Page 56 of The Cowboy Who Came Home

“The baby is craving Pad Thai,” JoJo said.

Edith grinned at Aggie. “Sounds like Thai.”

“Fine, but we’re driving to that place by the county courthouse.”

“It’s forty minutes,” Christie complained at the same time Edith said, “It’s too far, Ags.”

“The baby will die,” JoJo added, but Aggie shook her head, her jaw set.

“If I’m eating Thai, it’s only from RanVan. Don’t test me on this, girls. Christie, I will make you go to Subway.” She glared into the rearview mirror as she turned to go west.

Christie sucked in a breath. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I’m starving,” Edith said. “You said ‘a quick lunch in town,’ not a drive to some town we don’t know the name of that somehow houses our county courthouse.”

“It’s Stinnett,” Aggie said, throwing her a glare. “You know that. We went to senior prom there.”

“Wrong,” Edie said as the others in the back continued to gripe about driving to Stinnett for Thai food. “I moved to Florida for my senior year of high school.”

“Edith kissed Finn,” Aggie yelled into the car, and that got the arguing to stop.

“Tell us about Lily Tyders,” Edith bit out between her teeth. “Christie, what other news is there?”

“Or Ags could tell us about her new guy—Justin,” Christie said.

“There’s no new guy.” Aggie glanced over to Edith as an ice-cold arrow shot through Edith’s heart.

“New guy?” Aggie always told her about her texts and chats and swipe-rights. Always.

“There’s no new guy.” Aggie turned around and glared at the other two in the back seat. “It’s at least twenty minutes across town to the totally subpar Thai place. Or a nice drive north to a far superior one. Can we not make each other talk about things we don’t want to talk about?”

“Why wouldn’t you want to talk about a new guy?” Edith asked.

“Why don’t you want to talk about kissing Finn?”

“Because it’s intimate,” Edith said. “Private.”

“Right to amazing food or left to cardboard noodles?” Aggie asked. “Someone tell me where to go so I don’t get in trouble with the pregnant lady.”

“So you kissed Finn, huh?” JoJo asked instead of telling Aggie which way to go.

“A couple of weeks ago,” Edith murmured as she turned back to the passenger window. “It was…really nice. I miss kissing.”

Aggie snorted. “Truer words have never been spoken.” She made a right turn to which no one protested.

They rode in silence for a few minutes, and then JoJo said, “I could tell you about the baby names Chris and I have been talking about.”

“Yes,” Edith said instantly. “Let’s talk about that.”

A couple of days later, Edith propped open the door to her she-shed and went back inside to get a box of books. Twenty-two could fit inside a case, and she carried it with heavy steps around the house to her SUV.

“What’s happening here?” Finn asked as he pulled up in his truck. He rested one elbow out the window, and she didn’t see his thermos yet.

“Loading up for tomorrow.” She dusted her hands. “Sure would be nice to have some cowboy muscles to help with the other boxes.” She planted her hands on her hips and cocked one out.

Finn laughed, parked his truck, and got out, thermos and all. He neared, and she caught the familiar whiff of peppermint on his breath. “Good morning, beautiful.”

“Morning yourself, Chuckles.”

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