The boy’s smile made Taylor happy. “How’s old Rex doing? Not getting into any trouble I hope.”

  Sam patted the dog on the head. “No way. He’s doing perfect. Cherry said I can’t have him in the diner once it opens, but he can be in here while we’re working on it.”

  Cherry had taken Sam and Rex to the local dog groomer the day before, and they had scrubbed and shampooed the dog again and given him a haircut.

  Without the matted and gnarled fur, he was a pretty cute dog. His brown eyes were expressive, and it was obvious how much he adored Sam.

  Which seemed to be just the medicine the boy needed. Cherry had confessed the night before that she was worried that the dog would give the Hills one more piece of ammunition to use against her keeping Sam.

  He wished the dang thing hadn’t bitten him right in front of them. It wasn’t even a bite really, just a scratch. And it was more his fault than the dog’s for getting his hand in the way when the dog was all riled up. He’d been around animals his whole life, and this dog didn’t seem dangerous to him at all.

  If he were worried at all, he wouldn’t let it near Sam.

  But the sweet temperament and the devotion in the dog’s eyes told Taylor that Rex would never hurt the boy. In fact, he had a feeling that dog would do anything to protect him.

  He knew the feeling.

  Something about Sam just inspired him to want to protect him. To keep him safe.

  He felt a pang of guilt about the fake engagement and knew it probably wasn’t fair to Sam to give him the idea that he and Cherry were really getting married.

  But the ends outweighed the means if it meant that Sam got to stay with Cherry.

  Taylor liked the boy, cared for him.

  And just because he and Cherry had a fake relationship (well, semi-fake; she certainly wasn’t faking the night before) didn’t mean that he couldn’t still have a relationship with Sam.

  “Hey, Sam. I was thinking. I have tomorrow morning off and wondered if you’d be interested in going fishing with me in the morning.”

  “Yeah! I always wanted to go fishing. My dad was gonna take me up to Chouteau Creek.” A look of despair crossed Sam’s face.

  “It’s okay. You can talk about him.”

  He watched a myriad of expressions cross the small boy’s face as he went from sad to angry to controlled.

  Such a young boy shouldn’t have so much control over his emotions. He should be able to cry if he needed to, or get mad. The kid should be able to punch something or break something.

  Taylor certainly had when his mom had died. He’d broken a lot of somethings. Including a certain redhead’s heart.

  He’d been young and stupid and had no idea how to control his anger and grief. How did Sam have such a handle on his feelings at such a young age?

  Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe he just needed the right outlet. Maybe Sam needed a safe way to get some of his anger out.

  He’d have to work on some ideas to help with that.

  For now, he could start with taking the boy fishing.

  “You know you gotta get up early to have the best chance at catching some fish. You okay getting up early tomorrow?” Taylor asked.

  “Sure. Can Rex come, too? I bet he’s always wanted to go fishing.”

  Taylor laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Yeah, sure. Rex can come. We’ll put together some fishing gear for you tonight, then we’ll be ready to take off at first light.”

  “All right. I can’t wait. I’m gonna go tell Cherry.” The boy’s face lit with a grin as he pushed through the kitchen doors.

  Taylor smiled at Sam’s huge grin. And he felt like a hero.

  He just hoped he could live up to the boy’s view of him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Cherry pulled in to the driveway of the Tucker farm. Everyone in town knew it as Tucked Away and had loved Gigi Tucker, the older woman who had owned this land forever.

  Earlier that summer, Gigi had passed away and left the farm to Charlie, her granddaughter. A granddaughter that she had never met but had been searching for most of her life.

  Cherry had met Charlie when she’d first come to town, and the two had quickly become good friends. Sometimes people just connect, and that’s how it’d been with Charlie.

  Talking to her was easy and comfortable, and Cherry was thankful for the woman’s friendship.

  And thankful for the help she’d given her since the fire. Helping clean up the diner had been great, but washing her clothes and getting the stink of smoke out of them had been the biggest boost to her demeanor. Just wearing her own clothes again had made her feel more in control.

