Page 181 of Cowboy Daddies

No one talked about how apples could attack your teeth.

“Cool. I hate the dentist.”

“Who doesn’t?” She held out the grape lollipop to him.

He eyed it like he thought it was a snake about to bite.

“Problem?” she asked.

“I’m not supposed to take candy from strangers,” he told her.

“Good call.” She nodded. “I’ll eat it.”

A calculating look entered his face. “If I knew your name you wouldn’t be a stranger, though.”

Casey had to grin. “I guess that’s right, small man-child. I’m Casey.”

“That’s a pretty name,” he said.

“Thanks,” she said hoarsely. “It was my mom’s name. She was the best person I know. What about you?”

“My name’s Wyatt.”

“Wow. Good cowboy name,” she said as she handed the candy over.

He ripped off the packaging and put it in his mouth.

“Good?” she asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“So what’s your dad’s name? Jesse? Levi? Colt? Always liked the name Colt.”

The boy’s eyes widened. Had she guessed right? Why wasn’t he saying anything?

Shit.

He wasn’t choking on the lollipop, was he?

“Actually, it’s Jeb,” a deep voice said from behind her. “Jeb Wilder. Who the hell are you and why are you giving my kid candy?”

Chapter Two

Jeb had known where he’d find Wyatt. He’d been grabbing some food from the diner when he’d turned around to discover him gone.

The playground that he’d had built in Elise’s memory was one of Wyatt’s favorite places. His thinking spot. Where he went to feel closer to his mom.

He wondered how Elise would feel about it?

Jeb shook that thought from his mind as he stared down at the woman sitting on Wyatt’s favorite swing.

Sure, the playground was for all the children of Oddity, Colorado. But that swing was Wyatt’s favorite.

And this woman was an adult, not a child.

Although she didn’t seem to realize that as she leaned back and hooked her legs up around the chains, tilting her head so she was staring up at him upside down.

“You don’t look like a Jeb,” she informed him.