The following day, Stacey’s afternoon fell apart. Piper woke up early from her nap, and Stacey feared she’d burned the baked spaghetti casserole. She was having a bad hair day, and Piper was so cranky, Stacey wasn’t sure she should ask her mother to babysit for the evening.
“Are you teething, sweetie?” she asked Piper.
Piper’s sweet face crumpled in pain. Stacey sighed. “Mama, she’s so fussy. I’m not sure I should leave her with you.”
Her mother extended her arms to Piper, but Piper turned away. “Oh, come on, you sugar,” Jeanne said to Piper. “I’ll take care of you. Rub your sore gums with something that will make you feel better.”
“No rum,” Stacey said.
“I wasn’t thinking of rum,” Mama Jeanne said with an innocent expression on her face.
“No whiskey,” Stacey added.
“I would never numb a baby’s gums with whiskey,” her mother said. “But bourbon...”
Stacey sighed. “Let me find the Orajel. I should have given it to her earlier.”
“You know what your doctors say. You need to stay on top of the pain. You’ve told me that too many times to count when my hip was hurting.”
“You’re right, Mama. I should have done better for Piper,” she said, feeling guilty.
“Well, don’t leap off a ledge. She’s not suffering that much,” her mother said, snatching Piper from her arms. “Go put on some lipstick and blush. You look worn out.”
Piper fussed and squabbled, but didn’t quite cry. “You’re sure you’ll be okay?”
“I’ve had a lot more babies than you have, sweetheart,” Jeanne said.
“I’m working hard to meet a high standard,” Stacey muttered.
“Hold on there,” her mother said, putting her hand on Stacey’s arm. “You’re a great mother. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I didn’t have to take care of my babies by myself. I had your father to help me, and trust me, he walked the floor many times at night to comfort all of you.”
“I just feel bad that Piper won’t have the kind of mother and father I had,” Stacey said.
“Piper’s getting plenty of loving. Her mama needs to stop trying for sainthood. Enjoy your evening out. It will be good for you and your baby.”
“If you say so,” Stacey said.
“I do. Now, go put on some lipstick,” she said.
“Colton won’t care. He’s just taking me out to be nice,” Stacey said, halfway hoping her mother would deny it.
“Maybe so, but it will make you feel better. That’s the important thing,” her mother said.
“Right,” Stacey said, and headed to her room to remake herself for a trip to the grill where she would eat a burger and fries. This was how her life had evolved. Her big exciting night within a month was a trip to the grill.
Pathetic, she thought, but couldn’t deny she was just glad to get away from the ranch. She put on lipstick, a little blush and some mascara. At the last moment, she sprayed her wrists with perfume.
“Stacey,” her mother called from down the hall. “Colton’s here.”
A rush of excitement raced through her, and she rushed down the hall. Colton stood there dressed in jeans, a coat and his Stetson. “Hi,” he said. “You look nice.”
“Colton is afraid of Piper,” her mother announced.
“I’m not afraid of her,” he corrected. “She just looks so happy in your arms that I don’t want to disrupt her.”
Stacey chuckled under her breath. “You can go after a bear on your ranch, but a baby brings you to your knees.”
Colton scowled at her. “I can shoot a bear.”
Both Stacey and her mother erupted with laughter. “We should give him a break,” her mother said. “Y’all enjoy yourselves.” She lowered her voice. “Drink a beer for me.”
“Mama,” Stacey said, shocked.
“Oh, stop. Even a mother of seven likes to kick up her heels every now and then. See you later,” she said, and returned to the kitchen.
Stacey met Colton’s gaze. “I never expected that.”
“Me either,” Colton said, then lifted his lips in a crafty grin. “But I liked it.”
Colton helped her into his truck and drove into town. “So, have you figured out what you want on your burger? Cheese, onions, mustard...”
“Cheese, mustard, grilled onions and steak sauce,” she said. “I don’t need the whole burger. I want the bun and fixin’s.”
“And French fries?” he asked.
“Yes, indeed,” she said.
“We can take the burger into the bar if you want your beer with your meal,” he said.
“The bar is loud,” she said. “I can have a soda or water with my burger. It will be nice to hear myself think.”
“Does your baby scream that much?” he asked.
Stacey shook her head. “Piper’s much better now that she’s done with her colic. But now she’s teething. I need to remember to soothe her gums. I forgot today.”
“Must be hard. All that crying,” he said.
“She sleeps well at night and usually takes a good long nap. I’m lucky she’s not crawling right now. She’s really a good baby, Colton. I could have it much harder,” she said, wanting Colton to like Piper.
“Yeah,” he said, but he didn’t sound convinced.
“Is my Mama right? Are you afraid of Piper?” she asked in a singsong voice.
“I’m not afraid of a baby,” he said, his tone cranky. “I just haven’t been around babies very much.”
Stacey backed off. She wanted the evening to be pleasant. “How do you like your burger?”
“As big as I can get it. Mustard, mayonnaise, onion, pickle, lettuce and tomato,” he said.
“You can have half of mine,” she offered.
“We’ll see. Maybe your appetite will improve now that you’re out of the pen,” he said.
She laughed, but his teasing made her feel good. “You are so bad.”
“And you are so glad,” he said.
“Yeah,” she said. She couldn’t disagree.
Colton pulled into the parking lot of The Horseback Hollow Grill, and he helped her out of his truck. His gentlemanly manners made her feel younger and more desirable. They walked into the grill and had to wait a few minutes for a table. Maybe more than one person needed an escape tonight, Stacey thought.
They sat, ordered, and the server delivered their sodas. Stacey took a long, cool sip of her drink and closed her eyes. “Good,” she said.
“Simple pleasures are the best,” Colton said.
Stacey looked at Colton for a long moment and shrugged her shoulders. “So, talk to me about grown-up stuff.”
His eyes rounded. “Grown-up stuff?” he echoed.
“Yes,” she said. “Movies, politics, current events.”
“Well, politicians are as crooked as ever. There are blizzards and tsunamis.