Page 30 of Promise Me a Forever Texas Love

She sent him an annoyed look. “I’m sure Cam doesn’t want to hear about silly things we did as kids.”

“Yes, I do.” Camden leaned over his saddle horn to look at Huck. “What did y’all paint? And where?”

Cadee narrowed her eyes at Huck, and he seemed to get the message because he kept his answer vague.

“Oh, you know, we just painted a silly drawing on a window in town.”

Camden’s eyes widened. “That’s called graffiti and it’s illegal in Promise Springs. When Sheriff Gentry came to my class to talk about bike safety, he also talked about displacing public property, which means you can’t spray paint things or throw rocks and break windows in town.”

She sent an exasperated look to Huck before addressing her son. “It’s called defacing public property and the sheriff is right. It’s wrong and something I don’t ever want you doing.”

“But you did it. And you dropped a water balloon on the preacher’s head from the church’s gymnasium’s roof. You never let me throw water balloons from the hayloft. You say it can really hurt people from that height.”

Huck jumped in. “Your mama is right. That could hurt folks and you shouldn’t do it. And I was exaggerating a little to make my story better. Your mama didn’t actually drop it on his head. It just splashed him a little when it landed by his boots.”

Camden looked totally disappointed “But Mama helped you graffiti, right?”

“Well, I wouldn’t really call it graffiti. Painting glass is different than painting walls. Paint comes right off glass . . . with a little scraping.”

Camden squinted. “Oh, so it was like when the A-Sisters had Meryl Higgins paint candy canes on their windows for the holidays.”

Huck pointed at him. “Exactly. Me and your mama painted a huge candy cane.” He smirked at Cadee. “Your mama is quite the artist.”

“You should see her draw horses,” Camden said.

“I bet she draws them well.” Huck’s hazel eyes twinkled devilishly. “She’s always loved a good stud.”

She rolled her eyes at him before looking at Camden. “Did you put sunscreen on before you left? If not, I brought some.”

“Uncle Coop forced me to put some on,” Camden said. “But did you bring something to eat? I’m starving.”

“How can you still be hungry? You ate two burritos for breakfast.”

Camden shrugged. “Like Nana says, I’m a growing boy.”

Huck reached into his jean jacket pocket and pulled out a foil-wrapped burrito. “It just so happens that I have one of your grandma’s burritos on me. You’re more than welcome to it.” He handed it to Camden.

“Thanks!” Camden rearranged the reins in his hands so he could peel back the foil. But he stopped before he took a bite and looked at Huck. “So you didn’t even have one?”

“No, but I’m not very—” Huck’s growling stomach cut him off.

Camden laughed and handed the burrito back. “Sounds like you need this more than me.”

Something passed over Huck’s face that had Cadee’s heart swelling. “Thank you, Cam.” Huck tore the burrito in half and held one half out to Camden. “How about if we share?”

“Deal!” Camden crowed.

It was a good thing Huck got something to eat. Once they reached the grazing herd of cattle, Callum took it upon himself to make Huck’s first cattle drive as brutal as possible. He stationed Huck at the rear of the herd where he knew Huck would spend the morning eating dust. If that wasn’t enough, Callum seemed to enjoy hassling him every chance he got.

“Stop lagging behind, Hennessy! You scared of cows, city boy?”

“Keep the herd moving, Huckleberry. This isn’t a lazy raft trip down the Mississippi where your slaves do all the work.”

“Where did you learn to ride, Huckle? The pony ride at the county fair?”

Callum’s hassling became so bad that even Camden took notice and came riding over to where Cadee was riding right flank.

“Why is Uncle Cal picking on Huck? Doesn’t he like him?”