Chapter Twelve
School had let out for the day.
The feed store was crowded with kids and parents, many of whom took a moment to congratulate Hayden on his nuptials or give their condolences for his grandfather’s passing.
Because of the crowd, it took Hayden longer than expected to gather the supplies he needed to feed the orphaned newborn calf—bottles, colostrum, and a whey-based milk replacer.
He grabbed two riding helmets, thinking of Evie and Katie.
And it took him longer still to move through the line to the cash register clerk.
I should have sent Roddy in.
Instead, his ranch hand had chosen to stay with the rig out back.
“Hayden Bennett. As I live and breathe.” Darnell Robins was the owner of Robins Feed, a business started by his great-grandfather. He had gray hair as long as his gray beard and favored tractor-branded baseball caps over cowboy hats. “How’s married life treating you?”
“Better than ranching most days,” Hayden replied, surprised that his words reflected the truth of his feelings. He added a bottle of water to his purchases so that he could mix the formula for the calf before driving home.
Darnell chuckled. “Before you know it, you’ll be having your fiftieth wedding anniversary, like me and my missus.”
Hayden made a noncommittal noise while Darnell loaded his purchases into an empty cardboard box.
“Hayden?” That was Darnell’s wife, Kathy, coming out from the back room.
Her reading glasses were perched on top of her too-bright red hair.
Her expression wasn’t as welcoming as Darnell’s.
She handed Hayden a sheet of paper. “I was hoping to catch you. Don’t want to be crass, but your grandfather was behind on his line of credit. ”
A five-figure total at the bottom of the invoice caught Hayden’s eye. He gulped. “I’ll get this sorted in the next few weeks. I’ve got some cattle up for auction.” And now he had a need to sell even more.
“Don’t worry about it, son,” Darnell said, earning a frown from his wife. “Pay it when you can.”
“It’ll be sooner rather than later,” Hayden promised. He settled his current bill and headed out the door with his purchases.
Outside, the wind had picked up, tugging at his hat and kicking dust across the feed store parking lot. Hayden deposited his purchases in the back seat of his truck with more force than necessary, the weight of that invoice pressing down on him harder than a bulk bag of cattle feed.
Another debt. Another circus act to perform.
There’d be no margin for error at the auction now. He had to get top dollar.
The calf was waiting, lowing softly in the horse trailer. The ranch wouldn’t run on wishes and grit alone—though it felt like that’s all he had left most days.
It was then Hayden realized that Roddy wasn’t waiting at the rig. But a text message told Hayden where to find his ranch hand—the Coffee Corner.
Coffee sounded good. But first, he had the newborn calf to feed.
Hayden entered the tight quarters of the full two-horse trailer, edging the saddled geldings aside. Both horses and the calf were interested in what he mixed in the feeding bottle. The youngster sucked down the colostrum, no problem. Nice and easy.
I needed that.
Something easy. Something hopeful. Something that indicated his efforts weren’t for naught.
His thoughts turned to Evie.
*
“The flowers were perfect, Josie,” Eve reassured the local florist, the one who’d made her wedding bouquets.
Eve, Katie, and Irene had finished their shopping and stopped at the Coffee Corner before heading back to the ranch. Everywhere they went today, Eve had been congratulated on her marriage.
Which would have been sweeter if my relationship with Hayden was real.
Eve’s smile felt strained. Turns out, lying about one’s marital status wasn’t as easy on one’s conscience as fibbing to a four-year-old about Santa Claus. If she wasn’t in love with Hayden, she’d probably have felt more guilt for letting Katie assume Eve and Hayden loved each other.
“The bouquets were perfect for the ceremony,” Mom seconded. She’d come down to the Coffee Corner after Eve texted her. “You’re so talented, Josie. No wonder your flower shop is a success.”
“I was happy to help the course of love.” Josie wasn’t much older than Eve.
She wore a Bohemian dress and cowboy boots.
Her wardrobe was as stylish as her flower arrangements.
“I think it’s romantic that Eve and Hayden were friends hiding sparks from each other for years.
And then, Hayden swept into town and swept Eve off her feet.
” There was something wistful in Josie’s tone, as if the single mom aspired to a romance of her own. “May I see your ring?”
Eve held out her hand. The small diamond sparkled on her finger.
Josie cooed over Eve’s ring until her cell phone rang. “Oops. Gotta run. Someone needs to pick up a bouquet I made this morning.” She waved and left, taking her coffee with her.
