Chapter One
Dallas
Present
“Okay, there we go.” I step back to take a look at my work.
Beau stands in front of me in his homemade Fly Guy costume for Book Character Day at school.
The getup consists of white-and-black bug eyes made of small Styrofoam plates, construction paper adhered to a headband, and cardboard wings attached to a set of Daddy’s old suspenders, paired with a brown turtleneck and cords.
He patiently waits, grinning, as I make my assessment, and he is undeniably the cutest little snaggle-toothed bug I have ever seen.
“Perfect!” I squeal as he beams at me.
I gather his lunch box and shoes as he runs to his room to grab his backpack.
“How am I going to get my coat on and get in the truck with my wings?” he asks as he runs back into the living room.
“You’ll have to remove the suspenders and ask Mrs. Perry to help you put them back on when you get to your classroom.”
He snaps them off and carefully tucks them under his arm. Once we are in the truck, I start our daily routine.
“What day is today, Beau?”
“The best day ever!” he replies.
“Why is it the best day ever?”
“Because we woke up this morning,” he answers.
“What are we gonna do today?” I ask.
“We are going to be kind and give everyone our brightest smile.”
“What aren’t we gonna do?”
“Let anyone steal our shine.”
“How much do I love you?”
“All the way up to the moon and back.”
“That’s right, baby,” I confirm and put my right hand in the air for a high five, which he immediately returns.
God, I love this kid.
When I turn the key, the engine makes a horrible grinding noise, and then it rumbles before it stops.
Oh no, please don’t do this right now.
I try again. The lights on the dashboard start flashing dimly, and the engine makes a clicking sound but doesn’t turn over at all.
I groan, close my eyes, and lightly bang my head against the steering wheel.
A few minutes later, two little arms come around my neck from behind and squeeze.
“It’s gonna be okay, Mommy.”
I take a deep breath and turn my head to look at his earnest face. His round glasses have slipped down on his nose, and his big brown eyes are fixed on me. I remind myself that this tiny human takes his emotional cues from me, and I don’t have the luxury of breaking down. So, I smile at him.
“You’re right; it’s going to be okay. In fact, I think this old truck just gave me extra time with my favorite boy in the whole wide world this morning.”
He beams at me and sits back down as I fish my cell out of the bag.
Momma already left for the bakery today, and Payne and Daddy left at the crack of dawn to meet the crop-dusting plane.
I could call Sophie, but it would take her a while to get here, and I don’t want Beau to be that late on Book Character Day.
He’d be devastated if he missed the group class photo.
So, I press Myer’s name saved in my favorites in my phone and pray he isn’t out on the ranch where he can’t answer.
“Hey, Dal.” His deep, rich voice comes over the line, and I release a relieved breath.
“Hey, Myer. I hate to call this early. I know you’re probably busy with the calves, but my truck has crapped out on me again, and I need help getting Beau to school. Momma’s at the bakery, and Daddy and Payne are having the fields dusted today.”
“Pop can handle things for an hour or so. I’ll swing by and pick you guys up in ten.”
Myer Wilson is my brother, Payne’s best friend. His family owns Stoney Ridge Ranch, which backs up to my family’s farm and orchard.
“Thanks, Myer,” I say as I collapse in relief.
“No problem. See you soon.”
He disconnects, and I turn to Beau.
“Looks like you and I get to have a slice of Nana’s apple cake before school.”
“Yay! It really is the best day ever, Mommy,” he exclaims before he opens his door, hops out, and runs to the porch of our home.
It’s a modest home. My daddy and Uncle Jimbo turned one of the old grain silos behind my parents’ farmhouse into a one-bedroom loft home for my son and me when my ex-husband was sent to prison on felony drug charges while I was pregnant with Beau.
He has the bedroom, and I sleep in the loft that overlooks the open living room and kitchen.
It’s not big, but it’s not tiny either. It fits us just right, and we love it.
I follow Beau inside, help him pop his wings back on so I can snap a few pictures and then I slice us each a piece of cake and pour us a glass of milk. He regales me with made-up stories of Fly Guy’s coming adventures of the day while we wait for Myer to arrive.
The knock comes just as we finish up.
“It’s open,” I call as I rinse our plates.
Myer swings it open, and his blue eyes sweep the room. When they land on Beau, he fakes a start. “Whoa, you scared me there for a minute. Are you a monster?”
“No, silly. I’m Fly Guy. I’m not scary at all. I’m a good friend,” Beau informs him.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Fly Guy. I heard you need a ride to school, but that can’t be right. You have wings so you can fly yourself there.”
Beau giggles. “They aren’t real. See?” He turns around to show Myer the wings stapled to the suspenders. Then, he turns back around and lifts the big eyes off of his head. “It’s me, Myer, Beau Stovall. I’m just pretending to be Fly Guy.”
“Well, look at that. It is Beau Stovall. That’s a good costume. You sure had me fooled.”
“I tricked him, Mommy. I bet I’ll win the first-place prize!” Beau says excitedly.
“In that case, we’d better get you to school right away,” I say in answer.
He nods his head and races past Myer and out the open door.
“Thank you for rescuing me. Again,” I offer as I grab my keys and purse from the kitchen island and follow.
“Not a big deal, Dal,” he replies warmly as I ease past him.
He shuts the door and takes my keys from my hand to lock the dead bolt behind us as I wrangle my buzzing fly into the backseat of his white Silverado.
A few beats later, he climbs behind the steering wheel in the extended cab and passes me my keys.
“Go ahead and take your truck key off that ring. I’ll drop you off at Rustic Peak, and I’ll come back and have a look under the hood after lunch today.”
Rustic Peak Ranch belongs to my best friend, Sophie’s family, and I work there part-time, helping her keep the ranch’s books.
“You don’t mind?” I ask as I gladly hand over the key.
“Nope. Hopefully, it’s something Payne and I can fix ourselves this time. If not, I’ll hitch it to my truck, and we’ll haul it over to Jackie’s garage this evening.”
Ugh, just what I need. Another repair bill.
“Don’t start worrying now. It could be nothing,” he says, reading the look of concern on my face.
“Yeah, Mommy. Don’t let that truck steal your shine,” Beau chimes in from the backseat.
“I don’t think it’s possible to steal your momma’s shine, little man,” Myer replies while looking at Beau in the rearview mirror.
A warm feeling pours over me, and I decide they’re right. Me worrying about what’s wrong with that old horse of a truck isn’t going to change a single thing, so I might as well have myself a fabulous Monday. I’ll figure out how to pay for the repairs once I know what they are.
I take my sunglasses from my purse and slide them on, and then I roll the window down and let the cool spring air waft through my hair as I plant a big old smile on my face.