Badland Bride (Book 2 - Dakota Hearts) (6 page)

Days ago she’d seen him pull into the parking lot and walk up the ramp toward her. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but the memory made her flush with heat. Just remember the look on his face and the way she’d reacted…she’d made a fool of herself. And after her reaction to his kiss, she was convinced she was still making a fool of herself.

Regis walked up the ramp until she reached the landing, and then pushed the door open. The warm air from the office hit her in the face as she stepped inside.

Nancy smiled knowingly when she saw her. “There’s the girl of the hour.”

“Excuse me?”

“Never mind,” Keith said. “Nancy was just on her way out.”

“Am I late?”

Nancy chuckled. “Depends on whose clock you’re looking at. How’s that leg?”

“Hasn’t fallen off yet.”

Nancy laughed harder. “Sense of humor is there. That’s always a good sign.” She touched Regis on the shoulder as she passed to the door. “Enjoy your evening.”

Regis waited for Nancy to step outside before turning to Keith.

“What was that all about?”

“Nothing. Nancy is a good friend of my mother’s and the two of them have been trying to get me married off since I was twelve. They’re hoping some nice girl will tame me.”

“Is that so?”

“That seems to be the plan.”

“But you’re against the idea. Marriage that is.”

He thought about it a second. “No. I just don’t believe in putting the cart before the horse. I don’t want to get married just to get married.”

“That’s a recipe for disaster for everyone left behind.”

He stopped what he was doing mid-motion. “Sounds like you’re talking from personal experience.”

She hadn’t realized she’d said that last part out loud. “You promised me homemade pizza,” she said, changing the subject.

He frowned and her stomach fell. “I did. But we may have a problem.”

“After all your convincing for me to come to dinner, you’re backing out?”

“Not a chance. But apparently a pipe burst at the school they’re using as an emergency shelter, and while a lot of the displaced people have temporary housing, there are still people there, and they need to be fed.”

She looked out the window and saw the diner lights on and the parking lot full of cars. “The diner looks packed.”

“Yeah, but the diner isn’t big enough to handle it all. Mom said they needed a place for overflow and the only place big enough to handle it that was close enough to the diner is my place. So my kitchen is in full use. There are a lot of hands helping out tonight.”

“We don’t have to do this tonight,” she said.

He gave her an irresistible half grin. “You’re not getting out of this that easy. Ethan called a little while ago and said they’re packaging everything up now. All I can say is that I can’t vouch for the state of my kitchen until I get there so consider yourself forewarned.”

“Let’s go see the damage then.”

* * *

Keith insisted she drive with him to the house and leave her car in the clinic’s parking lot. He was probably afraid she’d bolt when she saw all the cars lined up his driveway.

“Looks like half the town is here,” she said.

He chuckled as he pushed the truck door open. “No, just mostly McKinnons and other volunteers that have been helping out since the flood.”

“Just a dinner,” she muttered as she pushed the car door open.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

She ran her fingers through her hair and climbed out of his truck, thankful she’d changed out of her work clothes into a comfortable pair of jeans and a black peasant top. Her leg didn’t hurt as much as it did, but she still chose a pair of black running shoes over a dressier high-heeled boot to be on the safe side.

She'd only gone a few steps when a dark-haired man bearing a striking resemblance to Keith came out of the house with a large box in his arms.

He smiled at Keith as they approached.

“I should have known you’d show up just as all the work is finished,” he said.

Keith spread his hands as if defeated. “You think I’m stupid? What is the state of my kitchen?”

“It’s still there.” The man looked at Regis, then at Keith, and then back at Regis. “I’d shake your hand but they’re full. I’m Logan. If I wait for my idiot brother to introduce me these dinners would spoil. And they’re getting heavy.”

As if just catching himself, Keith shook his head. “Sorry. Regis Simpson, this is my smart-assed brother. He actually thinks he needs to keep me in line.”

“That must come from somewhere,” Regis said, smiling at Logan.

Logan laughed and gave Keith a teasing look and then he eased the box into the back of a truck that already had a few boxes filled with containers. “She’s smart. I’d keep her close if I were you.”

