“I am. Nice to meet you, Tucker.”
“You, too.” Tucker cocked his head to the side. “So my brother was lucky enough to do a photo shoot with you. I’ve seen your work. It’s very impressive.”
“Thanks. I’ve seen your work with a baseball. Also very impressive.”
Tucker grinned, then looked over at Grant. “See? Your girlfriend thinks I’m impressive.”
Grant shrugged. “Only on the field. She thinks I’m impressive off the field as well.”
Dear God. Katrina hoped the floor opened up and swallowed her.
Easton only laughed. “Damn glad to have you boys home again.”
Tucker lifted his gaze to his brother. “So … Kat and her family were your four tickets, huh?”
“Yeah,” Grant said, coming over to put his arm around her shoulders.
She was surprised he’d show this kind of familiarity in front of his family. Putting his arm around her. Talking about the two of them as if they had some kind of … she didn’t know. She wasn’t sure what to think about it.
“Good call,” Tucker said, looking at his brother, then turning his attention to Katrina. “I hope you liked the game.”
“I liked it a lot. You’re quite the athlete. My brother follows your statistics, as does my sister.”
“That’s what the world needs. More statisticians,” Mia said to Leo and Anya with a wink.
Anya grinned.
“Okay, enough of all this,” Lydia said. “I need you all out of my way so I can start fixing dinner.”
“We’ll help,” Katrina said. “What can we do?”
“Easton will cook the steaks tonight out on the grill, but there are still a few side dishes I’d like to make. I’ve already made potato salad. I thought a big green vegetable salad and fruit salad would go well. I don’t really want to heat up the kitchen cooking anything since it’s so hot outside.”
“Fortunately, Katrina and I wield knives very well,” Anya said.
Mia pulled one out of the knife block. “As do I.”
“Great. Now if you guys will get out of here, we’ll start slicing.”
“You okay in here?” Grant asked.
She smiled. “Doing just fine. Go hang out with your dad and your brother. How’s Leo doing?”
“He’s in heaven. Don’t worry about him.”
“Okay.”
The guys disappeared outside again, leaving the women in the kitchen. They washed their hands and got started slicing.
“Are all of the fruits and vegetables from your garden, Lydia?” Anya asked.
“Most of them, yes. I grow the strawberries and melons.”
“I’m going to have to move out of New York City,” Anya said. “I have to live somewhere where I can grow things besides an herb garden in my bedroom window.”
The words tugged at Katrina’s heart. But the one thing she’d tried to always foster in the kids was a sense of independence, of knowing their own self-worth so when the time came for them to be out on their own, they’d have the confidence in themselves to fly.
“Any thoughts as to where that might be?” she asked Anya.
“Not yet. But Mia showed me some great websites and I have a few thoughts.”
“I can’t wait to talk about them with you.” Now that she knew what her sister’s career path was, she’d do everything in her power to see her dreams fulfilled.
“I need more tomatoes,” Lydia said, frowning as she surveyed the bowl.
Katrina swiped her hand on the towel. “I can go get those for you, Lydia.”
“Would you? I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll be right back.”
She headed out the door and walked back toward the gardens, trying to recall where she’d seen the tomatoes. She finally remembered, and when she found them, bent over to survey the tomatoes, wanting to make sure she picked only the ripest ones.
When a set of arms went around her waist, she nearly shrieked.
“You’re going to fall face-first into the tomato vines.” Grant flipped her around, and before she could say anything, his mouth came down on hers in a kiss hotter than the steamy weather outside.
They hadn’t had a second alone since they’d left his house, and she had to admit, she’d missed feeling his arms around her, and his lips on hers. She leaned into him and tangled her fingers into his hair, enjoying the heat of his body and the taste of his tongue licking against hers. The feel of his hand sliding down her back to cup her butt only intensified her need for him.
Until someone cleared their throat. “Aren’t you a little old to be making out behind the tomato patch, Grant?”
Grant broke the kiss and shot a glare at Tucker. “Aren’t you a little old to be spying on your big brother, Tucker?”
Tucker just shrugged. “I’m on my way to get the steaks. Not my fault that on my way happens to be past Mom’s garden. You two should get a room.” He winked at Katrina and moved on.
Grant laid his forehead against Katrina’s. “Sorry. The drawback of a big family—even on a ranch this size—is very little privacy.”
“Your mom is putting us up—and by us, I mean just you and me—at one of the other houses.”
He grinned. “Alone?”
“Apparently.”
“Remind me to give her a big hug and a kiss for that.”