Thunder leans against my kitchen island and watches me work for a second. "Raine's gonna lose her mind when I tell her you made chicken salad."
"She likes it?"
"Last time you put it on the menu, she ate three sandwiches and demanded the recipe. She's pretty sure she's gonna be a chef when she grows up."
"What happened to the veterinarian plan?"
"That was last month. Last week she wanted to be a barrel racer like Dakota. This week she wants to be a chef. By August she'll want to be the president."
"Of the club or the country?"
"With Raine, you don't ask. You just say,yes, ma'am."
I laugh out loud.
Thunder grins.
"Where is she today?"
"With my mama in town. School let out yesterday and Mama wanted her for the afternoon to teach her how to bake pies. Raine's pretty sure she's about to revolutionize the peach pie industry."
"I got peaches."
"You serious?"
"Marlena brought me a bag this morning from Phantom's cousin out in Llano. If your mama wants 'em, I'll send a basket back with you."
"She'll cry."
"Tell her not to."
"I'll tell her. She'll cry anyway. Mama Lou cries at gestures."
I laugh again, and I realize I’m laughing with a man my dead husband would have liked, about peaches and a nine-year-old girl who's gonna revolutionize the pie industry, and for one second I'm not a widow.
I'm a woman with a kitchen, a son, and a friend.
Thunder catches the look on my face. He doesn't say anything about it. He just hauls a fresh bag of ice over to the tea pitcher for me and refills it without being asked.
The brothers come in at noon.
Spur first, smelling like horse and sunscreen.
Banshee right behind him.
Blaze hasn’t made it back from San Antonio yet.
Blight slinks in last with the rest of the men, and the prospects in a clump behind them.
Rogue comes in with his hat already off, which is unusual for him at lunch.
He nods at Thunder when he comes through the door and Thunder nods back.
It's the briefest exchange and it tells me three things.
They've spoken to each other this morning. Thunder knows about whatever they spoke about. Neither of them's gonna tell me.
Rogue takes his seat at the head of the long table by the window.
