Page 36 of The Cowboy Who Looked Again

“Hey, Link,” Janie said before Misty could respond. “Oh, were you not talking to me?” She grinned at Misty and then Link, who took a moment to blink.

Then he said, “Of course I meant you, Janie.”

She trilled out a laugh and took him by the elbow, turning him back to the group of Glovers who’d already assembled at the bonfire. “Tell me which of these cowboys are old enough for me. With the hats and the jeans and the boots, y’all start to look my age.”

“Sure,” Link said. “Do you guys want to go around and meet everyone?” He cut a look over to Misty, who suddenly wanted to ball her hands into fists and shove them in her pockets.

“Are your parents here?” she asked. Janie released him, and Link reached for Misty’s hand.

“I’ve seen my momma. She was putting tablecloths on the tables a few minutes ago.” He nodded to his right. “She’s standin’ right there with Uncle Ace.”

“We didn’t meet an Ace at lunch the other day,” Misty said.

“He’s gluten-free, so he probably didn’t come.”

“Yeah, these cinnamon rolls look totally made for him, then.” Misty squeezed his hand, glad when he grinned at her.

“Well, my aunt Holly is a chef, so I guarantee she made a pan of them gluten-free for him. She’s his wife.”

“Who’s whose wife?”

“Speak of the wife,” Link said as a tall brunette stepped in front of them and slid a tray of condiments on the table. “I was just telling these fine ladies about how you’re the best gluten-free chef in the world, and that you’d for-sure made a pan of gluten-free cinnamon rolls for Uncle Ace.”

The woman—obviously Holly—smiled. “Two pans, actually. Have you seen how much chili we have here tonight?” She looked down the twenty feet of folding tables and back to Link.

Misty looked up at him too, which allowed her to see him swallow. “I’m?—”

“Don’t you dare,” he hissed out of the side of his mouth. Misty pretended to zip her lips, which only made Holly smile wider. “Aunt Holly, this is my girlfriend, Misty. Misty, this is Aunt Holly. She and her husband Ace live right next to the cemetery.”

“It’s so great to meet you,” Holly said as she leaned in and pressed a quick peck to Misty’s cheek. “Link has said a lot about you.”

“Not true,” Link said quickly.

Misty laughed lightly. “Oh, Link doesn’t talk a whole lot, ever, so I doubt that.”

“I’ve heard your name,” Holly said as someone yelled. They all looked that way, and Misty saw yet another Glover arriving with his family.

“That’s Bishop and Montana,” Link murmured. “He’s the only one with grandkids.”

“He barely looks older than me,” Misty said, shocked at the youthful exuberance on the man bringing over even more cinnamon rolls. “Are we really eating chili with cinnamon rolls?”

“Is there a better way to eat chili?”

“It’s June sixteenth,” Misty said. “I didn’t know Texans ate hot things in the summer.”

Link simply blinked at her. “Chili is an all-weather food,” he said, deadly serious.

“What about that one?” Janie asked, and Misty wanted to roll her eyes. Janie had definitely dated more than her, but she had a sister back in Dallas who was probably going to get divorced, and there was no way she’d stay in Three Rivers past their assignment.

Misty didn’t have anything or anyone truly tethering her to Dallas—only the stubborn streak inside her which insisted she live in a big city.

“That’s Russ,” Link said. “And he’s probably fifteen years older than you.”

“That’s okay,” Janie said, and she moved toward the dark-haired cowboy who stood with a couple of other men who looked to be in their forties.

“She’s going to be the death of me,” Misty said as her friend walked away.

“My daddy just got here,” Link said. He stepped in front of her. “I don’t really see how I can just ignore them tonight. You’ve met Momma already. Can we just do the formal intros and be done with it?”

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