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“Sorry we won’t get to be alone,” she said, lifting his hand with hers and kissing his knuckles.

“Me, too, but I don’t mind Teddy being around. He can teach me a thing or two. Like lighting fires to keep away snakes.”

Sadie lay out two blankets near the fire, one for her and Wally and one for Teddy. Then they lay on their backs and watched the stars brighten against the velvet black of the clear night.

“This is incredible,” Wally said, holding her to his side. “I’ve never seen a sky this clear or this many stars.”

“The sky’s that different in Washington?” she asked.

Wally stayed silent a moment then said, “Yeah, or maybe I haven’t taken enough time to stop and look up.”

After a while, the sound of Teddy’s gentle snores made Sadie glance over to check on him. He’d fallen asleep with his head propped on some books he’d taken from the trunk in her room where she kept all of James’s old things.

“He’s a good kid,” Wally said, running a palm up and down her back as she leaned over him to see her son.

“Smart like his daddy,” she said, changing her position to look down at Wally.

“Sounds like his daddy was pretty special.”

Sadie contemplated the man with her. His words sounded genuine, not jealous or uncaring. On the contrary, he actually sounded curious.

“He was. I mean, James had his faults, don’t get me wrong. He was a man, and your species as a whole has some problems, no offense.”

Wally chuckled, brushing the hair from her face. “None taken.”

Remembering, Sadie grinned. “He would’ve liked you, Wally. He was a tinkerer, too, that’s where Teddy gets it from. His head was in the stars more often than here on the ranch.”

“How’d you meet him?” Wally asked, thumb slowly slipping against her ear lobe and awakening a wanting low in her body.

Sadie swallowed. “His aunt and uncle owned the ranch. They didn’t have kids, and he came to stay when his folks died. We met at a dance, actually, in a barn that used to be where the Town Hall is now. Amos had asked for my hand and my parents said no, since they suspected he wanted their money.”

“You’re from a wealthy family?” Wally asked.

Laughing, Sadie smacked his chest. “They disowned me, so don’t get any ideas.”

“Why would anyone disown you, Sadie? They must’ve been idiots.”

“Well, I’d have to agree with you on that. So would James. He could’ve cared less about money or stature. I remember when I spotted him the first time. He was sittin’ on a haystack looking like he belonged about as much as a horse in a living room. He had these wire rimmed spectacles that were always bent somehow, and he had a book in his hand.”

“At a dance? Not sure I’d even do that,” Wally said.

Sadie crossed her arms over his chest and lay her head on top. “I said hello and he blushed. Then he asked me to dance. He told me later he’d never been brave enough to ask a girl before. After that dance, I knew I never wanted to be apart.”

“Sounds romantic,” Wally said, hands now stroking her back once again.

“My parents said they were taking me and my sister, Johanna, to Tucson to find respectable husbands. But when James asked me to stay and be his wife, I said to hell with that, he was respectable enough. They left, his uncle passed away, then his aunt not long after, and we inherited the ranch. But I was always more interested in taking care of it than James was.”

“Then Teddy came along,” Wally said.

Sadie nodded, glancing over at him and breathing deep, trying to control the emotions that surfaced whenever she thought back too much. “We were a happy family until two years ago. James got sick. I don’t even know how, he just came home from town one day looking all pale and clammy. A week after that, he was gone. I kept things running smooth for a while by selling off the horses he’d help break. Lord, I love horses, especially the wild ones. I made sure each one got a good home. But I don’t have that kind of time anymore, not with upkeep and taking care of Teddy. Now we’re down to chickens and, well, it ain’t much of a real ranch anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Sadie. I truly am.” Wally brushed a thumb across her cheek, smearing away a tear that had escaped. “It would be impossible for a single person to keep things running no matter how amazing she is. It’s funny, I used to love riding, too, I was even damn good at it, but I haven’t thought about it in years. If you ask me, we both deserve time and space to do what we love. Life shouldn’t be only about responsibilities.”

The lump in Sadie’s throat became hard to swallow, so she simply nodded and glanced over at Teddy’s sleeping figure. She hadn’t opened up to anyone like that in a long time, nor had she given much thought to doing what she loved since James died. All she knew was she couldn’t lose Teddy, not like she’d lost James. Sometimes, one couldn’t help responsibilities taking up their every waking moment.

“Is James’s unexpected death why you keep such a close eye on Teddy? Because you’re afraid to lose him?” Wally asked.

Sadie bit her lip. “He’s so much like his father.” It was all she could say without falling apart completely.

Wally seemed to understand and pulled her to him, brushing his lips over hers. “It’s tough not to make love to you right now, but I don’t want to wake Teddy.”

Sadie muffled a groan in her chest.

“Let’s just watch the stars,” he said, rolling her onto her side. But he wasn’t looking up. He was only looking at her.

“I’m not a star, Wally,” she teased when he didn’t move.

“You’re a heavenly body,” he said, making her blush, grateful for the dark and the dancing shadows of the firelight.

“Stay,” she said again.

“Just a little while longer,” he said, hand straying to caress her breast beneath her shirt.

That was the problem with Wally. As perfect as they felt for each other, he was still married to whatever was in Washington. Sadie slid her own hand over the bulge in his jeans. She’d just have to show him there’d be more to miss if he left Devil’s Creek.