Page 120 of The Cowboy’s Intriguing Love

“Can we stop at the bakery and see the big man?” Maya asked.

“We can’t, sweet pea. Your mommy’s waiting for you at home.”

Maya blew out a big sigh.

“She doesn’t just want to see Rocket man,” Mateo said. “She wants a cookie.”

Shayna laughed. He was no doubt right, and Shayna didn’t blame Maya one bit. The cookies, and the muffins – and everything else at the bakery was so good! She decided that she’d ask Sierra if it was okay if she took them a cookie each the next time that she went to collect the kids from school on Thursday.

She smiled at them in the rearview mirror. “I bet your mom has a snack for you when you get home, doesn’t she?”

Maya gave her a naughty little smile. “She does, but cookies are nicer than carrot sticks.”

She had to laugh. “Maybe your tastebuds think cookies are nicer, but your body likes all the nutrients that carrots and other veggies give you.”

“Did your mommy used to give you carrots and veggies?” Maya asked.

“Sometimes.”

“Your old mom, or your mom at the lake?” asked Mateo.

“My mom when I was little.” She didn’t want to say herrealmom, because she didn’t want to make that distinction. They were so young when they lost their folks, that they were coming to think of Sierra and Wade as theirrealparents.

She could see that Mateo was frowning at her in the rearview mirror.

“What’s up?”

“Why did you leave your family at the lake and come here instead?”

“I … there was a bad man there. He …” She didn’t want to say too much, so she smiled. “And I met Tyler, and we wanted to be together, and he asked me to come here with him.”

“I’m glad you came here,” Maya told her with a big smile. “I love you!”

“Aww, I love you guys, too.”

Mateo was still frowning.

“What’s up, little man?”

“How do you know that the bad man won’t follow you here?”

“He doesn’t know where I am.”

“But he might find you. The bad man who took our mom found her.”

While she was wondering what she could say to reassure him, Mateo held his arm up. “You can have my watch.”

She gave him a puzzled smile. “That’s sweet of you, but you need your watch.”

“No. You don’t know – it’s a special watch. It will keep you safe.”

Maya nodded sagely. “Mommy’s watch kept her safe.” She held her little arm up. “Mine’s the prettiest color, but they’re all special watches. Mine, and Mateo’s, and Mommy’s.”

She’d noticed before that they all wore watches with colorful bands. Now, she was intrigued. “How are they special?”

“They tell people where you are,” Mateo told her.

“How do they do that?”

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