could take it to the ranch where Analise was staying. He would have done just that if he had not seen the treasure box she'd been working on.
He was downright shocked. It might have been something she purchased unfinished, one of those cookie-cutter chests you can buy about anywhere, but she'd turned it into something special. It was clear that she'd not only listened to what he'd told her, but had done one hell of a job and added her own touches to boot.
The finish looked to be a mix of stain colors that had resulted in a honey tone with some rust overtones that gave it a slightly aged look. She'd let the stain build up in the crevices of the carvings on the top to make them stand out, and she'd somehow gotten a pattern created along the edges so that it appeared to have an inlaid border.
He was not only impressed, but curious as to how she'd done it. Riley knew the kind of time it took to create something that beautiful. It was sanded smooth as glass and had a polished rather than sealed look, which spoke to him of many hours of oiling and buffing. He knew the care and love that went into something like this, and that spoke volumes to him.
God help him but that that wooden chest did it. It didn’t matter what the women in his past had done to hurt him. She wasn’t them. She was Annie. His Annie. The woman who was trying to rebuild her life with the same care and focus as she built this chest. He had to take it to her. Had to see her and try and make things right between them. Whatever right was.
He coasted to a stop in front of the house and sat there staring while trying to figure out what he was going to say. The front door opened and Analise stepped out onto the porch. She didn't smile or wave, just stood there watching, her hands crammed in the pockets of her jeans.
Riley climbed out of the truck and reached over the side, into the bed to lift out the chest. When he turned toward the house, Analise's hands had moved. The fingers of both hands now covered her mouth.
He walked to the house and up the steps, his eyes on her. He could see the glistening in her eyes and once he was on the porch looking down at her, knew that glistening was tears that had gathered and were threatening to spill over.
"I knew you'd want this. You did a real fine job on this, Annie."
"Thank you, Riley."
"So I'm fully back to Riley?"
"My friend Riley saved me from a snake. And only my friend Riley would know how important this is to me. Nate Bridges wouldn't."
"Then can I come in? I don't know what you got in here, but it's getting a might heavy."
She smiled, brushed at the tears and opened the door for him.
"Where you want me to put this?"
"Could you put it on the kitchen table for now?"
"Yep."
He walked into the kitchen and stopped short. His stop must have been more abrupt than he realized because she ran right into the back of him.
"Oh sorry. What's wrong?"
"What happened?" Riley had been in Cody's house a lot of times and not once had he ever seen the kitchen this clean.
"What do you mean?"
"It's clean."
"Oh," she laughed and pushed at him. "I didn't have anything to do so I cleaned."
Riley set the chest on the table and ran his hand over it. "You did a hell of a job on this Annie."
"Why have you called me Annie since I got here? You never did before."
He turned to face her and for a moment they were both frozen, gazes locked. "Analise is the woman who lived in New York. She wouldn't take off across the country in an RV all by herself. Annie – well, Annie's the woman who would. She'd drive all the way to Texas to meet a friend and she'd create something as beautiful as this chest, putting in the hours, giving it the time and love it deserved so its beauty could be revealed."
Analise had never heard anything as wonderful or beautiful as those words. She couldn't stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks.
"Damn, Annie. I didn't mean to make you cry."
She shook her head and laughed through the tears.
He was downright shocked. It might have been something she purchased unfinished, one of those cookie-cutter chests you can buy about anywhere, but she'd turned it into something special. It was clear that she'd not only listened to what he'd told her, but had done one hell of a job and added her own touches to boot.
The finish looked to be a mix of stain colors that had resulted in a honey tone with some rust overtones that gave it a slightly aged look. She'd let the stain build up in the crevices of the carvings on the top to make them stand out, and she'd somehow gotten a pattern created along the edges so that it appeared to have an inlaid border.
He was not only impressed, but curious as to how she'd done it. Riley knew the kind of time it took to create something that beautiful. It was sanded smooth as glass and had a polished rather than sealed look, which spoke to him of many hours of oiling and buffing. He knew the care and love that went into something like this, and that spoke volumes to him.
God help him but that that wooden chest did it. It didn’t matter what the women in his past had done to hurt him. She wasn’t them. She was Annie. His Annie. The woman who was trying to rebuild her life with the same care and focus as she built this chest. He had to take it to her. Had to see her and try and make things right between them. Whatever right was.
He coasted to a stop in front of the house and sat there staring while trying to figure out what he was going to say. The front door opened and Analise stepped out onto the porch. She didn't smile or wave, just stood there watching, her hands crammed in the pockets of her jeans.
Riley climbed out of the truck and reached over the side, into the bed to lift out the chest. When he turned toward the house, Analise's hands had moved. The fingers of both hands now covered her mouth.
He walked to the house and up the steps, his eyes on her. He could see the glistening in her eyes and once he was on the porch looking down at her, knew that glistening was tears that had gathered and were threatening to spill over.
"I knew you'd want this. You did a real fine job on this, Annie."
"Thank you, Riley."
"So I'm fully back to Riley?"
"My friend Riley saved me from a snake. And only my friend Riley would know how important this is to me. Nate Bridges wouldn't."
"Then can I come in? I don't know what you got in here, but it's getting a might heavy."
She smiled, brushed at the tears and opened the door for him.
"Where you want me to put this?"
"Could you put it on the kitchen table for now?"
"Yep."
He walked into the kitchen and stopped short. His stop must have been more abrupt than he realized because she ran right into the back of him.
"Oh sorry. What's wrong?"
"What happened?" Riley had been in Cody's house a lot of times and not once had he ever seen the kitchen this clean.
"What do you mean?"
"It's clean."
"Oh," she laughed and pushed at him. "I didn't have anything to do so I cleaned."
Riley set the chest on the table and ran his hand over it. "You did a hell of a job on this Annie."
"Why have you called me Annie since I got here? You never did before."
He turned to face her and for a moment they were both frozen, gazes locked. "Analise is the woman who lived in New York. She wouldn't take off across the country in an RV all by herself. Annie – well, Annie's the woman who would. She'd drive all the way to Texas to meet a friend and she'd create something as beautiful as this chest, putting in the hours, giving it the time and love it deserved so its beauty could be revealed."
Analise had never heard anything as wonderful or beautiful as those words. She couldn't stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks.
"Damn, Annie. I didn't mean to make you cry."
She shook her head and laughed through the tears.
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