The screen door to the log cabin opened and a tall woman walked onto the porch holding a little boy’s hand.

“Don’t leave without us, Daddy!” the little boy called out as if he were worried about being left behind.

“No worries, little man. I need you to help me carry all this food.”

Keith turned to Regis. “This little man about to tackle me is my nephew, Keith.” He bent down to pick the little boy up as he launched into his arms, giggling. The bond between the two was evident by the way the two connected so lovingly.

“You know, I’m standing here, too,” the woman said.

“Sorry, Poppy.”

Logan laughed. “Usually I’m getting in trouble for failed introductions. Regis, this is my soon-to-be bride, Poppy Ericksen.”

“Not soon enough for me,” Poppy said, gazing at Logan with a twinkle in her eye. Regis found herself fighting off the stab of envy in her stomach. They all seemed so close, something she’d never experienced in her lifetime.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Ethan told me you were out at the mill assessing the damage,” Poppy said.

Regis nodded. “We were there the other day.”

“Good. The sooner they get all their paperwork done for the claim, the sooner they can get all the estimates for renovations and they can start building. I have my heart set on a winter wedding there at the end of the year.”

“Congratulations,” Regis said. “It looks like it will be a pretty spot.”

“Thank you. That’s what we’re hoping,” Logan said, scooping Poppy by the waist and pulling her close to him. “We need to get this food over to the school so they can start feeding people.”

Keith glanced into the back of the truck. “Looks like you’ve got a full load. That’s good.”

“Ethan already took off with a bunch of boxes. He’s waiting for us at the school,” Poppy said. She kissed Keith on the cheek and said, “Make sure you ask your mother why she can’t stop smiling.”

He looked at Poppy, then quickly looked at Logan. “ It’s too soon for you…”

“To be expecting? Jeez, give us a little time why don’t you,” Poppy said, chuckling as she shook her head.

“Then what is it?”

Logan took his son in his arms and carried him over to the open truck door to help him into his car seat. “Ask Mom.”

They said their goodbyes as they walked to the log home. As the pick-up rumbled away, Keith led Regis up the stairs just as the door opened again. A man and woman emerged, carrying the same type of containers Keith's brother had. The woman gave them a half-smile that spoke of long days and fatigue. Regis hoped she wasn’t someone whose claim she had to investigate. But in all likelihood, she either had already or her name was on a long list of people she needed to visit.

It wasn’t until Keith started to introduce them that Regis remembered they’d already met.

# # #

“Regis, I’d like to introduce you to—”

“Ali Hubbard,” she finished for him, feeling relief wash over her with the memory. “I was out to see you last week.”

“I wondered if you’d remember,” Ali said. “All our faces and names must blend together after a while.”

“Sometimes it feels that way. But I pay close attention and take great notes to make sure I don’t miss anything.”

Yes, she
did
remember the details. Ali and James Hubbard. Ten acres on the outskirts of town. Lost half of their livestock and their barn. Regis had approved the claim her first day in town and submitted the paperwork to the insurance company. She was now waiting for their final payout decision.

She let out an easy breath with the recollection. The claims that were seamless didn’t stress her out. The denied claims were the worst and the reason she liked to get into a town, do her job, and get out without any complication. The denied claims broke her heart, but not nearly as much as it did the homeowners. She had to focus on the ones she could help.

Keith held open the door and they both slipped inside. She stood for a moment, overwhelmed by all the activity around her. It was as if Keith had planned a party especially for her. The room was filled with people of all ages. Some she recognized from when she ate at the diner. Some were people she didn’t know. Some she could tell definitely had McKinnon blood in them just by their strong resemblance to each other. To her relief, all of them were too busy putting filled containers of food into bigger boxes to notice her.

She followed Keith through the living room to the kitchen. At the oven was an older woman wearing a blue and white checkered apron and matching oven mitts. Her salt and pepper hair was cut short, framing an oval face that was pleasant and familiar.

