The little girl shoved chubby hands toward Joey. “See my fossil?” In her palms was a chalky white rock the size of Eve’s fist.
Joey stared at the rock and then up at Eve.
Eve held her breath, hope rising like adrenaline in her system. She prayed Joey wouldn’t shy away from this attempt at friendship.
“Don’t you like fossils?” Katie tipped her curly blond head to the side.
Joey nodded but didn’t let go of Eve’s leg. At least he hadn’t hidden behind her.
“Here, you can have this one,” Katie said. When Joey still didn’t move, she set the rock on the floor and dug in her bag for another.
The boy sat on the floor and reached for the rock and held it in his hands.
“I got ’nother one. See?” Katie held out her hand.
This time, Joey took the rock.
Katie stared up at the scar on Joey’s face. “You got a booboo.” She went to Joey and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I kiss it better.”
Joey didn’t shrink back. He scooted closer to Katie’s bag of rocks.
Eve straightened and smiled at Tom and Laura. “Nice to meet you,” she said, and meant it. Addie was right, Joey needed other children to remind him how to act like the child he was.
“It’s hard moving to a new place and starting over. I imagine it’s even harder when you’re a single parent.” Laura squeezed her husband’s hand.
Tom laughed. “I’m beginning to wonder if we picked the wrong year to come. What with the drought, we’ll be lucky if we can pay back our loans at the end of growing season.”
When a familiar voice spoke in a low, rumbling tone to a group of folks behind Eve, every hair on the back of her neck rose in salute. Without looking in that direction, she could sense Mac had entered the Community Center. She couldn’t resist easing her head around, just enough to see him through the corner of her eye.
Just like the day before, Mac stood with his hat shading his face from the overhead lights. He moved through the crowd, stopping to shake hands with fellow ranchers.
Heart rate speeding up, Eve turned to Addie, hoping her face would cool by the time Mac reached the back of the store.
“So, Eve, are you up for a little meddling from all your new neighbors?” Addie winked at Eve. “Most folks around here see a single female as a challenge.”
Eve shook the man out of her head and concentrated on what Addie was saying. “What kind of challenge?”
“We’re still in the old-fashioned mind-set. A woman can’t possibly be happy unless she’s married.”
Eve’s stomach knotted. “Been there, done that, got the scars and the divorce decree to prove it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been hard.” Laura leaned into her husband. “Not every marriage ends in divorce, though. Right, sweetie?”
Tom squinted, a smile toying with the corner of his mouth. “Is this the place where I’m supposed to answer ‘Yes, dear’?”
Laura dug an elbow into his ribs, but Tom pulled her close for a loud, smacking kiss.
Eve smiled. She wished she’d had such a relationship with her husband. But he’d been more interested in himself and his dogs than her and Joey.
“I take it you’re not on the market?” Laura asked Eve. “Officially or unofficially?”
Eve blushed. “Unofficially. I’m not interested in dating right now.”
“What a shame. And I’d hoped to convince you otherwise.” Warm hands gripped her shoulders to turn her around.
Eve stared up into Clint Logan’s blue-gray eyes. “Like I said, I’m not interested.”
“I can be very persuasive. Am I right?” He winked at Addie.
Eve shook her head. “I have Joey to consider.”
“And why would your dating be a problem for Joey?” Clint asked.
“I’m not in the marriage market and I won’t force a stepfather on Joey,” she said.
Addie tipped her head to the side. “Don’t you think a boy needs a man in his life?”
Years of heartache surfaced, blocking Eve’s throat. All the times she’d tried to do just as her stepfather wanted in order to gain his respect and love. As she had in the past, she swallowed her disappointment. “Not always. Depends on the man.”
Joey jumped up from the floor and raced past Eve.
“Hi, Joey, whatcha’ got?” Deep tones rumbled immediately behind her.
Tingly surges raced across her nerve endings. That voice could only belong to Mac.
Eve turned as Joey launched himself into Mac’s arms and waved his rock beneath the cowboy’s nose. The two looked as though they belonged together, like father and son. How she wished Joey could have had a father like Mac. But Mac could never be his father; the best he could be was a stepfather. And Eve wasn’t going there.
“I don’t see anything wrong with a son being raised by his mother.” Clint stepped closer to Eve and laid a hand on her shoulder. “A mother loves and protects her children. She stands by them and defends them no matter what.”
Mac’s head jerked up at the words. His jaw tightened and his brows dipped slightly.
“Did I say something wrong?” Clint shrugged his shoulders.
But Mac only stared hard into Clint’s eyes and then broke the visual contact to look down at Joey. “I like your rock, Joey. Keep your eyes open, and you’ll find lots of sea fossils in the hill country.” Mac set the child on his feet, tipped his hat at Addie and strode over to a group of men.
Addie shook her head at Clint. “Wish you hadn’t said that to Mac.”
“Am I missing something?” The mayor gazed after Mac, an apologetic frown creasing his brows.
“No. You’re not missing anything. Why don’t you go do your politicking with the ranchers?” Addie pushed Clint away from the little group. “Go on, shoo!”
“Okay,” he said, moving away. He glanced back at Eve and smiled. “But I still want to take you to dinner, Eve.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m—”
“I know. Not interested.” Clint nodded. “I’m patient, I can wait.”
MAC HALF LISTENED to the local ranchers and businessmen discussing plans for the Harvest Festival. He’d never been one to join in the planning, choosing to help out when the time came to build booths and make repairs to the community building where the dance would be held.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Eve smiling and talking with Tom and Laura. Her laughter floated to him, hitting him in the gut. Mac turned away before he started thinking of something as ridiculous as white picket fences and a yard filled with children remarkably similar to Joey.
When talk about the festival tapered off, Mac brought up the topic he’d come here to discuss in the first place. “I found one of our breeder goats just over the hill from town.” Everyone within hearing distance turned toward him. “Wasn’t much left for the buzzards.”
“That’s too bad, Mac.” Bernie Odom looked up from playing checkers with Hank Bleumfeld. “Have anything to do with the drought?” he asked.
“No.” Mac glanced down at his hat and back up to Bernie. “Looked like an animal attack.”
“Any