His Favorite Cowgirl. Leigh Duncan

in the middle of the aisle, apparently transfixed by the life-size posters of rodeo stars mounted on the walls. Eli’s claimed to carry everything a modern rancher needed. With racks of clothes, boots and leather goods crowding the floor, the owners lived up to their promise. Left alone, Kelly knew she could spend hours sorting through the rows of sequin-studded jeans or shirts with Western piping along the collars. She stole a quick glance at the Palmetto Boot display and gave a nod of approval at its prominent location, while Hank strode to the counter without so much as a glance at the fringed buckskin jackets that made her mouth water.

      “Hey, Mark.” Hank nodded to the stocky clerk at the register. “You remember Kelly Tompkins, don’t you?”

      “Why, sure. We used to hang out at the Circle P.” Mark extended one hand for the obligatory shake. “Sorry to hear about your grandfather. He doing okay?”

      Not at all surprised word had already spread thirty miles to the neighboring town, Kelly nodded. “He has a long, hard road ahead of him, but he’s a fighter.”

      “Well, tell him we’re all hoping for a speedy recovery,” Mark said. “Now, how can I help ya’ll today?”

      “This is my daughter, Noelle.” Hank’s hand on her shoulder propelled the child forward. “She needs two—make that three—pairs of Wranglers, a couple of T-shirts, a pair of boots and a hat.”

      Mark nodded. “I think we can fix you right up.” He cast a glance over Noelle, considering. “You’re a mite on the small side. You wear a 7/8?” Without waiting for an answer, he continued, “You step into that dressing room in the back.” He turned to Hank. “What color you want for those T-shirts?”

      “Black and yellow still the colors for Moore Haven Elementary?” At the man’s nod, Hank said, “Let’s stick with those.” He grabbed a six-pack of white socks and plunked them down on the glass counter. “These, too, I reckon.”

      When Noelle gave her dad such a thunderous look the air practically crackled, Kelly fought the urge to laugh out loud. Honestly, the man had no clue. Knowing there was going to be an explosion if she didn’t intervene, she stepped into the space between the father and his child. “Honey,” she whispered, pulling the girl aside, “why don’t you go look at the cowboy hats while I talk to your dad for a minute?” She pointed to a corner of the store filled with stacks of hats of all kinds.

      Once Noelle moved out of earshot, she turned to Hank. Getting involved in his life was exactly what she didn’t want to do, but a sense of kinship with a lonely little girl made her want to help. “Don’t you think your daughter is old enough to pick out her own clothes?” she asked.

      “Nah.” Hank shook his head. “You see what she’s wearing. If I let her shop on her own, she’ll end up lookin’ like a buckle bunny at the rodeo.”

      Kelly stole a quick glance at the child, who had unearthed what had to be the only pink-feathered Stetson in the store. While the girl preened in front of the mirror, she conceded that Hank had a point. Noelle couldn’t be left to her own devices. But Hank and the salesman weren’t much help, either.

      “Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll help her pick out a few things. There are chairs in front of the dressing rooms. You go sit in one.” At the confusion that swam in Hank’s eyes, she shook her head. “It’s going to take some time,” she said slowly. “We’ll be along in a little while.”

      “We’re just grabbing a couple of...” Hank glanced over one shoulder to the waiting area. “You sure?”

      If there was one thing Kelly understood, it was a girl’s need to feel pretty. “If she steps into a pair of jeans she likes first thing in the morning, she’ll be a lot more likely to be in a good mood for the rest of her day. You want her to enjoy her time here, don’t you?”

      Though the sad look Hank aimed at his daughter nearly broke her heart, Kelly quashed her urge to give the man a sympathetic hug. The past was past. She wasn’t about to dredge up old feelings that might lead to new hurts. Forcing herself to stay strong, she pointed to the dressing area. “Okay, then. Let’s do this.”

      Though his rounded shoulders told her Hank still didn’t quite get it, she gave him credit for trying when he folded his long frame into the chair. Kelly turned away, tamping down a stab of longing while she gathered her wits about her to help Hank’s daughter.

      At Noelle’s side, she lifted the hat from the girl’s head. “That’s a little too fancy for everyday. We don’t want to scare the horses.” She feigned horror and gave an exaggerated shiver that brought a smile to the child’s lips. “What if we pick out some tops and jeans first. Then, once we know your style, you can find a hat to match.”

      “I like sparkles,” Noelle said shyly.

      “What girl doesn’t?” Kelly agreed.

      Having established some common ground, they forged into the children’s section. Before long, they had amassed a pile of glittery shirts and jeans with ornately stitched pockets. Her arms filled, Kelly grabbed a couple of pairs of Wranglers and two long-sleeved tops for herself on their way to the dressing rooms.

      “Make sure you try on everything,” she told the girl. “I want to see it all.”

      While Noelle changed into her first outfit, Kelly stepped into a pair of jeans she could just as easily wear running errands as horseback riding. A quick peek in the mirror told her the chignon she’d worn to the attorney’s office was too prim and proper for the casual clothes. She tugged at the pins and sent her hair cascading past her shoulders. She worried the blouse might be a bit too snug, but, anxious to see how Noelle had done with her choices, she stepped from behind the curtain. All decked out in sequins and glittery jeans, the little girl beamed up with her first honest smile of the day.