Page 28 of The Cowboy Who Came Home

“I doubt that,” Finn said among his chuckles. “You told me about your baking habit just the other day.”

“Baking and cooking are two different things.”

“So what will you make?” he asked. “You’re going to be busy tomorrow, Edith. People at your place. You’re already feeding them. I don’t think me making you then cook for me is a great idea for a first date. I’m trying to impress you, not drive you away.”

“You’re trying to impress me?”

“Of course I am,” he said.

She couldn’t erase her smile if she tried. “Okay, well, if you’ve been looking at the community calendar and know what restaurants are closed, what’s the best option for what’s open?”

“My grandma Armstrong’s,” he said.

Edith paused, her mind running now. “Your grandma’s…?”

“She’s got a great backyard,” he said. “It was one of my favorite places to visit when I was a kid. And she’s a great cook, and I bet if I call her, she’d make us something awesome. And she won’t bother us.”

Edith liked it when Finn talked a lot. He didn’t always, but when he did, Edith learned a lot. “You lived with your grandparents for a bit, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Finn said. “You remember that?”

“Yeah,” she said. “So dinner tomorrow?”

“Edee,” Alex called, and she lifted her head. “Do we have any more of that cold medicine you gave me last night?”

“Go drug your brother,” Finn teased. “I’ll arrange dinner for tomorrow. Just the two of us.”

“Just the two of us,” Edith whispered. “Sounds nice.”

Finn cleared his throat. “It does, doesn’t it?”

“See you tomorrow, Finny.” His old nickname came out before she’d even thought about it, but Finn didn’t correct her. He simply said, “See you tomorrow, sweetheart,” and ended the call.

“Edee,” Alex called again. “Are you in the hammock? Did you fall asleep?”

Her sigh could’ve blown up a hot air balloon, and she struggled to get out of the hammock while she called, “I’m not asleep.”

Frankie yipped as she tipped the hammock, and then Otto jumped out before she could dump him out. Gumbo meowed as Edith walked away, and she went around the corner of the house. “It’s in that skinny cupboard beside the stove. Second shelf, above the salt and pepper shakers.”

“I looked there. It wasn’t there.”

“Maybe we’re out.”

“We can’t be out.” Alex looked miserable. “My head feels like someone pumped it up with air.”

“I’ll go get more,” she said as she came up the steps. “Finn’s going to stay for dinner tomorrow night. Can you be scarce?”

Alex managed a small smile, about the best he could do when he didn’t feel well. “I’ll take a bunch of meds and watch TV in my room.”

“Thank you.” Edith met him and cradled his face in one palm. “I’m going to have to tell him about Levi.”

“Yeah, you are.”

Edith moved past him, her mind whirring. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“You just open your mouth and start talking.”

“Sounds so easy,” Edith muttered to herself. Inside, she couldn’t find more medicine, though she also didn’t remember giving him the last of it yesterday. “I’ll head into town. What else do we need for tomorrow or the weekend?”

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