  And now, as if doing her laundry hadn’t been enough, she was going to ask her friend for another favor.

  A big one.

  She needed Charlie’s help planning a pretend party to make a fake engagement seem authentic enough to help her to keep her real son.

  How did she get herself into these messes?

  Cash stepped out of the barn, and she waved as she got out of the car. “Hey, Cash.”

  He sauntered over and pulled her into a hug. The man was all muscle and smelled like a cross between hay and aftershave. “Hey there, darlin’.” His voice was smooth and sexy like it could melt butter. And hearts.

  And he’d melted plenty of hearts in town. With his dark wavy hair and ice-blue eyes, he was the object of many women’s fantasies. And he ate it up—flirting with all of them. And they all loved it, young and old.

  Charm oozed out of his every pore, yet he always seemed sincere. And fun. He could coax a smile out of anyone, yet still had a way of making every woman feel like they were gorgeous and sexy.

  “So I heard you and that bum, Taylor, are gettin’ hitched.” He narrowed his eyes and gave her a naughty grin. “Does that mean I missed my chance with you?”

  She laughed. “You missed your chance with me back in sixth grade when you picked Sarah Jean over me to be on your kickball team.”

  He clapped his hand to his forehead. “When are you ever going to get over that stupid kickball game? We didn’t even win.” He slid a dusty rock toward her with the toe of his cowboy boot. “How ’bout we start a game now? You’ll be the first pick on my team.”

  She looked around the farmyard. “Who are we gonna play against? The goat and a couple of chickens?”

  He shrugged. “Sounds like we’d have a pretty darn good chance of winning if we did. That old goat stinks at kickball.”

  “Nah, it’s more fun to hold it against you.”

  A loud swear word worthy of a sailor came from the open door of the farmhouse, and Cherry turned toward the sound. “Charlie in the house?”

  Cash chuckled. “Yeah. I think she’s baking. That’s why I’m out here, out of the line of fire.”

  She gave him a playful shove. “I guess we’ll have to take a raincheck on that kickball game.”

  “You know where to find me.” He waved and headed back toward the barn. “Tell Taylor he still owes me a beer.”

  Grinning, she climbed the front porch steps and pulled open the screen door.

  She found Charlie in the kitchen with her arms elbow-deep in a wad of dough. She looked like she’d declared war on a bag of flour, the white powder lying in a thin coat on every surface.

  “What in the hamhock are you doing?” Cherry asked.

  Charlie blew her bangs off her forehead. She had a chunk of flour-covered dough stuck to her cheek. “I am trying to make freaking homemade bread.”

  “Why? They have perfectly fine loaves of bread that you can buy at this thing called a store. It’s really not even that expensive. In fact, I’m flat broke, and even I can afford to buy a loaf of bread.”

  Her friend gave her a look of exasperation. “I was talking to Zack the other day, and he told me this story about how his mom used to bake homemade bread and how much he loved it. Even his teenage daughter can make bread. It can’t be that hard, can it?”

  “I don’t know. Ask Sophie, if she’s the one who knows how to make it. I’ve never attempted it. Because I am not a pioneer woman. And I’m not ashamed to use the modern convenience of a store.”

  “Quit giving me a hard time, and get in here and help me knead this freaking dough.” Charlie scooted over to give her some room.

  “All right. Calm down.” Cherry crossed to the sink, washed and dried her hands, then dipped them in the flour and grasped a hunk of the firm dough. “Is it supposed to be this hard?”

  “That’s what she said.”

  “Seriously?” Cherry giggled with her friend. “Actually, I heard that kneading flour is supposed to be a sensual experience.”

  Charlie laughed. “There is nothing remotely sexy about squishing around a hard ball of dough, making a giant mess, and spending two hours on a task that may still result in failure.” A grin crossed her face. “Okay, that could describe a sexual experience.”

  The two friends collapsed into giggles.

