chapter Four

Hope couldn"t remember ever being this nervous. She, Andy, and her mother, Audrey, would meet Blackstone family members today. They were due to meet at the Honky Tonk Angels, have dinner, and leave from there to start the trip to Wyoming.

She stood in the center of her room, looking at the two small carry-on bags on her bed. Hope didn"t own luggage, so her mother borrowed these from Stella, who claimed they were just gathering dust in her attic.

Hope"s first dilemma was what to pack. It was spring here, so they had daily highs in the upper seventies and lows in the upper fifties.

From what she read online, where they were going, the average highs were in the mid-fifties, and the lows were in the mid to upper twenties.

That was quite a change for her, and she was woefully unprepared for that level of nighttime cold. She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the room with a frustrated grump.

Her mother was handling the shop when Hope stomped down the back stairs. "I"m going to walk down to the consignment shop and see if I can find some warm things for Andy."

"And for Hope as well," her mother added, and when Hope headed for the door, she called out, "Hold on!"

When Hope stopped, Audrey hurried over and pressed some folded bills into Hope"s hand. "I want to help."

"Mom, no, I can—"

"You can let your Mama do what makes her happy," Audrey"s mock scold made Hope smile for the first time today.

"I"m sorry. It"s just, this trip, it"s…" She didn"t even know how to put her emotions and thoughts into words.

It was a jumble of emotions. There was excitement for Andy and wishes for the possibility of him winning a scholarship and being able to spend the summers in Wyoming if that"s what he wanted.

There was also an accompanying worry at the idea of him being away from home for so long. She honestly didn"t know how she"d manage without him. Andy was the biggest and best part of her life.

And then there was the anxiety of being so far away from her mother. Andy wasn"t the only person in the family who couldn"t imagine not having his mother with him.

She was excited that Andy felt good about himself and thrilled to have won this trip. And she was fearful that he would be crushed if he didn"t win the next essay contest.

Shut up, shut up! She mentally scolded herself and hugged her mother. "I love you."

"How could you not?" Audrey gave her standard reply before adding, "And I love you. Now go find some warm clothing."

Audrey started to head back to the counter where she"d been working but paused. "If you like, I can walk to the school and meet Andy, so you don"t have to hurry."

"That"d be great, Mom, thanks. I"ll meet you here."

"Sounds like a plan. Have fun."

Hope wasn"t sure fun was the word she"d use. Shopping wasn"t something she enjoyed unless she was scouring for items she could clean up, decorate, and sell in the shop.

Shopping for clothes was just depressing. Hope was a small woman, just two inches over five feet, weighed a hundred pounds, and could only find jeans that fit in the children"s section of stores. Were it not for the decorative touches manufacturers put on kids" clothing, that might have been okay, but as it stood, she spent a lot of time trying to remove things so that her clothes didn"t look like they belonged to a fifth-grader.

But this wasn"t as much about her as it was about Andy, so she shoved aside her distaste for the task and headed out.

Today was one of those glorious days with blue skies streaked with cirrus clouds. That alone lifted her mood. She looked in shop windows as she walked, waved, or called greetings to people she knew, and by the time she arrived at the consignment shop, her mood had turned cheery.

It didn"t take as long as she anticipated. She found Andy a warm, thick winter coat, leather gloves with soft wool lining, five new pairs of jeans, thick socks, a handful of long-sleeve t-shirts, five button-up shirts, and an extra pair of cowboy boots that were a little worn and scuffed, but his size.

When she left, she had half the money she walked in with, two huge bags of clothes, and a smile on her face. Just as she walked by the café, one of her bags split at the bottom, dumping clothing all over the sidewalk.

Wouldn"t you know? It was midday, and the café was packed with people coming and going. She set the other bag on one of the benches at the front windows and turned to pick things up.

And ran smack into a big, hard body. She rebounded and would have fallen if it were not for the hands that grabbed her by the upper arms and stabilized her. Large, strong hands.

"Thank—

" She never got the rest of her thanks out of her mouth. Hope stood there like a mute, gawking at the man holding her.

