Free The Legacy of Copper Creek by R.C. Ryan Page B
Authors: R.C. Ryan
fell.” Whit turned, revealing Cara behind him. “Mad, this is Cara Walton. Cara, my grandfather, Maddock MacKenzie. Everyone calls him Mad.”
“Well. Hello, lass.”
“Hello, Mad.” She continued to hang back until the old man extended his hand, forcing her to step around Whit and accept his handshake.
Whit indicated the small, plump woman just entering the kitchen. “And this is Myrna Hill. Myrna, this is Cara Walton.”
“Lovely to meet you, Cara.” Myrna placed a stack of neatly folded dish towels in a drawer before offering a hand.
“So, lass.” Mad chuckled. “Did you fall from the sky with the snow?”
Cara laughed in delight. “I like that better than the truth. Mind if I use that explanation?”
“Not at all.” The old man waited a heartbeat before asking, “So where did you meet my handsome grandson?”
“Handsome?” Whit puffed up his chest with a sly grin. “That’s a new one, coming from you.”
Myrna huffed out a breath. “Ira Pettigrew told him just yesterday that you remind him of Mad, and the old fool has decided that the two of you are the best-looking ones in the family.”
“And isn’t that the truth, lad?” Mad threw back his head and roared.
Instead of joining his laughter, Whit’s look sharpened. “What was Ira doing here? Does he have some news about Pop’s murder?”
“Sorry, lad. No. He was just clearing up some facts with your mother.”
Just then, Willow walked into the room and hurried over to hug her youngest son. “Did you get enough time to yourself during the blizzard?”
“Not much.” With his arm around his mother’s shoulders, Whit turned to Cara. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Cara Walton. Cara, my mother, Willow.”
“Mrs. MacKenzie.”
“Please, call me Willow. How very nice to meet you, Cara.”
“I invited Cara to spend some time here. I hope that’s all right.”
Willow squeezed his arm. “You know you never have to ask. Your friends are always welcome here.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “If you’d like to show Cara to a guest room upstairs, you’d better do it before everyone gets here.” She turned to Cara to explain. “Once the whole family gets here for supper, it tends to become sheer bedlam. So I’d advise you to unpack and settle in before supper.”
Cara glanced at Whit, hoping he could explain her lack of luggage.
“Cara’s traveling light, Mom. There’s nothing to unpack.”
Willow paused only a beat before turning to the young woman with a bright smile. “No problem. Until you can get into town and pick up a few things, you can certainly find whatever you need here. The guest room is fully stocked with toothpaste, shampoo, and even a computer, if you need to contact anyone.”
“Thank you, Mrs.…Willow. That’s very generous of you.”
“Cara, while you’re here, please make yourself at home.”
The back door opened and tall, handsome Ash MacKenzie and his wife, Brenna, hurried inside. While Ash held the door, Brenna tugged on a leash and their pup Sammy burst inside and hurried over to lick Mad’s hand.
“See who he runs to first?” Obviously delighted, the old man bent down to scratch behind the pup’s ears.
“That’s because you always slip him food under the table. Sammy knows exactly what he’s doing.”
“And who butters his bread. Or in this case, who cuts him chunks of prime rib.”
Whit kissed his sister-in-law’s cheek before handling the introductions. “Cara Walton, this is my brother, Ash, and his wife, Brenna, and their baby, Sammy.”
“Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” She shook hands before bending down to rub Sammy’s head.
He rewarded her with a long, wet kiss.
As she straightened, the door opened yet again and another handsome cowboy stepped inside carrying a little boy, while his wife and her older son followed.
“Hey, Griff. Juliet.” Whit stepped forward and hugged Ethan before taking the younger one from his brother’s hands. “And Casey.
“Well. Hello, lass.”
“Hello, Mad.” She continued to hang back until the old man extended his hand, forcing her to step around Whit and accept his handshake.
Whit indicated the small, plump woman just entering the kitchen. “And this is Myrna Hill. Myrna, this is Cara Walton.”
“Lovely to meet you, Cara.” Myrna placed a stack of neatly folded dish towels in a drawer before offering a hand.
“So, lass.” Mad chuckled. “Did you fall from the sky with the snow?”
Cara laughed in delight. “I like that better than the truth. Mind if I use that explanation?”
“Not at all.” The old man waited a heartbeat before asking, “So where did you meet my handsome grandson?”
“Handsome?” Whit puffed up his chest with a sly grin. “That’s a new one, coming from you.”
Myrna huffed out a breath. “Ira Pettigrew told him just yesterday that you remind him of Mad, and the old fool has decided that the two of you are the best-looking ones in the family.”
“And isn’t that the truth, lad?” Mad threw back his head and roared.
Instead of joining his laughter, Whit’s look sharpened. “What was Ira doing here? Does he have some news about Pop’s murder?”
“Sorry, lad. No. He was just clearing up some facts with your mother.”
Just then, Willow walked into the room and hurried over to hug her youngest son. “Did you get enough time to yourself during the blizzard?”
“Not much.” With his arm around his mother’s shoulders, Whit turned to Cara. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Cara Walton. Cara, my mother, Willow.”
“Mrs. MacKenzie.”
“Please, call me Willow. How very nice to meet you, Cara.”
“I invited Cara to spend some time here. I hope that’s all right.”
Willow squeezed his arm. “You know you never have to ask. Your friends are always welcome here.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “If you’d like to show Cara to a guest room upstairs, you’d better do it before everyone gets here.” She turned to Cara to explain. “Once the whole family gets here for supper, it tends to become sheer bedlam. So I’d advise you to unpack and settle in before supper.”
Cara glanced at Whit, hoping he could explain her lack of luggage.
“Cara’s traveling light, Mom. There’s nothing to unpack.”
Willow paused only a beat before turning to the young woman with a bright smile. “No problem. Until you can get into town and pick up a few things, you can certainly find whatever you need here. The guest room is fully stocked with toothpaste, shampoo, and even a computer, if you need to contact anyone.”
“Thank you, Mrs.…Willow. That’s very generous of you.”
“Cara, while you’re here, please make yourself at home.”
The back door opened and tall, handsome Ash MacKenzie and his wife, Brenna, hurried inside. While Ash held the door, Brenna tugged on a leash and their pup Sammy burst inside and hurried over to lick Mad’s hand.
“See who he runs to first?” Obviously delighted, the old man bent down to scratch behind the pup’s ears.
“That’s because you always slip him food under the table. Sammy knows exactly what he’s doing.”
“And who butters his bread. Or in this case, who cuts him chunks of prime rib.”
Whit kissed his sister-in-law’s cheek before handling the introductions. “Cara Walton, this is my brother, Ash, and his wife, Brenna, and their baby, Sammy.”
“Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” She shook hands before bending down to rub Sammy’s head.
He rewarded her with a long, wet kiss.
As she straightened, the door opened yet again and another handsome cowboy stepped inside carrying a little boy, while his wife and her older son followed.
“Hey, Griff. Juliet.” Whit stepped forward and hugged Ethan before taking the younger one from his brother’s hands. “And Casey.