Eve sipped her latte for the first time since she’d picked it up from the counter. Behind Mom, Irene and Katie played at the child’s table. Before they’d left the ranch, Katie had insisted upon changing into her glittery purple fairy dress with its removable shiny silver wings.
“Gran, you can’t wear my fairy wings,” Katie said in her most serious tone. “They’re my size. Not yours.”
Irene grinned. Her mood and confidence had improved considerably since they’d been jaunting about town. “The elastic loops on your wings will stretch for me. Don’t you want to see me fly around the room?” Irene flapped her bent arms as if they were wings.
“Can you really fly?” Katie asked, wide-eyed in amazement.
“You’ll have to let me give those wings a try to find out.” Irene touched Katie’s nose. “How about it?”
“Okay.” Katie slipped out of the elastic straps and handed her silvery wings over.
Eve’s heart melted.
“Well, this I’ve got to see.” Mom snapped a few pictures with her phone.
Soon, Irene and Katie were pretend flying around the coffee shop, waving imaginary wands to grant customer wishes.
I need a wish.
Even as the thought crossed her mind, Eve knew her most desired wish wasn’t likely to come true. Hayden was determined not to fall in love with anyone.
Roddy sat down across from Eve with a chocolate croissant and a blue drink with white boba at the bottom.
Surrounded by well-wishers, Eve hadn’t seen Roddy come in.
They’d been introduced once at the ranch, but she hadn’t spoken to him since her wedding day.
The grizzled cowboy leaned closer to whisper, “I was sitting over in the corner, but you look like you could use a save from the town gossip train.”
“It is a bit overwhelming,” Eve agreed, grateful for his protection.
Case in point, several people entered the coffee shop, spotted Eve, gave her friendly waves and hearty congratulations, and then chattered all the way to the line, continuing to cast speculative looks her way.
Eve sipped her coffee, gazing at Roddy’s friendly, lined face across from her. “Weren’t you out separating cattle for the auction with Hayden this afternoon?”
“Yep. But we found an orphaned newborn calf.” The old cowboy scratched the back of his neck, looking worried. “These things can be touch and go. Hayden’s over at the feed store, getting formula and bottles. I hope it makes it.”
The nurse in Eve perked up. “What can I do to help?”
Roddy stared at her as if taking her measure. “He’ll need to be bottle-fed several times a day, including in the middle of the night.”
“I can do that.” Adding one more task to her day might help keep her heart in line where Hayden was concerned.
“Do what?” Hayden sat down next to Eve, his hip brushing hers. He swiped her coffee and took a drink, as if they were indeed a couple, intimate and in love.
It’s all make-believe.
Eve lifted her chin and reached for that smile that said all was right with her world.
People were watching, after all. “I was just telling Roddy that I can help nurse a baby cow. Do you want to order a coffee of your own?” Eve tried to give her husband a look that said her coffee was off limits, but when he smiled at her, she couldn’t quite pull it off.
Honeymoon fog.
“No time for a coffee of my own. Got to take that calf home.” Hayden took another sip of her latte. “Just came to collect Roddy. I didn’t know you planned to come into town this afternoon.”
“Your grandmother needed a few things,” Eve said in the warm voice a loving wife would use with her beloved husband.
Hayden gave her a lopsided smile.
Irene and Katie finished flying around the room.
Irene shed her wings and put them back on Katie.
She and Eve’s mother gushed over how adorable Katie was.
But the star of the show had been Irene as far as Eve was concerned.
Even with her memories compromised by a stroke, Irene embraced life in an enviable way.
She wouldn’t be wishy-washy about trying to win her temporary husband’s heart.
Several coffee customers paid for their drinks and drifted toward Hayden and Eve’s table.
Hayden draped his arm over Eve’s shoulders.
Perversely, she leaned into him.
Just to make a memory.
“Congratulations!” That was one of the bank tellers, a man wearing a tie. “You two are making the town believers in true love.”
“Happy ending guaranteed,” another bank teller added, tugging down her suit jacket. “If you guys need anything financially, come on by.”
Eve stared at the woman in confusion. “I’m sorry. What?”
“You know, in case you want to start a college fund for the new baby.” The woman patted her stomach.
Hayden choked on Eve’s latte, coughing as if his sip went down the wrong pipe.
Eve whacked him on the back, perhaps harder than need be. “Thanks, but we’re—”
Hayden turned Eve’s face to his and kissed her. Just a peck on the lips.
But, however short, that kiss was enough that the group from the bank moved back toward the pickup counter.