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“Have you looked at him lately?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, he dresses all fancy and stuff. Like people who go to spas.”
Sammie laughed, shaking her head. “He dresses appropriately for his job.”
“You think? Because he’s the only one of us who doesn’t wear boots.”
Steps coming down the stairs alerted us to the arrival of Thad and Soren. Surprised they were coming down together, I glanced in that direction.
Soren got up when the rest of the household was still fast asleep to deal with the horses and cattle. He was usually done with his essential duties by the time my tired, late-night bones crawled out of bed.
We exchanged a pleasant good morning, a habit Mama had insisted upon when we were young.
Thad, dressed for work in khaki pants and a nice jacket, yawned and headed for the coffee machine. Soren looked downright perky. For him, anyway. He wasn’t scowling.
“Coffee’s fresh,” Sammie said to no one in particular.
“Thank you,” Thad said. “I was up way too late last night.”
“How come?” I asked. I’d noticed his truck missing from the driveway when I’d walked home from the restaurant last night.
“I had a date,” Thad said, his back to us.
I slid my gaze stealthily toward Sammie. She was at the toaster, feeding it more bread. No visible reaction that I could see. But maybe she was keeping her feelings hidden?
“With who?” Soren asked, sounding skeptical.
“None of your business.” Thad poured a generous amount of cream into his coffee, then perched on the stool next to Chloe.
“Hey, Tad,” Chloe said, unable to fully pronounce theTHcombination.
“Hey, munchkin. Did you sleep well?” Thad asked.
“I was asleep, so I don’t know.” Chloe reached for her sippy cup.
Thad’s lips twitched, but he didn’t laugh. “That’s an excellent point. We only know when we wake up rested.”
“I like to stay awake.” Chloe bit into a second slice of toast.
“You wouldn’t want to be sleepy all day and not be able to play, right?” Thad asked, speaking to her as if she were an adult.
Chloe shook her head. “I’m never tired.”
“Until you are,” Sammie said.
“Why won’t you tell us about your date, little brother?” Soren poured coffee into his favorite mug that had “My best friend’s a horse” etched into the ceramic.
“Because I don’t know her that well,” Thad said. “We’ve only been out once.”
“Did you bring her home last night for a sleepover?” I asked, suddenly worried about Chloe seeing something she wasn’t supposed to.
“After a first date? I don’t think so.” Thad silently gestured toward Chloe. “For many reasons, including it wouldn’t be good for a certain someone to see a random stranger in the house.”
“I appreciate that,” Sammie said, sounding as if she might burst into tears. “But that’s too much to ask. You boys should be able to date.”
“Dating’s one thing,” Soren said. “Bringing home some chick he met online is a whole different proposition.”
