way to change her mind about telling Evan about his father’s identity.
“You do remember you’re on my side, right?”
“I’m not talking about Nathan.”
Grace glanced at Laney as her friend placed a slice of pie in front of her. And then she noticed a man at the next table looking her way. When their gazes met, he smiled at her from below his straw cowboy hat. She managed a quick but noncommittal smile back before averting her gaze.
Laney cut off a piece of her pie. “While Evan’s having fun this week, who says you can’t, too?” Laney waggled her eyebrows.
Grace shook her head. “Me, that’s who.”
“Might be a good way to make Nathan jealous.”
“I’m not here for that, either. Plus, I don’t want to do anything else he can hold against me.”
Laney shrugged. “Whatever. You don’t have to be pure as the driven snow to be a good mother.” Having said her piece, as she always managed to do, Laney took her first bite of Merline’s signature apple pie. Grace hadn’t tasted her own yet, but it wasn’t necessary to remember the taste. Like so many things from those months when she was tutoring Nathan, slices of scrumptious apple pie stood out in her memory as if days and not years had passed.
“Oh, this is good,” Laney said.
Before she slipped up and admitted a part of her actually did like the idea of Nathan being jealous, Grace took a bite of her pie and made appreciative noises.
Laney made a slight nod toward the man at the other table. “You have to admit he’s nice-looking.”
“He is, but the last things I need in my life right now are more complications.”
“Party pooper.”
Grace stared at Laney. “I should have brought Emily instead.”
Laney wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I can’t help it. I’m an incurable matchmaker. How many times did I try to set you up in college?”
“I’m sorry, but you’re still out of luck with me. I’m firmly single and like it that way.”
Most of the time. Except when she looked into Nathan’s eyes and her heart performed some fancy Fred Astaire dance steps in her chest.
Laney pouted. “But I think all the other women here are married. Hot cowboys with no one to pair them with, that’s a crime.”
Grace laughed. “Sorry to spoil your fun.”
“Hey, the week isn’t over yet.”
When Grace finished her pie, she gathered Laney’s and her trash and headed for the large garbage can at the edge of the picnic area. After tossing the trash inside, she turned to find the unnamed cowboy standing behind her. “Oh, excuse me.”
He touched the brim of his hat. “No problem.” He lifted his empty plate. “Good dinner, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The man reached around her and deposited his own trash in the can. “Name’s Barrett Farnsley, from Oklahoma City.” He paused until it registered that he wanted to know her name.
“Grace Cameron.” She deliberately left off where she was from.
“A very pretty name, for a very pretty lady.”
Grace blushed despite herself. She’d had interest from men before, but something about being back here in this place where she’d fallen in love for the first and only time had her emotions heightened. “Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say. Barrett was indeed handsome with short, dark hair just visible at the edges of his hat, and light blue eyes.
But he wasn’t Nathan.
And maybe that was a good thing.
It couldn’t hurt to just be friendly, could it? They’d all be gone in a week anyway.
“I assume one of these wild children is yours.” She pointed toward where all the kids were playing fetch with a couple of large Labradors, one chocolate, one yellow.
“Two, actually. The twins.”
“A handful?”
“To say the least.”
Grace smiled. Evan was a handful all on his own. She couldn’t imagine having to wrangle two boys the same age.
Barrett shoved his hands into his back pockets. “Are you here with anyone?”
Subtle. “Just my son. He’s the one who looks like he’s determined to ride the dog.”
Barrett laughed, and she had to admit it was a nice laugh. Big, full, uninhibited. If she weren’t so tied in emotional knots right now, if all her focus wasn’t on Evan’s future, she might actually be tempted to see where things went with Barrett. If anywhere. She was so bad at reading men’s signals that she could have what she thought was Barrett’s interest totally wrong. After all, she’d once thought that Nathan cared about her.
He’d just been like every other teenage boy, interested only about getting in a girl’s pants.
She made the mistake of looking toward where she’d seen him sitting next to his mother earlier. He was watching her, and he didn’t look happy. For the tiniest of moments, she did hope he wore that look because he was jealous.
Grace reminded herself she wasn’t at the ranch to rekindle things with Nathan. Bad idea, very bad idea. She was simply falling victim to some old wishful thinking. Nathan no doubt wore that unfriendly expression because he was still angry with her and this situation she’d thrust upon him.
A squeal of panic jerked her attention toward the kids. One of the dogs had a little girl down on her back. Parents vacated their tables and conversations and hurried toward the children. Grace got there first and grabbed the dog by the collar. “Choco, no!” She tugged the dog off the little girl.
The child’s mother scooped her up and turned angry eyes toward the Teagues. “How could you let an animal like this near our children?”
Grace touched the woman’s arm, spoke to her in a soothing, mother-to-mother tone. “She’s okay. See, no injuries. Choco was just kissing her, being friendly.”
The woman examined her daughter to see for herself, then pulled her close and headed out of the picnic area without another word.
“Why is that lady mad?” Evan asked from beside Grace.
She wrapped her arm around his waist. “She was just scared, afraid her daughter was hurt.”
“How did you know Choco’s name?”
She hadn’t even thought about it, just identified the dog because she’d known it from when he was a puppy. “I heard someone call him earlier.” She hated lying to her son, but the truth might lead
