Hayden grinned. “She’s just like you, Evie.” She’d been fourteen when he first began dating her sister, Violet. “Remember how you used to eat the heads off every one of the Peeps in the package at Easter?” She’d leave the bodies for the rest of the household.
Evie’s nose went in the air. “Everybody does that.”
“Nope. Just you.” Hayden chuckled.
“I did it to annoy you.” Evie didn’t sell that idea at all. Her tone turned brisk as she introduced Hayden to her daughter. “Katie, what do we say when someone does something nice for us?”
“Thank you.” Katie raised her arms in the air, rose up on her toes, and spun around and around like a lopsided ballerina until she reached Hayden’s side. Then she curled a finger, inviting him to come closer. When he did, she kissed his cheek and whispered, “I love cowboys. And I love you.”
Had the sun broken through the clouds outside? It must have. Hayden felt brighter, inside and out.
Katie scampered back to her wooden puzzle, earless kitty cat cake pop in hand.
“Did Katie just get out of dance class?” Hayden asked. That would explain the tutu.
“Nope. Katie’s four.” Evie stared at her kid with that happy, loving smile. “My daughter has a dress code all her own. I’ll let you in on the second rule of being a parent. It’s knowing when to pick your battles.”
“That’s true of life.” Hayden smiled. “What other kernels of wisdom do you have up your sleeve?”
“I could reveal all the secrets I’m keeping in exchange for a cake pop.” Eve was hitting her stride now, smiling and confirming that sugar was still the key to her heart.
Not that I’m interested in her heart.
Hayden lowered his hat brim and took a bracing sip of coffee. “Much as I’d like to sit and watch you and Katie devour cake pops one ear at a time, I’ve got responsibilities waiting for me at home.”
Not that he made a move to leave. He was feeling relieved, as if he’d run away from the circus and all its drama. A smart man didn’t bolt from a peaceful respite, no matter how much he had on his plate.
“Don’t let me keep you.” Evie’s smile fell, along with her cheerful tone of voice. “It’s not like we’re engaged or anything.”
“You’ll figure a way out of this, Evie.” She often did. But so did he. It was just that Evie always managed to smile infectiously through adversity, whereas he was more likely to become a grouch.
Which probably explained why he didn’t immediately head back to the ranch, choosing instead to finish his coffee in her presence.
*
You’ll figure a way out of this, Evie.
Eve soldiered a smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hayden.”
“Mama.” Katie pranced over and handed Eve the bare cake pop stick. “There’s a lady outside with a cat on a string.”
Eve glanced out the coffee shop’s broad front windows. Sure enough, there was a middle-aged cowgirl sitting outside, enjoying the spring sunshine. A white cat wearing a white harness and leash sat on the table. “Well, now I’ve seen everything.”
“I want a kitty, Mama.” Katie sidled closer to Eve, resting her head on Eve’s arm.
“You want a kitty?” Hayden’s smile was small but sly, delivered over the rim of his coffee cup. “Do you want a shiny yellow kitty with a unicorn horn?”
Katie gasped, straightened, and gave Hayden an incredulous look, propping her hands on her hips in the know-it-all position. “Unicorns aren’t cats.”
“Who says?” Hayden gently teased, still flashing that small smile.
“Everybody.” Katie’s expression was fierce. “Unicorns are horses. Dragons are lizards. And fairies are butterflies. Tell him, Mama.”
“Go on.” Hayden smirked, but it was a friendly kind of smirk. A laugh-with-me kind of smirk. “Tell me, Mama.”
Was there innuendo in that remark?
Eve’s heart lurched in her chest. And she couldn’t think of anything to say except, “Katie’s right.”