“Ah, you made it!” the woman said with a warm smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll be cleaned up in about 10 minutes. All the meals are being served over at the school. I just need to wrap up the left overs and bring them over to the diner’s freezer.”

“Mom,” Keith addressed the woman in the apron and bent his head to give her a kiss, which she warmly accepted. “I want you to meet…”

“Reggie Simpson,” the woman said, finishing his sentence.

Keith’s eyes narrowed as he glanced back at her.

Regis smiled. “I told you everyone calls me Reggie. It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. McKinnon.”

His mother turned to Keith and gave her son an insulted look. “I may be a little absent-minded at times when it comes to where I put my car keys, but I'm not about to forget someone I've fed breakfast to for the past four days.” With a wink, she said, “You can call me Kate.”

Regis's greeting was sincere. She'd liked the older woman almost immediately despite their limited interaction. Kate ran her diner with a brisk efficiency and, though she came across as gruff sometimes, she had a bit of a soft side. Regis had seen the woman give a harsh word to a man who’d been unreasonably impatient with one of her servers during the rush hour, and then slip an extra cookie to a little boy who'd just been told that his dog had died.

Kate set a pie on the counter and took off the mitts. “And you'll have to ignore my son. Hawk seems to think I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached.”

“Mom,” Keith countered. “Did you or did you not put a spoon in your pocket at work and forget about it until you found it in the washer?”

Kate made a dismissive noise. “When you've got as much on your mind as I do, that's normal.”

“And your excuse for spending twenty minutes looking for your glasses when you were wearing them?”

Regis couldn't help but enjoy the playful bickering as Kate and Keith wiped down the counter together, one on each side.

“Excuse me,” Regis said, not really want to interrupt. But she felt bad just standing there while they worked. “How can I help?”

“You can have a seat,” Kate answered. “You're a guest.”

“Please,” Regis pressed. “I can't just let you do all the work.”

“Very well,” Kate said, ignoring Keith’s exasperated sigh. “I'll take out the last of the food and you can wash the dishes while Hawk puts them away.” She paused, giving Keith a meaningful look. “I'll get everyone on their way. We should all be out of your hair soon. By the way, honey, I put some leftovers in containers in your fridge. They should be good for a few days.”

“That’s an awfully big smile on your face, Ma,” Keith said.

Kate’s smile got bigger. “Yes, it is. Sam is coming home.”

Keith’s face brightened. “You’re going to have all your boys in one place at the same time.”

Kate’s smile faltered just a little. “Well, not all. Only God’s going to provide that. But I’ll take my four boys together here in Rudolph for as long as I can have them.”

“How long is he staying this time?”

“At least the whole summer. He’ll be working to clear some of the damaged areas down here because the threat of fire will be higher this summer after all this flooding left debris everywhere.” Kate was almost giddy with excitement as she talked.

“Ah, so that’s the reason for the smile,” Keith said. He hugged his mom and then turned to face Regis as he spoke. “My brother Sam works with a Hotshot fire crew out of Colorado. But he’s like you. He goes where the action is.”

“And this summer, I aim to enjoy having you all home.” Kate turned to Regis. “Thanks for the help, dear. Enjoy your evening.”

Kate picked up the pie from the counter and headed out into the other room. A few seconds later, Regis heard the door shut and then quiet. After all that commotion, she was finally alone with Keith.

Regis walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet, feeling the water with her hand until it got to a hot enough temperature to wash dishes. “Your mom's great,” she said as Keith came up alongside her.

“Yeah, she is.” The three words were full of love and again, that feeling of envy filled her. After a moment, Keith continued. “You know, you really don’t have to wash dishes. You’ve had as long a day as everyone else and I promised you dinner.”

“This is fine,” Regis assured him as she began to wash a mixing bowl.

She was thankful that her back was to Keith so she didn’t have to see his weak in the knees kind of smile. But to top all that, he had a wonderful mother whom he clearly adored, and was committed to doing charity work in his community. If she'd been unable to get him out of her mind before, today had just made it ten times worse. She shoved the thought aside and forced herself to concentrate on the slippery bowl in her hand.