  Cherry bent forward, wheezing in laughter. She waved a flour-covered hand in front of her face as she tried to catch her breath. “Oh my gosh, that wasn’t really even that funny, but I needed that so bad.”

  Charlie sobered and narrowed her eyes at her friend. “How are you holding up? For real? I know this has all got to be a lot, the fire, losing your cousin, and trying to take care of Sam. Are you doing okay?”

  “No. But I have to be. I don’t have a choice. The diner is my only means of support, so I have to do what it takes to get it up and running as soon as possible. I’m so busy, I don’t have time to grieve for Stacy, so I just don’t let myself think about her or Greg. I put all of my focus on Sam. He needs me, and I can’t let him down.”

  “That must be hard, though. I know I’m adjusting to the role of mother in Sophie’s life, but we’re gradually working up to it. You became an instant mom. Just add water, and you’ve got a son.”

  She’d become an instant mom all right, but it wasn’t water that had been added. “That part’s okay. I’ve known Sam since he was born, and I truly love him. I’ve always loved him. I want to take care of him. That’s why I’m so worried about the Hills coming in and trying to take him away.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “They think I’m not capable of taking care of him. Like I don’t have the means or the money and that my cousin Reed and his snooty wife would do a better job. He’s a hot-shot lawyer so they have buckets of money lying around.”

  “It takes more than money to raise a child,” Charlie said, resuming her position at the counter and pressing down on the ball of dough. “Otherwise there wouldn’t be so many rehab centers full of rich people’s kids.”

  “Yeah. I know. But money helps. Especially if you have none. They know I run the diner, and they’re using that against me. They say I won’t have time for him, and they don’t think I can take care of him as a single woman with no dependable means of income.”

  “Ahhh.” A look of understanding passed across Charlie’s face. “That’s where Taylor comes in. Being engaged to the town sheriff gives you income, a man of the house, and a more respectable position in their eyes.”

  Cherry said nothing as she picked at a speck of hardened dough on the side of the counter.

  “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. And it’s really not that hard to believe.”

  “Well, my family isn’t convinced.”

  “Why not? Half the town knows you were high school sweethearts. It’s not that far of a stretch to imagine that you got back together or that he came back to town for you. It shouldn’t be too hard to convince them it’s a real engagement.”

  A sly grin crossed Cherry’s face. “Welllll, some parts have gotten a little more real lately.”

  Charlie’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh. You little vixen.”

  “Hey, it’s not all my fault. We’re staying out at his farm and sleeping in the same room. You try lying in bed next to a man who looks like Taylor Johnson and see how real it gets.”

  Charlie held up her hands and a fleck of dough went flying. “No judgment here. I think it’s great that you’re finally getting lucky. And I knew something seemed different about you. For a woman who should be seriously stressed, you seemed to be in a very good mood the last few days.”

  “He is a pretty good stress reliever.” Cherry giggled.

  “So, what’s the big deal? You like each other. You get along. Why not just go along with the scheme? People can stay engaged forever. It just needs to last long enough to convince your family and let all this stuff with Sam die down. Then if you want, you can always have an amicable breakup.”

  “That’s the problem. My family is already pushing us to prove that our relationship isn’t fake. And I don’t have years. I don’t know if I even have weeks. Reed and my Aunt Bea have money. They can take this to court. And besides, Taylor isn’t the most reliable person to have a pretend long-term relationship with. He’s not very good at sticking around.”

  “He seems like he really cares about you.”

  “He’s seemed like that before. I just can’t count on him to stay.”

  “Maybe he’s changed.”

  Maybe he had.

  It seemed like he had.

  But Cherry couldn’t risk putting all of her faith in a man that had deserted her when times had gotten tough before. Because raising an eight-year-old boy was definitely going to lead to some tough times. “I want to believe he’s changed. I want to believe in him. But it’s tough.”

  “At least he’s trying.”

  “I know. Trying’s the easy part. Staying is the hard part. Right now, things are good. Actually, they’re great. He’s sweet and thoughtful. He’s so good with Sam. And the nights with him are amazing.” She arched an eyebrow at her friend. “I mean seriously, a-mazing.”

