LITMIR.BIZ

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checkers?”

      “Cody was cheating,” Troy piped in.

      “Was not.” Cody scowled at his brother. “You just don’t know how to play.”

      “Do, too.” Troy screwed up his face. “Mom taught me.”

      “That’s enough.” She remembered now. They’d been arguing over the game then, as well. “Go on, Cody.”

      Cody threw Troy one last look, then turned back to his mother. “Well, when we asked you to play, too, you said you would, as soon as you finished what you were doing and we asked you what you were doing and you said you were writing an ad and we asked you what for and you said you were looking for a horse husband for Miss Lucy.”

      It took a moment for Cody’s rush of words to pull together. The hotel room in Dallas. Cody and Troy had been asking her questions about the ad and Miss Lucy. She hadn’t quite been ready to explain the process of hiring a studhorse, and somehow the term “horse husband” just sort of popped out. In any case, she still wasn’t quite connecting the dots here. “And?”

      “Well, Troy and me, well, me really, ’cause Troy don’t read so good yet—”

      “So well,” Kasey corrected out of habit.

      “Yeah, so we were looking at one of the newspapers you brought along on the trip, you know, the Granite Ridge Gazette, and there was a place you can buy and sell things, so that’s what we did.”

      “What did you do?” she asked, breath held.

      “You know, we wrote an ad for you.”

      Oh, dear Lord, they didn’t...

      Cody’s grin was as wide as it was proud. “Filled it out and mailed it, all by ourselves. We were going to surprise you.”

      She stared at her sons, unable to speak. Surprise her? That was the understatement of the century.

      Knees weak, Kasey sank slowly onto the bed opposite her sons and closed her eyes. It would certainly explain the bizarre way everyone had treated her in town, Slater showing up, all the mail and phone messages—

      Oh, no...that must be why she had so many calls. They were for stud services and potential husbands. She nearly choked at the juxtaposition of the two.

      Her eyes flew open. “Cody,” she asked slowly, “exactly what did this ad say?”

      “Not much.” He reached behind him into his suitcase, then pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. “It don’t cost as much if you don’t use a lotta words. Troy and me saved some money you gave us from the video arcade.”

      The supreme sacrifice, Kasey realized, not even bothering to correct her son’s grammar this time. She took the slip of paper as if it were a snake, then drew in a deep breath and read, “Wanted: One Husband. Not too old. Must like kids. List good qualities. Call Kasey at the Double D Ranch—555-4832 or send picture to 684 Marva Lane, Granite Ridge, TX.”

      Her heart stopped, then raced. No. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. The words blurred as she stared at the paper.

      Cody looked down at the floor and kicked at the edge of the blue braided rug between the twin beds. “We know Daddy made you cry when he went to Mexico with Gloria, so we thought maybe...well, you know, that you might feel better if you weren’t alone anymore.”

      Kasey felt her breath catch in the back of her throat. She’d been so careful to hide her emotions from her sons when Paul had walked out on them. How could she have explained to a then four- and six-year-old that the tears she’d shed had been anger and frustration at herself? Certainly not because she was alone, or because she missed their father.

      She’d made it on her own for the past two years and she was proud of that. She wanted to be single now. She enjoyed the independence. All she needed was her sons and this ranch. Nothing else in the world mattered to her.

      She looked at them now. They were watching her, waiting for her approval. How could she be upset with them? They wanted her to be happy and they thought a husband—any husband—would make her happy. She shook her head. They had so much to learn.

      “Cody. Troy.” She knelt on the floor and leaned in close to her sons. “I’m not alone, sweethearts. I have you both. Don’t you know how much I love you, and how happy it makes me to be here with you, living in Grandma and Grandpa’s house? We won’t have to move anymore, and you won’t have to change schools or make new friends all the time.”

      “Brian says Miss Foster, the first-grade teacher is nice.” Troy rolled the rock he held back and forth between his hands. “He said he was in her class two years ago and on Fridays she lets kids bring in stuff to share. I’m going to bring my rock collection.”

      Kasey smiled. Troy’s rock collection was his pride and joy. He’d been gathering up pebbles and stones in a shoe box for the past two years. Since Paul had left.

      “Won’t you and Brian be in the same class?” Kasey turned to her older son.

      “We’re gonna sit next to each other.” Cody pulled at the frayed edges of the growing hole on the knee of his jeans. “He says his dad is taking him on a camping trip next weekend and me and Troy could come along.”

      In that instant, Kasey understood so much more than what her sons were saying. Maybe even more than they understood. They weren’t just looking for a husband for her. They were looking for a father for themselves.

      The realization was like a fist around her heart. There was nothing she could do, nothing she could say, to make that situation any different. She’d stayed in one marriage, thinking it best for her children, but they’d been hurt anyway. She had no intention of making a mistake like that ever again.

      “Of course you can go on the camping trip,” she said, wrapping her arms around her sons and pulling them close to her. They squirmed against her, then broke into giggles when she started to tickle them.

      “So it’s okay, then?” Breathless, still laughing, Cody rolled away. “About the ad?”

      Oh, yes. The ad. Still kneeling beside the bed, she groaned and fell face forward on Cody’s bed.

      What was she going to do now? Call the paper, of course, except it was too late now. She’d have to call first thing in the morning. But all those issues already out there, and all those calls on her machine...

      “Tell you what,” she said with a sigh, “next time you boys want to surprise me, let me know first, okay?”

      Cody screwed up his face. “That’s silly, Mom. It wouldn’t be a surprise then, would it?”

      Exactly what she didn’t need any more of. She thought of Slater downstairs. Perhaps that was the one good thing that had come out of this. It felt good to know that he cared enough to come check up on her because he thought she was in trouble. She’d simply go downstairs and explain everything.

      And then he would leave.

      She felt a dull ache deep inside her, but dismissed it. So he’d leave. What did she expect? Of course he’d leave. He had a life, she had a life. Tonight they’d catch up on old news, then he’d be on his way. She’d go on with her life, and so would he.

      By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, she still hadn’t a clue what to say. She drew in a long breath, then headed for the kitchen. She’d just tell him. They’d have a good laugh, he’d stay for dinner, he’d leave and that would be the end of it.

      He was pacing from the back door to the kitchen sink when she walked into the kitchen, his frown dark and imgatient.

      “Slater—”

      He stalked over to her. “Kasey, sit down.”

      “Slater, I know how this—”

      “Sit.” He pointed to the kitchen chair.

      Kasey

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