Read Online Good Together by C. J. Carmichael - Free Book Online
Authors: C. J. Carmichael
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brought her?”
Sage was on the floor by the fireplace, playing tug-of-war with Tuffy with one of the toys Nat had left behind.
Turned out he’d come prepared with everything Mattie needed to become an instant dog owner. There was special puppy food, a dish, a bed, and several toys. And the cutest little collar.
Once he’d helped her carry everything inside, Nat had left, refusing her invitation to stay for dinner, which was just as well because no sooner had Mattie taken the puppy with her to the bathroom and had a shower, than her sister Sage had shown up unexpectedly. It was a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Marietta, and so not an easy trip. Mattie had hugged her sister fiercely.
“You didn’t have to do this.”
“I just wanted to. But I can’t stay long. We have a big party at the store on Halloween so I’ll have to leave after lunch tomorrow.”
Sage had brought dinner—butter chicken and rice—which was now reheating in the oven. She’d also packed chocolate, of course. A box of her salted caramel chocolates and several of her signature milk-chocolate cowboy hats. Since Sage preferred dark chocolate, Mattie knew these were for her.
Mattie was thankful she’d not only showered, but dried her hair and put on jeans and a nice sweater as well, because Sage looked fabulous.
She’d recently cut her thick, wavy red hair, and was wearing a new shade of lipstick that suited her ivory complexion perfectly.
Or... maybe it wasn’t the haircut and lipstick that made Sage look so beautiful. Happiness glowed like a halo around her. Mattie remembered her talking about a cowboy the last time they’d been together, at the Copper Mountain Rodeo in their hometown of Marietta.
Back then Sage had sounded annoyed that this dude from her past had the nerve to come to her town. What was his name again?
“Oh, you’re so sweet!” Sage kissed the puppy, then released her end of the tug toy. “You win. It’s time for me to make a salad to go with that curry.”
“It smells delish,” Mattie admitted, not sure whether to follow Sage to the kitchen and help chop veggies, or stay here and make sure Tuff didn’t have an accident. Fortunately most of the flooring in her house was wood, however so far Tuff was showing a preference for the handmade Pendleton rug that she and Wes had splurged on five years ago.
Wes. She couldn’t go five minutes without thinking of him. She wondered how he’d feel about the puppy. They’d had a dog when the twins were little, but when Sparky died at the age of twelve, they’d all been so heartbroken they’d decided to wait a few years before getting another.
Noticing a sudden restlessness in Tuff, Mattie picked her up and took her out to the yard. Sure enough, after wandering and sniffing for a few minutes, Tuff peed beside one of the maples.
“Good, Tuff. Good.” Mattie heaped her with praise and gave her one of the doggie treats from her pocket before taking her back inside. The rich, spicy aroma of Sage’s cooking had her immediately feeling hungrier than she’d been in weeks.
She blockaded the dining area with chairs, so Tuff couldn’t escape, then set out plates and cutlery while Sage served the curry, rice and salad. “It sure is nice to be waited on.”
“Good. You deserve it.” Sage took the spot—Wes’s spot—to Mattie’s left. “Now, tell me about the neighbor who dropped off Tuff.”
“Not much to tell. We’ve known Nat Diamond forever. He has a huge ranch, even bigger than the Circle C. Back when we had more horses we used to graze on some of his land.”
“Does he have a family?” Sage spooned a mound of fluffy brown rice onto her plate.
“Both his parents have passed away. A few years later, he did marry a woman from Seattle, but that didn’t last long. She couldn’t hack the ranching lifestyle.”
“Not everyone can.”
Mattie knew Sage included herself in this category. “So what happened with that cowboy friend of yours who came to
Sage was on the floor by the fireplace, playing tug-of-war with Tuffy with one of the toys Nat had left behind.
Turned out he’d come prepared with everything Mattie needed to become an instant dog owner. There was special puppy food, a dish, a bed, and several toys. And the cutest little collar.
Once he’d helped her carry everything inside, Nat had left, refusing her invitation to stay for dinner, which was just as well because no sooner had Mattie taken the puppy with her to the bathroom and had a shower, than her sister Sage had shown up unexpectedly. It was a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Marietta, and so not an easy trip. Mattie had hugged her sister fiercely.
“You didn’t have to do this.”
“I just wanted to. But I can’t stay long. We have a big party at the store on Halloween so I’ll have to leave after lunch tomorrow.”
Sage had brought dinner—butter chicken and rice—which was now reheating in the oven. She’d also packed chocolate, of course. A box of her salted caramel chocolates and several of her signature milk-chocolate cowboy hats. Since Sage preferred dark chocolate, Mattie knew these were for her.
Mattie was thankful she’d not only showered, but dried her hair and put on jeans and a nice sweater as well, because Sage looked fabulous.
She’d recently cut her thick, wavy red hair, and was wearing a new shade of lipstick that suited her ivory complexion perfectly.
Or... maybe it wasn’t the haircut and lipstick that made Sage look so beautiful. Happiness glowed like a halo around her. Mattie remembered her talking about a cowboy the last time they’d been together, at the Copper Mountain Rodeo in their hometown of Marietta.
Back then Sage had sounded annoyed that this dude from her past had the nerve to come to her town. What was his name again?
“Oh, you’re so sweet!” Sage kissed the puppy, then released her end of the tug toy. “You win. It’s time for me to make a salad to go with that curry.”
“It smells delish,” Mattie admitted, not sure whether to follow Sage to the kitchen and help chop veggies, or stay here and make sure Tuff didn’t have an accident. Fortunately most of the flooring in her house was wood, however so far Tuff was showing a preference for the handmade Pendleton rug that she and Wes had splurged on five years ago.
Wes. She couldn’t go five minutes without thinking of him. She wondered how he’d feel about the puppy. They’d had a dog when the twins were little, but when Sparky died at the age of twelve, they’d all been so heartbroken they’d decided to wait a few years before getting another.
Noticing a sudden restlessness in Tuff, Mattie picked her up and took her out to the yard. Sure enough, after wandering and sniffing for a few minutes, Tuff peed beside one of the maples.
“Good, Tuff. Good.” Mattie heaped her with praise and gave her one of the doggie treats from her pocket before taking her back inside. The rich, spicy aroma of Sage’s cooking had her immediately feeling hungrier than she’d been in weeks.
She blockaded the dining area with chairs, so Tuff couldn’t escape, then set out plates and cutlery while Sage served the curry, rice and salad. “It sure is nice to be waited on.”
“Good. You deserve it.” Sage took the spot—Wes’s spot—to Mattie’s left. “Now, tell me about the neighbor who dropped off Tuff.”
“Not much to tell. We’ve known Nat Diamond forever. He has a huge ranch, even bigger than the Circle C. Back when we had more horses we used to graze on some of his land.”
“Does he have a family?” Sage spooned a mound of fluffy brown rice onto her plate.
“Both his parents have passed away. A few years later, he did marry a woman from Seattle, but that didn’t last long. She couldn’t hack the ranching lifestyle.”
“Not everyone can.”
Mattie knew Sage included herself in this category. “So what happened with that cowboy friend of yours who came to
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