Sweet Stallion. Deborah Fletcher Mello

       Chapter 1

      Naomi Stallion was standing in her big brother’s kitchen when he and his wife came through the front door of their Arlington Drive home. The couple was giggling, their voices low. Naomi winced, suspecting that she was about to intrude on an intimate moment. She called out to them, rattling a frying pan against the stove top as she did.

      “Hello! It’s me! I’m here in your kitchen. Please don’t take your clothes off!” she shouted, remembering the last time the two had come running through the house not knowing she was there.

      There was a brief moment of silence, and then laughter led Noah Stallion and Catherine “Cat” Moore-Stallion from their living room into the dining area.

      “Hi, Naomi!” Cat chimed as she toyed with the buttons on her blouse and adjusted her skirt.

      Naomi smiled. “Sorry about that.”

      “Hey!” Noah said. He tossed up a casual hand as his eyes widened curiously. “What are you doing here?”

      Naomi gave her brother a look. Before she could respond, Cat interrupted, exclaiming excitedly, “You cooked!”

      “I did. I figured it was the least I could do after showing up unannounced,” Naomi responded. “To stay for a few days,” she added, the words coming rapidly. “Maybe even a week. Or two.”

      The couple laughed, the two exchanging a look between them.

      “So, to what do we owe the honor?” Noah asked as he moved toward the counter and settled down on a wooden stool. He reached for a stalk of celery that rested on a vegetable tray Naomi had pushed in his direction. “We weren’t expecting to see you until next month.”

      “I wasn’t expecting to be here. But what about you? I’m actually surprised that you two aren’t in New York. Isn’t that where one of you was supposed to be?”

      Noah nodded. “My plans changed. I needed to be at the corporate office here, and Cat flew in to see me before she heads to Dallas tomorrow.”

      Naomi gave them both a smile. “My plans changed, too. The property adjacent to my farm is going up for auction next week. I want that land. If I can get it, I want to expand my business model here and get a second food co-op up and running.”

      The farm Naomi referred to was the fifteen acres of land she owned in the Pleasant Grove area just outside downtown Salt Lake City. It had been a foreclosure investment that she’d acquired years ago, initially planning to wait for the real estate market to improve, and then sell it. Her decision to actually grow produce on the property and work it had come as a surprise to them all.

      “How much land is it?” Cat asked, joining her husband at the counter. She reached for her own celery stick and dipped it into the cucumber dressing that filled a small bowl.

      “It’s a good fifty acres. There’s an open house tomorrow and I plan to go walk it in the morning and talk to the Realtor handling the sale.”

      Noah cut a quick glance at his wife, who was licking the dressing from her fingers. Naomi noted his expression, the color heating his cheeks as he bit down on his bottom lip. Cat laughed and Naomi rolled her eyes.

      “I guess I should have called first,” Naomi said, a wry smile pulling across her face. “But I’m so used to just letting myself in I didn’t think about it. Now that you’re married, I should probably give your key back, big brother.”

      Noah shook his head. “You’re here more than we are.”

      “And you are always welcome here,” Cat added. “Don’t you even think about giving him that key back. This is your home, too.”

      Naomi rounded the marble counter to give her sister-in-law a hug. “I really appreciate that.” She winked at her brother. “I still like this one. I’m glad you’re keeping her.”

      Noah laughed. “So, what did you cook? Since I can’t get any dessert just yet, I might as well enjoy some dinner.”

      “Noah! Really?” Cat laughed. “I can’t believe you just said that!”

      He shrugged, his bright smile filling his face. “It’s the truth!”

      Naomi shook her head. “Set the table and we can eat. I cooked your favorite—vegetable lasagna.”

      “That’s not my favorite. I was hoping for something battered and fried with lots of cheese and gravy. Not vegetable lasagna. And I bet you put tofu in it, too.”

      “Tofu is good for you.”

      “I hate tofu.”

      “No, you don’t.”

      “Yes, I do!”

      “Really, you don’t,” Naomi said, eyeing him with a raised brow.

      Cat laughed. “Well, I didn’t have to cook it so I love whatever it is.”

      “She doesn’t cook for me. Do you still think I should keep her?” Noah asked teasingly.

      “I do great takeout and I’m a master at other things you like,” Cat responded as she leaned against her husband, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

      “I will have me some dessert tonight,” he muttered against her ear.

      “I made yogurt parfaits with fresh fruit,” Naomi interjected, grinning at the two of them.

      “I’ll enjoy that, too,” her brother said smugly.

      Naomi waved a dismissive hand in Noah’s direction as she returned to the oven.

      Minutes later the trio sat at the dining table, laughing heartily as they caught up on the family news. Naomi was the second oldest sibling and the eldest girl in their close-knit family. The twins, Nicholas and Nathaniel, were only a year behind her in age and their sister Natalie was the baby in the family. It had been a few years since she and her siblings had lost their mother, Norris Jean Stallion, after a brief illness. But other than his name, they knew very little about their father. Noah had always acted as their surrogate parent, supporting them when they needed it most.

      Watching Noah as he and his wife flirted shamelessly with each other made Naomi smile. Her brother was happier than she could ever remember him. He and Cat had been each other’s grade school crush and had reconnected at their high school reunion. They’d been inseparable ever since. Of all her siblings, Naomi was closest to Noah, both overly protective of the others, and he was one of her best friends. She trusted him with everything.

      Her brother had been her biggest cheerleader when she’d purchased her first property, intending to make it the organic mecca of Utah. Despite her best efforts, the timing hadn’t worked for her. Then their mother’s health had started to decline and the older woman’s demanding nature had made it nearly impossible for Naomi to do all that she needed to do for herself. Shortly after, a beloved friend had afforded her the opportunity