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“You didn’t have to.”
Dani sighed and looked at her son. “How about getting those school clothes now? We can drop Runt and the groceries off and run into Butte, maybe eat dinner in the park.”
“If you really want to,” Cody replied.
“I really want to.”
“Okay,” Cody said without much enthusiasm.
Later, once they’d managed to finish the necessities, Dani and Cody sat on the grass in the park and watched as children ran and played on the various pieces of equipment.
The bustle of the city was in sharp contrast to the sleepy little town of Martinville. In Dani’s estimation, Butte was a major metropolis. She laughed to herself when she thought what people from New York or Los Angeles would think of her perception.
“Somethin’ funny?” Cody picked a blade of grass and tore it into small pieces.
“Not really,” Dani said with a smile for her son. “But what about you? ls something bothering you?” Dani asked. “Looks like you’ve got something on your mind.”
The boy shrugged. “I guess,” he said, looking away from her.
“What is it?”
“Chase McEnroe.”
Dani let out a long sigh. Here it comes, she thought. “What about him?”
“You’re serious about him aren’t you?”
Dani thought for a moment and decided her son was entitled to the truth. “Yes, I am.”
Cody hesitated a minute. “You gonna marry him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“And what about Dad?”
Dani leaned back on her elbows, watching as the late afternoon shadows darkened the grass. “I don’t really know, I guess. I haven’t thought it all through yet.”
“He’s comin’ home, ya know.”
“Oh, Cody,” she said on a long, wistful sigh. “Just because you got a couple of letters—”
“It’s more than that, Mom,” Cody cut in angrily, confusion clouding his brown eyes.
“Cody—”
“He called.”
“What!” Dani’s world seemed to stop spinning. For a minute she couldn’t speak. “When?”
“When I got back from the Anders’ house the other day. You and Chase were on that picnic at the homestead house . . .”
Catching her breath, she nodded to her son. “Go on.”
“I’d only been home a little while. The phone rang and it was Dad. He said he was on his way.”
Dani was stupefied. “He can’t come home, not now,” she whispered.
“Why not? He is my dad.”
