of flour on the counter, which he’d picked up at the Superette because it was half the price of the name brand.
“Oh. You mean because I bargain-shop.”
She laughed. “You didn’t get a deal. That flour is too inferior for any proper baking, and it was aging on the shelf. So the price was discounted, but it still isn’t selling—except to people who don’t know anything about cooking.”
“Oh, yeah? It seems to work well enough.” Toby reached into the bag, grabbed a handful of flour and blew the mound directly into her pretty little upturned face. “See? It’s light and airy.”
“Oh, you...” Angie sputtered through the white dust covering her lower face, then quickly picked up a mushroom she’d been chopping and threw it directly between his eyes.
The vegetable struck him dead center. He laughed, and she reached into the bag of flour—no doubt wanting to dust his face a ghostly white, just as hers was.
He grabbed her wrist to stop her, and she twisted, trying to pull free. Then, as their eyes met, she stopped. He stopped. For a moment, everything stopped—time, breathing, heartbeats....
No, not heartbeats. He could feel her pulse pounding in her wrist, under his fingertips.
Their gazes remained locked, and something passed between them. Before he could figure out just what the heck it was, Kylie ran into the kitchen, breaking the tension, as well as the silence.
When she spotted Angie, her eyes widened. “What happened to your face? It’s a great big mess.”
“I know.” Angie laughed.
So did Toby. “She might be a champ at playing Ms. Pac-Man, but she’s no match for Mr. Ranch-Man.”
“Cute,” Angie said. “Very cute.”
He tossed her the dish towel closest to him. She caught it, then walked to the sink, dampened it and wiped off her face.
“Is dinner ready yet?” Kylie asked.
“Almost, honey.” Angie grabbed a slice of Kylie’s favorite American cheese. “Snack on this and I’ll call you guys in just a couple of minutes.”
“Okay.” Kylie took the cheese, then dashed out of the kitchen and back to the family room.
Deciding to get their earlier conversation back on track, Toby said, “Actually, just to set the record straight, the Horseback Hollow Fortunes aren’t rich like our cousins from Red Rock, Atlanta or the U.K. So taking on the kids did put me in a financial bind at first, but not for long. Someone apparently wanted to help out and donated money to cover those expenses and then some.”
“That’s amazing. What a generous gift.”
“It certainly was. I wish I could thank them, but it was an anonymous donor.”
“Could it have been their father or maybe one of their long-lost relatives?” she asked.
Toby snorted. “I doubt that. I’m more inclined to think that it was one of my long-lost family members.”
“Who? Or would you rather not share that with me?”
“My best guess and number one suspect is James Marshall Fortune, Sawyer’s father and my mother’s brother. I think it was his way of indirectly giving my mom some of those shares of stock she returned to him last year. But I’m not going to push too hard to find out. If the donor wants to remain anonymous, then I’ll respect that.”
“Nevertheless, I still think it’s wonderful that someone wanted to help the kids.”
“That’s how I see it, too. The money was actually given to me through an attorney in Lubbock, along with a note saying that it was to offset the costs I incurred by taking in the kids. But that I should spend it as I saw fit. That’s what made me think the donor had to be my uncle.” Toby raked his hand through his hair. “I wrestled with my pride for a while and was tempted to refuse it. But then I realized the kids really deserved it. And it would provide a better life for them. So I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“I assume it was a substantial amount.”
“Enough to see them each through high school and to pay for their college. So I put the money into a trust fund for them. It’s invested and provides a monthly income that helps cover their expenses and pays for extra things like swim lessons and dance classes. Summer camp, too. Stuff like that.”
“Wow. That’s awesome.” She tossed him a dazzling smile, then added, “You’re awesome, Toby.”
Angie gazed at him as if he’d just been awarded the Medal of Honor. And while he found her admiration touching, it also felt undeserved. So he lobbed a playful smile at her in return. “Yep. A horrible bargain shopper, but an awesome man.”
Toby leaned toward the bag of cheap flour again and Angie threw up her arms in protection. “No, no, I give up. You are not only a good man, but a fine steward of your money. You make excellent shopping decisions. You should be on that coupon show on TV.”
“Now I know you’re full of it,” Toby said, laughing along with her.
Teasing had been a way of life in the Fortune Jones household, and he liked that Angie was the kind of woman who found it so easy to banter.
“Okay,” she said. “The ingredients are all set.”
“Do you want me to call in the kids?”
“Go right ahead. I’ll turn on the oven and get the drinks.” Angie went to the refrigerator door, paused and stared at the most recent flyer. “Speaking of saving money, it looks like they’re offering two free weeks of classes at the Y this month. Maybe I should check into that. I’ve always wanted to see what yoga is all about.”
Toby didn’t know if she was talking to him or to herself, but apparently there was yet another interest she wanted to add to what had to be a lengthy list.
She tossed him a pretty smile. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll become a yoga instructor someday.”
“Speaking of people who run around too much,” he said, returning her smile with a teasing grin, “what about you?”
“Me?” Angie tilted her head slightly and furrowed her brow. “What about me?”
“You seem to change jobs a lot. Why not find a good, full-time position and stick with it?”
“I will someday. But I want something that I can feel passionate about. Maybe, if I keep trying different things, I’ll eventually find the career I’m best suited for.”
He hoped she came across it soon—for her sake.
And maybe for his. She really was easy to talk to, and the kids adored her. If she were more settled, he’d like to see where this relationship—if he could even call it that—would go.
But he couldn’t risk allowing himself or the kids to get too close to someone who could be gone working on an oil rig or joining the military or going to cosmetology school or wherever