  Charlie laughed. “I can imagine. So, again, what’s the big deal? Why don’t you enjoy it while it lasts?”

  “Because all I can think about is that it won’t last. I think part of why sex with him is so great is because I’m afraid that every time is going to be the last time. So I give it everything I have. Every moment, every touch is even more intense because I’m afraid it’s going to be the last chance I have to touch him. That I’ll wake up in the morning, and he’ll be gone.”

  She pulled a hunk of bread dough from the mound and curled it in her fingers. “I can let my body get involved with his, but I can’t let my heart into the mix. I can’t go through the pain of losing him again. And honestly, I’m worried about letting Sam get too close to him and then watching Sam lose another person in his life.”

  Charlie rested her floured hand on top of Cherry’s. “Maybe you just need to give him a chance. If he’s willing to go along with this whole scheme, then it doesn’t sound like he’s planning to take off.”

  “Go along with it? It was his idea.” Cherry sighed. “And it was his idea to have the party, too. His and his dad’s.”

  “What party?”

  “Our engagement party. That’s the main reason I came out here. Although dissecting my sex life and mushing around some bread dough has been fun.” She grinned at Charlie. “The Hills were at the ranch a few days ago, and Olivia claimed she hadn’t found one person in town to collaborate our engagement. Russ told them we were just about to announce it, and somehow it ended up that we’re having an engagement party out at the ranch on Saturday night.”

  Charlie laughed. “Wow. Well, I love parties. I hope I’m invited.”

  “Invited? I came out here to ask if you’d help host it. I have no idea how to throw a party like this. I can manage the food, but every time the diner has catered an event, I’m the one that stays in the background. The person that no one notices. The one that quietly goes around making sure there’s enough wings and fried cheese sticks. I don’t know how to be the center of attention.”

  Her friend grinned. “Well, I do. And of course I’ll help. We’ll get Sophie, too. She’ll love it. We’re going to throw an engagement party the likes of which Broken Falls has never seen.”

  The sun rose over the edge of the horizon as Taylor drove the truck down the old dirt road. This had been the spot where his dad had first taken him fishing when he was a kid.

  Sam peered over the edge of the dashboard. “Is that it?”

  “Yep.” He parked the truck and pointed through the trees to a small cabin. “And that’s my grandpa’s hunting cabin. It’s pretty rustic, but we used to come up here in the summer and spend the weekends. It’s a good place to get away from all your troubles and when you need time to think.”

  Sam nodded, his face serious, as if he knew all about having troubles and needing time to think. “Neat. Can we go look at it after we’re done fishing?”

  “Sure.” He reached for the door handle of the truck. “You ready to catch some fish?”

  “You bet I am.” He bounced in his seat, his energy apparent. Rex, who had been lying in the seat next to him, now stood, his tail wagging at a feverish pace.

  Taylor grabbed the gear from the back of the truck, and they walked to the bank of the creek. This part of the creek had a lot of great rocks for sitting and watching a fishing pole.

  Tall trees lined the banks and offered shade against the late summer heat. Even though it was barely dawn, he felt the heat building in the air.

  He pointed at the wooded hills on the other side of the creek. “I grew up around here and spent a lot of time exploring these hills. Have you done much hiking?”

  Sam shook his head.

  “Well, I’ll tell ya, I think hiking is medicine for the soul. Sometimes when I’m stuck on a problem or trying to figure something out, I just get outside and go for a hike. There’s nothing like clean air and being in the woods to clear your head. There’s even a little cave up there.”

  “There is? Cool. Can we go check it out?”

  Taylor grinned. “I doubt we’ll have time to hike up there today, but I’ll bring you back later this summer. We can pack a lunch and hike up there. How’s that sound?”

  Sam smiled up at him. “Cool.”

  “Good, it’s a plan then.” He clapped his hands together. “All right now. We better get back to task here. These fish ain’t gonna catch themselves.”

 

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