“Hey, Mama! We’re here.” Betsy peeks out of the kitchen and Tyler and I are taking off our boots and coats in the mudroom and smiles.
“You’re both so early! I wasn’t expecting anybody for another hour.”
I make it to Betsy first and give her a big hug, “That’s my fault. I wanted to come by early and see if I could help you with anything.”
“Oh, sweetheart that is so nice, but you’re a guest, I don’t want you to have to do anything.”
“I don’t mind, really. I’m not that great in the kitchen, but I’d love to help anyway.”
“Well, I guess I could use a hand getting the green beans ready at least.”
“Awesome! Let me wash up.” I reach up and kiss Tyler on the cheek. “Ty, why don’t you go do something useful and out of our hair, like watching football.” If I didn’t know any better, I would say you were trying to get rid of me.
“Maybe just a little bit.” I giggle, kiss on again and then shoo him off to the other room. I go into the kitchen and wash my hands, awaiting Betsy’s instructions.
“Okay, all you have to do is take these little stems off. Most of them will come off easily, but if they don’t, just use the little knife there and cut them off.” She hands me a colander of green beans while she explains the directions.
“I think I can handle that.”
“Good!” I get to work on the green beans, there must be three pounds of them, but from my understanding, Betsy is cooking for all of the Brown family plus the ranch hands, so I guess the amount of food she has to cook shouldn’t be surprising.
“So how has work been, Charlie?” She asks from the other side of the kitchen.
“Going good. I’m ready to get the project finished, but in the meantime, the paperwork and meetings with the county and state are keeping me busy.”
“Why are you in a hurry to finish? Not trying to run off on us are you?”
“Oh no, not that. I just want that feeling that comes when a project finishing completely, that I accomplished something.”
She laughs, “I know Raymond and the boys will be happy when you’re done with the project.”
I look over at my shoulder at her, “Well, maybe not one of your boys.”
“You’re right, that is probably true.” The conversation turns a bit somber. I sigh and turn back around, but before I know it I feel Betsy’s hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle squeeze. “Everything is going to be okay, Charlie.”
“How can you be so sure? I just really worry that things won’t be the same when I go back to Madison.” As much as I tried to avoid breaking down in front of Tyler’s mom, I have to take a moment to wipe away a few tears that have escaped.
“They probably won’t be the same, but you and Tyler have something special, I can tell. I think you both will handle the distance just fine.”
“You really think so?” I look at her with hope.
“I know so. Can I tell you a little secret that stays between us?”
“Of course.”
“Tyler was the one I always worried about.”
“Worried about? But why?”
“He is just one of those guys that can be friends with everybody, but I always wondered if he’d end up finding something that could get him to want to settle down.”
“Do you think that’s me?” I sniffle and pat my eyes dry with the handtowel.
“Oh, there is no thinking. The way he looks at you. That night you showed up on the ranch for the first time. I knew. He had never been so nervous around a woman before. Bringing you here was a huge deal to him.”
Betsy brushes my hair off my shoulder and rests her hand on my upper arm. “You don’t seem like the kind of woman to let things go easily and Tyler isn’t that kind of man. If this is something you both want, I don’t see how it couldn’t work.”
“That means a lot coming from you, really. I don’t know how much Tyler has shared with you about me, but I don’t have a mother figure in my life.”
“He’s told me a little, pretty much the same as what you just told me. I know I’m not your mom, but I’m Mama Betsy to a lot of people and if you want something to stay between us, you just let me know.”
I nod my head, “Thank you. I really mean it.”
“You’re welcome, dear.” We share a quick hug, but I pull back before I start crying again. “Those beans are looking good, think you’re ready to move onto mashed potatoes next?”
“I think I can give it a shot.” For the next hour, Betsy and I worked together in the kitchen. She taught me how to make potatoes whipped rather than mashed. They came out looking perfect and I couldn’t wait to dig in. Eventually, the house got loud, which means everybody else has shown up. Holly, Tiff, and Taryn make their way into the kitchen to help as well. We’re all working on our own tasks, not really doing much except for small talk when Betsy starts laughing. We all stop and look at her and she is almost to the point of tears.
“What is so funny?” Taryn asks first.
“Seriously, mama, you okay there?” Holly teases her.
“I was just thinking that my entire life has been nothing but me and five men. Not even six years ago this holiday was so much different than it is now. I look at this kitchen and I see you four beautiful women, I think about the house full of grandchildren that you’ve given me, and I’m just so dang happy!
The four of us drop what we’re doing and wrap Betsy in a big hug. Taryn’s big old pregnant belly takes over most of the space, which causes the five of us to kind of laugh as well. Betsy puts her hand on Taryn’s belly and smiles. “I think this one is a girl too.”
Taryn rubs her belly, “I kind of think it might be a boy. Especially for as big as it is getting.” Betsy looks up quickly and Taryn laughs. “I think he or she knows we’re talking about them.”
“Did the baby just kick?” I ask excitedly.
“Yep! Do you want to feel?”
“Can I?”
“Of course!”
Betsy moves her hand and I place mine there. It does less than a minute and I feel a rolling movement and then a giant thump. “Whoa!”
“Isn’t that great?”
“What does it feel like?” I ask inquisitively.
Taryn shrugs, “I don’t know how to describe it besides something rolling around in your stomach.”
“That has got to feel weird.”
Holly moves over and puts her hand on Taryn’s belly as well, “It feels weird for sure, but the baby moving around is one thing I miss about being pregnant.”
“Aww, I don’t want to think about what I’m going to miss. I love being pregnant. Even though I’m tired as hell and feel as big as a whale.”
“Oh, hush, you are not a whale and you know it.” Tiff comes up and places her hand on Taryn’s belly too to feel the baby as well. “Ugh, I love it.”
“It isn’t too late you know!” Taryn gives her a teasing nudge.
“Yes, it is. I’m too old for this shit. But hey, at least if Taryn wants to have 3-4 kids we can have plenty of baby belly feeling up in here.”
“There’s always Charlie you know!” Taryn throws me under the bus, which takes me by surprise.
I take a step back and put my hands up. “Whoa now, just dating, not talking about kids yet.”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice that yet that was added in there!” I smile while I shake my head. These ladies are seeing right through me and it is kind of scary.
YOU ARE READING
Rebuilding Valley View (Valley View Book #4)
RomanceOne by one, Tyler saw all his brothers go from the bachelor life to family men. He loved his new sisters-in-law deeply and loved being Uncle Tyler, but there was no way he was planning on in settling down anytime soon. He was certainly the biggest f...
