weâre good to go.â
They drove the short distance to Cash and Wrenâs house.
âThanks for the ride,â Wren said once theyâd reached the main road. âAfter finally getting a Sunday off, the last thing I felt like doing was drivingâeven if it is only a short way.â
âI understand,â Daisy said, adjusting the air conditioning to make it cooler.
âTrying to freeze us out?â her mother complained.
âSorry.â Fanning her face, Daisy said, âItâs been a while since Iâve been in this kind of heat.â
From the backseat Kolt asked, âI like the hot weather. Why havenât you brought me here, like, ever, Mom?â
Judging by Georginaâs pressed thin lips and Wrenâs sudden fascination with the buttons on Robinâs overalls,Daisy wasnât the only one feeling awkward about the question. Trouble was, as much thought as sheâd given the subject, she still didnât have a reasonable, justifiable answer. She couldnât tell her ten-year-old that essentially Mommy had been afraid that if heâd been a girl, the bogeyman might return. Then, by the time sheâd discovered she was having a boy, sheâd been too ashamed of what sheâd let Henry do to return.
âMom?â Kolt prodded.
Swallowing the knot at the back of her throat and ignoring her motherâs silent tears, Daisy said, âFor the longest time, I lost the way home, but now that I found it again, weâll be here a nice long while, okay?â
He nodded. âWill there be food at the rodeo? Iâm hungry.â
âDo you like funnel cake?â Georgina asked with forced cheer.
âI dunno,â Kolt said. âNever had it.â
That inconceivable fact earned Daisy another glare. The fried, powdered-sugared treat was a rodeo staple.
âWell,â her mother said with an extra serving of guilt, âthat means weâll have to get you lots of them to make up for all the ones youâve missed.â
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E XHAUSTED FROM THE LONG DRIVE , Luke knew better than to get back out on the road for a rodeo. But it was Weed Gulchâs annual fundraiser for âTown Beautification,â and since his mother was this yearâs Beautification Chairwoman, sheâd have his hide if he didnât at least show up long enough to hand over his money.
Plus, he wanted to be there for his sonâs first rodeo.
On the downside, the Buckhorn family was always in attendance. Luke hadnât seen Daisy since that kiss. A good thing, since heâd lied like a dog about his not having a reaction. Every time he thought about it, he grew rock hard and grouchy. He hated her for what sheâd done. It was high time his body got the message.
This would be the first year since before Duke Buckhorn had died that all four of his children were in attendance with their motherâat least Luke assumed all of them would be there. Aside from Christmas, this event was the pinnacle of the Weed Gulch social season.
Upon reaching the rodeo grounds, Luke parked in what felt like the next county and then zigzagged through screaming kids, rodeo queens and horses. He was just thinking heâd be better off back at his cabin when he caught sight of Daisy, all dolled up in her prettiest country wear.
Kolt stood alongside her, looking as if heâd spent his whole life doing just this thing. Decked out in head-to-toe cowboy, he was handsome as could be. Throat knotted with pride, Luke couldnât wait to show off his son.
As for Koltâs mother, Lord, but she was a beauty. Long legs and an easy smile.
She stood in front of the funnel-cake wagon, waiting her turn in line with Dallasâs evil twins, Wren and her baby.
Luke strode up to the group.
âBonnie,â he said, tugging the girlâs crooked pigtails, âyou buying me a funnel cake?â
âNooo,â she said with a look as offended as if heâdasked
Tim Curran, Cody Goodfellow, Gary McMahon, C.J. Henderson, William Meikle, T.E. Grau, Laurel Halbany, Christine Morgan, Edward Morris