Page 157 of Cowboy Daddies

“She still does, though most of her practice is in trying to outrun Luther when he’s caught her doing⁠—”

“Doing what?” Livvy asked when I caught myself.

“Sorry, not my story to tell,” I said at the same time Luther returned.

“Doing something naughty,” he provided as he dropped back onto the couch. “Like forgetting to turn on the timer.”

“Oh,” Livvy said, her voice quieter. “That’s okay. We had ice cream not that long ago.”

“No worries,” Kate declared as she came back into the room waving her apron behind her as if to hide the fact that wisps of smoke were swirling toward the front door. She plopped onto Luther’s lap. “We can grab something at the dance. You are coming, right?”

“I can’t,” Livvy said before I could. “Though I’d love to, not only don’t I have anything clean to wear, but to be honest, I’m kinda wiped out.” She turned to look up at me. “But, please, if you want to go, I’ll be fine here on the couch.”

“Not happening.” I immediately cut off any such idea. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Besides, unless I’m completely wrong, I’m guessing that we will be inundated with casseroles just about any time now.”

Her eyes widened. “But how can you be sure Susanne will tell them I’m here and not at Grammie’s?”

“I never doubted the ‘everyone wanting to help’ part of Susanne’s story, pixie, I just made sure she was on the same page as the rest of the town. Between Evelyn, Dr. Eastman, Judith, and Frank, I’m betting they had the right address to start with.”

As if reading from the same script, someone called through the screen, “Knock, knock. Anyone home? Supper’s ready!”

“See?” I said.

Kate said, “I’ll get it!”

“Oh, I don’t think so, missy. You’ve already burned one dinner. I’m getting this one,” Luther countered.

“Race you!” Kate said and was off like the wind before my brother even made it to his feet.

Chapter Fourteen

Livvy

If you’d told me this morning that my entire life would change before night fell, I would have looked at you like you were the one with a concussion. I’d really hope that wasn’t the case, but I would definitely question your sanity at least a little bit. But I’d sure be happy to learn that you were spot on.

Dinner’s main course was a cheeseburger casserole made by Judith, who it turned out, was the admitting nurse at the hospital. It was delicious but what had me rubbing my belly and moaning was the chocolate-and-cherry ice-cream cake provided by Miss Eve. Though I supposed it was actually the second helping I’d decided I needed to have after Luther and Kate headed out to the dance.

“I feel like a beached whale!” I groaned as I leaned back against Lincoln’s chest. “Why did you let me eat so much?”

“Babygirl, I might be bigger than you, but if I’d attempted to take that spoon out of your hand, I’m pretty sure you’d not be the only one sporting a split chin. Not that you let your injury stop you.” He chuckled when I attempted a very poor swing at his head, missing by a mile. “And that makes four.”

I huffed and dropped my hand to return to rubbing my tummy. “What happens at four? I get an extra swat?”

“You could say that.”

It took me a moment to digest his words but when I did, I pushed up to twist around to look at him. “How come that sounds far more ominous than an extra swat warrants?”

“Maybe because extra swats earned in the same day don’t come with my hand attached to them,” Lincoln said.

How the same tummy could be so full of cake and ice cream and yet still find room to house a thousand butterflies taking flight, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that it did. I battled whether or not I really wanted to know if that meant the paddle he’d teased about might actually exist while Lincoln just grinned. When he chuckled, I had a funny feeling he knew exactly where my thoughts had gone.

“Funny, I don’t remember you being so tricky.” I gave another huff.

“And yet I absolutely remember you never failing to test the boundaries, pixie,” he said in a tone that told me he was enjoying the fact that he wasn’t wrong.

I sank back against him again. “Fine, but I’m warning you, if you put me over your lap now I can’t be held responsible for any hurling that happens.”

His arms came around me to pull me even tighter to his chest. I had no explanation as how that didn’t upset my full stomach. Nor did I particularly care. I’d never felt safer or as happy in my life.