Page 523 of Summer Heat
He winked.
It was the first time Tamara had ever seen anything like amusement or anything half resembling a smile on his face.
He knew.
Of course he did. His late wife had worked with Valerie for a while. He would know the whole story. The whole story.
She smiled in thanks. She didn’t know why, but her gut told her she could trust the silent, haunted mountain man.
“Oh, look what a nice time they’re having together!” Louise exclaimed. “How about letting us take Cody with us, and you two can go and have a beer or something?”
Tamara looked at Lance. Something hot and wicked rose in his eyes, and she suddenly wanted very much to have the chance to be alone with him for a little while. Just to talk. Hold hands, maybe. Listen to him laugh.
Touch him. The very strength of the longing made her protest. “I don’t know how Cody will feel about that.”
“Let’s ask him,” Tyler said. “Curtis doesn’t get to be around other children much, since we live so far out, but Cody probably does. He might want to be with his mom.”
As the boys came off the Ferris wheel, Curtis loped along beside Cody, his cowboy boots scuffing up dust. Hesitantly, Curtis reached for Cody’s hand.
Cody looked a little surprised, but he didn’t pull away. In fact, he leaned close, in a protective, older brother kind of way, and said, “Were you scared?”
Curtis made a guileless face. “Juth a little bit.”
Louise chuckled, and put a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “You were just like that with Jake. Worshiped the ground he walked upon.”
“C’mon, Ma,” Lance said with a chuckle. “Don’t embarrass me in front of my girl, now.”
His girl. The phrase felt insulting and warming all at once. “I’m no girl, Mr. Forrest, and I don’t belong to anyone.”
“Here, here,” Tyler said.
“Mommy,” Cody said. “Can I ride with Curtis on all the rides? I think he needs somebody bigger.”
Tamara smiled. “Sure. Come here and let me ask you something.”
“I’ll be right back,” Cody said.
When they were out of earshot of the others, Tamara said, “Curtis’s grandma and daddy are going to take him to all the kid rides. Do you feel okay going with them? I’m just thinking about riding the big Ferris wheel with Mr. Forrest.”
“Sure! I like Curtis’s daddy. He brings me gum.”
“Oh, he does? I didn’t know that.”
Cody gave her a patient sigh. “Curtis and me eat lunch together whenever he comes to school.” His eyes narrowed faintly. “Curtis has a Power Rangers lunch box. And his dad makes him beef jerky instead of peanut butter.”
“Is that right,” Tamara said dryly. She stood and took his hand. “If you don’t mind, then, I will go ride the grown-up rides.”
“With Mr. Forrest #1,” he said with a bubble of laughter. “I’m going with Mr. Forrest #2.”
“And Mrs. Forrest,” she said as they rejoined the others.
“Oh, heck, you can call me ‘Grandma,’” Louise said with a wink. “Everybody else does.” She looked at Tamara. “That is if you don’t mind.”
Tamara couldn’t help it. Under the bright pointedness of Louise’s gaze, she blushed. “I don’t mind,” she said quietly.
Louise smiled. “All right, then, boys,” she said, taking a hand of each, “let’s go have us a time!”
“See you after a while,” Ty said. “But don’t hold your breath. You know how Mama is about carnivals.”