Dear God, what a man. Tall. He had to be at least six-three, big and solid, and wow, was he handsome. She wondered where he came from. With that raven black hair, heavy five-o"clock shadow, and deep gray, almost black eyes, he could have been descended from one of the Indigenous tribes in the area, from the Middle East or India. It was hard to say.

What was not hard was looking at him. She was speechless.

"Are you okay?" His voice was a smooth baritone, not loud, more of a croon that woke lusty images in her mind.

"Ye—yes, thank you." She sought to compose herself. "I"m sorry to be in the way. I"ll just pick this stuff up and –"

"I can help."

He didn"t wait for her permission; he just started gathering the items. "Looks like you have a young boy in your family."

"Yes. My son, Andy."

"Andy?" He gave her a quizzical look. "Andrew Evans?"

Hope was stunned. "Yes, but how—"

"Pardon my manners, Mrs. Evans. I"m Brady Blackstone."

Holy shit.

As ashamed as she"d be to admit it, that"s the first thought that popped into her mind. She hadn"t known what to expect, but this guy belonged in a lusty dream, not standing on a sidewalk helping her pick up second-hand clothing.

Hope tried to hide those feelings and stuck out her hand. "It"s an honor to meet you, Mr. Blackstone. I"m so grateful to you and your family. Andy hasn"t stopped talking about the camp for five minutes since he received the letter. I fear you may be besieged with questions. He"s been reading up on your family, the good works you do, and about environmental conservation and land management."

"That"s advanced reading for an eight-year-old." Brady hung onto her hand a few moments longer. "I know he sure impressed everyone in my family."

"That"s so kind. Thank you." She looked directly at him, and suddenly, she felt light-headed. What the heck? She lived in Cotton Creek, where there was no shortage of good-looking men. So why was she so star-struck by this one?

That was a question she"d ponder later. She hurried to pick up the rest of the clothing, holding it wadded up in her arms since the bag was split wide open.

"Can I help you carry that?" Brady asked.

"Oh no, I can"t ask—"

"You didn"t. I volunteered."

"Well, in that case, thank you, Mr. Blackstone."

"Brady," he corrected her with a smile that lit a fire in her she hadn"t felt in a long time.

"Hope," she replied.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

She smiled for the first time, flattered but loathe to let him know. "I haven"t had flattery like that in a long time. Thank you."

"Well, that might change now that we"ve met."

Hope didn"t know how to respond, so she just smiled and turned her attention to gathering the still-intact shopping bag and her shoulder bag on the bench beside it.

"Give me that," he reached for the items in her arms, and when she handed them over, he quickly arranged them in one arm. "Ready?" he asked,

"Sure. This way."

Hope couldn"t help but notice the looks directed her and Brady"s way as they walked. Not that she could blame the women for looking. He was a traffic stopper.

He didn"t appear to notice but focused on asking her about the town, its people, and Andy, in particular. By the time they reached the shop, it was the end of the school day. Since the shop was locked, Hope knew her mother was at the school to walk Andy home.

"Magic Threads," Brady looked at the sign swinging from a metal support over the door. "Interesting name. What made you—"

The grin he shot her as his eyes caught sight of the front window was enough to take her breath, and not simply because he was handsome. His smile was one of genuine delight.

She knew that smile. People who first saw the display often had that reaction. Her mother said it takes people back to when they were not yet jaded by life and allowed themselves to believe in magic.

He walked over and stood in front of it in silence for a long moment as she unlocked the shop. She pushed the door open and then turned in his direction.

It shocked her into a misstep when he turned his gaze toward her. "It"s like—I"m not quite sure how to put it, but there"s a time when you"re young, and it feels the world is young with you and filled with magic."

It took a second for her to catch her mental balance. She"d never had anyone come right out and say it. Many people mentioned how magical it was or what a beautiful fantasy, but no one had ever connected with it like Brady.

Who was this guy?

"What a lovely description and exactly what I'd wish for people to see and feel when they look at it. Thank you. Would you like to come in and look around?"

"Yes. If that's ok."

"Of course it is,"

They had time for her to take her purchases inside and for him to look around the shop before Andy and his grandmother arrived.

Hope turned as Andy ran in. She caught him in a hug as he threw himself at her. "GiGi says I get a surprise today. What is it?"

