Lone Star Holiday. Jolene Navarro

nibble on you. They’re my pets.” She moved her gaze back to the water. “Shh...there’s Rainbow—he’s the biggest.” They both sat still staring at the fish underwater as he stared back at them. They waited in silence. Lorrie Ann smiled when she realized she was in a staring contest with a fish.

      “Celeste Rebecca Levi!” They both jumped at the sound of John’s voice. “I told you to go to Aunt Maggie’s house. You are not allowed down by the river.” His long strides had him by their side in seconds. “You can’t be interrupting Lorrie Ann’s prayer time.”

      He stood over them, hands on his hips. Lorrie Ann arched her neck back to look up at him. It just seemed wrong that a man of God would look so good. Wasn’t there some rule about pastors being old grandfatherly types?

      His cotton polo shirt fit just right over his broad shoulders and tucked neatly into his jeans. In silence, he stared down at them. Celeste jumped to her feet, her small body mirroring her father’s stance as she fisted both hands on her hips.

      Lorrie Ann squirmed, feeling like a kid caught skipping school. “Oh, it’s all right. I saw her and called her down. I...um...finished—” she waved her hand in circles “—you know...praying.”

      He raised one eyebrow and grinned at her, probably amused about her stumbling over words he used all the time.

      “Daddy, Rainbow almost came to me. You scared him away.” She looked back into the river, searching the clear deep water for the fish.

      He crouched down, balancing on his heels. He rested one hand on Celeste’s shoulder and brought his gaze to rest on Lorrie Ann’s face. “Are you sure she’s not bothering you?”

      For a minute she couldn’t breathe, feeling lost in his eyes, but she managed to shake her head.

      “Well, then I’m heading out. Are y’all good for the day? Need anything before I leave?”

      Lorrie Ann gave a quick nod, still unable to speak.

      “Give me a hug, monkey.” He held his arms open.

      Celeste leaped at him, kissing his cheek. “Love you, Daddy. Hurry back.”

      “We’ll be back for dinner. See you then, Lorrie Ann.” He flashed another heart-stopping smile and then headed up the stairs. Her gaze stayed locked on him as he bounded up the steps, two at a time.

      “Do you like Daddy?” Celeste had flopped back on her belly, hanging her chin over the edge of the platform.

      Lorrie Ann shot a startled frown at the back of the little girl’s head. “What do you mean?”

      Celeste twisted back around and wrinkled her nose. “A lot of ladies at the church look funny at Daddy, the way you just did.” She threw a small rock into the water. “Some of them said I need a mom.” She threw another rock. “Rachel says they’re just busybodies wanting to marry Daddy and we don’t like them.” Jumping to her feet, she started gathering some more small rocks. “You’re fun. If you wanted to be my mommy I wouldn’t be mad. Rachel might be, though.”

      The bottom of her stomach fell. The thought of being anyone’s mother horrified her.

      Celeste started tossing the rocks sideways. “Rachel knows how to skip rocks. Daddy told me to keep practicing and I’d get it.” She wrapped her fingers around another rock, her tongue sticking out between her teeth.

      Lorrie Ann held her breath as she watched the rock fly. With a slight skip, it bounced back up once before dropping under the water. A huge smile filled her face.

      Screaming, Celeste turned to Lorrie Ann, jumping up and down. “I did it! I did it! Did you see?”

      Lorrie Ann laughed and clapped her hands. “Yeah! That was awesome, Celeste!”

      As she twirled in circles, the little girl’s ponytail swung out. “I skipped a rock!”

      Out of breath, Maggie appeared at the top of the stairs. “Lorrie Ann? Celeste? Is everyone all right? What happened?”

      Lorrie Ann laughed aloud, her smile feeling too large for her face. “Celeste skipped a rock!”

      “I did! I did, Aunt Maggie! It skipped right over the water just like Rachel’s and Daddy’s.” She squeezed her hands together in front of her, her body trembling.

      “Celeste, you scared me half to death. If you two are going to make cookies for tonight, you had better get up here. No more lollygagging.” With those words, she turned and disappeared.

      “What do you say? Ready to go up and make those cookies?” Lorrie Ann dusted off a bit of gravel and leaves from her black cropped pants.

      “Please don’t tell Daddy. I want to surprise him.”

      “No problem, rug rat. Um...and you won’t mention anything about the funny way I looked at him, right? I don’t want him or Rachel to worry.” She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the thought of her, married to a small-town pastor.

      Celeste pulled her out of the altered universe when she grabbed her hand, looking at her as if she’d gone crazy. She snorted. Crazy was a good word for her life.

      “It’s okay, Miss Lorrie Ann. Daddy says gossiping about people is hurtful. I won’t tell your secret.”

      With that, the rug rat skipped up the stairs.

      Great—the only thing between her and complete humiliation was a precocious six-year-old.