walking back around the front of the house when she spotted his truck parked out front. “Michael!” She raised a hand and waved to him.

  He grinned at her. She was definitely dressed like a Texas girl in an Idaho winter. She was covered from head to toe by thick, warm winter clothing. He’d never seen anything like it. Well, he had but not at a balmy twenty-eight degrees. “You ready?”

  She nodded. “I don’t have my purse. Do I need it?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t imagine why you would. Unless you want to try to drive in the snow.”

  “No, thanks. I have no desire to drive in the snow.”

  “All right. Climb in then.” He slid behind the steering wheel and headed toward town. “I thought we’d drive through town, and I’ll show you everything, and then we’ll have some lunch.”

  “Sounds good. Your mom fed me muffins when I got up, which was after ten. I felt like a sloth sleeping that long. I can only imagine what she thinks of me.”

  “You’re not a sloth. You were up early yesterday, and you’ve been going non-stop getting ready for the recital.” Michael shook his head. “You had the right to sleep late.”

  “Yeah, but not every day. I want to be able to work with you at least one day while I’m here.”

  He frowned at her. “You want to do ranch work with me? Really?”

  “Why not? I helped on my uncle’s ranch growing up. It’s not like I don’t know what I’m
doing around a cow or horse.”

  “Well, if you really want to, you’re welcome to join me one day. If you get too tired you can always go back to the house for a nap.”

  Heather looked at him for a moment in disbelief. “Is that a challenge?”

  Michael looked at her, just then realizing how his words must have sounded. “Not at all. I’m sorry if that sounded condescending.”

  Heather folded her arms and looked out of the window on her side of the truck. She wasn’t sure she was pleased with him at the moment.

  When he reached town, he pointed out all of the important things. “That’s the grocery store. We have a butcher in town as well. There’s a small car dealership if you like Jeeps.” He pointed out the post office and a couple of small restaurants as they drove. “We even have a dime store.”

  She took in everything, liking the look of the old brick buildings in town. “How big is this place?”

  “About twenty-five hundred people. Not big, but not too terribly small either.” Michael hoped she liked it, because he needed her to stay there with him and not spend the rest of her life in Texas. He pulled into a small café that had the best food in town, and he got out of the truck. “I figured we’d eat here. There’s a pizza place, too, and you can always eat at the bowling alley, but this is my favorite.”

  Heather got out and walked to the building with him. When they walked in, he was greeted by name. “Hey, Michael. Just pick a table. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Michael nodded and led Heather to a table in the corner. “I went to school with her older sister,” he said about the waitress.

  “Is there anyone in town you don’t know?” she asked.

  “Maybe a few people. I do know most.” The waitress came over then, looking at Heather with unashamed interest. “This is Heather. I met her while I was in Texas in October.”

  “Someone said you were twitterpated. It’s nice to meet you, Heather. I’m Brandi.”