The urge to glance at Brady was strong, but she refrained. "It"s more of a who than a what?"

"What, who?" Bewilderment shown on his face.

Hope looked at Brady, pointed, and said, "That who. Andy, this is Brady Blackstone. Brady, meet my son, Andy."

"Mr. Brady Blackstone?" Andy"s voice squeaked in excitement. "The Mr. Brady Blackstone?"

"I don"t think there"s much of a the in it, little buddy, but I"m Brady Blackstone." Brady stepped forward and offered Andy his hand.

Hope didn"t think she"d ever seen Andy so stunned or star-struck. He grasped Brady"s hand, and Brady smiled at him. "It"s a real honor to meet you, Andy Evans. You"re an impressive boy."

"Thank you." Andy blushed but grinned from ear to ear. "It"s an honor to meet you. Why are you here?"

"To take you and your Mom," he glanced at Audrey, "And your grandmother, to Wyoming."

"You came to get us?" Andy looked from Brady to his mom and then back.

"I did."

"Wow," Andy cut a hopeful look at Hope. "Can I tell my friends, Mom?"

"I don"t see why not," Hope agreed.

"Thank you, Mr. Brady Blackstone," Andy turned his attention to Brady. "I"m grateful for everything you"re doing for me, and I promise I"ll learn to be the best conservationist ever and save all the land for you."

"You ready to shake on that?" Brady asked. "Because shaking on a deal is serious. It shows you mean to do what you say, and the only thing that will stop you is injury, illness, or death."

Andy grinned and stuck out his hand. "Yes, sir."

"Then we have a deal, Andy. I"m looking forward to partnering up with you and seeing what we can learn from each other."

Hope had never seen a happier smile on Andy"s face. "Did you hear that, Mom? I"m partnering up with Mr. Brady Blackstone. Me, Andy Evans."

"I sure did. Now go put your things away and if you want to call your friends do it now. We still have to pack, and we"re going to the Honky Tonk for dinner tonight."

"Is Mr. Brady Blackstone going to be there?"

"I wouldn"t miss it," Brady answered the question.

Andy grinned. "I have to go call my friends. See you later, Mr. Brady Blackstone."

"You sure will, Mr. Andy Evans."

With another smile, Andy turned and hurried toward his room.

Hope looked at Brady. "You"re very kind. Thank you. This means the world to him."

"Indeed, it does," Audrey agreed. "We"ve heard everything that child could find out about you and probably know the life story of Mr. Brady Blackstone. You"re now officially his hero, you know."

"I"m honored and promise to do my best to earn that title. But for now, Hope, thanks for the time you shared with me. I look forward to seeing you all later on.

"And Ms. Evans," he addressed Audrey. "I"d sincerely like for you to join and go with us. If you can close your shop for two weeks, that is."

Audrey looked at Hope, who smiled and nodded. "Please, Mom. Come with us."

"Well, how can I say no?" Audrey responded. "Thank you."

"It"s my honor, and now I"ll leave you to it and see you all later."

Hope suggested and led the way. Once at the door, she opened it and stepped outside, holding the door for him. He walked out and turned toward her.

"You didn"t have to do that, Mr. Black—"

"Brady," He interrupted.

"Brady."

Wow, just speaking his name gave her a small thrill. It"d been too long since she"d been attracted to a man. She didn"t even know how to behave. "That was remarkably generous."

"Nah," he smiled as he gave a slight head shake. "We have to fly back anyway, and the three of you sure aren"t going to add a lot of weight. And we have the space. If your mother comes with you, I can list her as a guest and give you and her a nice cottage near the lodge rather than put you in one of the guardian bunk houses or RVs."

"Oh well, when you put it that way," she teased. "I"m not much of a bunkhouse girl."

"No, I don"t think you are," he said, giving her a look that sent a sizzle down to her toes. "I"ll see you later, Hope."

She watched him walk away and returned inside to see her mother waiting. Hope closed the door and leaned back on it. "Mom, you won"t believe what he said."

"He saw the magic."

Once more, the day delivered a surprise. "How did you—never mind. What do you think it means?"

Audrey smiled. "That this is going to be a memorable adventure."