Cowboy Lullaby. Sasha Summers

the only one hurting, but she didn’t know how to make it better. Aside from Lynnie’s passing, Renata was nursing a broken heart. Well, maybe not broken, but sore. She’d been dating rodeo emcee Mitchell Lee on and off for a few months now. He’d called the night before to tell her he wasn’t going to be in town for a while so she was free to date whomever she wanted. Renata wasn’t taking it well. Her six shots of tequila were proof of that.

      “Fort Kyle isn’t exactly a late-night hot spot.” Tandy pointed around the dwindling crowd at the one and only bar in forty miles. The Tumbleweed sat right outside Fort Kyle’s city limits. It wasn’t officially a dry county, but the locals didn’t approve of excessive social drinking. If you were out drinking late, everyone in town knew about it the next day.

      Another reason Scarlett was probably getting nervous. “And we still have to drive back.”

      “Sing with me,” Renata pleaded. “One song and we’ll go.” But her attempt to slide off the bar stool had her gripping the counter and swaying where she stood. “Or you two sing.”

      Scarlett said, watching Renata closely, “You need bed. And water. And probably some Tylenol.”

      “Tandy?” Renata asked. “Please?”

      She was tired and her head was starting to hurt, but she considered it. “By myself?” The Tumbleweed’s karaoke night had consisted of five singers, all of whom sang loudly and off-key. She couldn’t do much worse.

      “Sing ‘Cowboy Take Me Away’? It’s our song, remember?” Renata’s smile wobbled.

      Tandy and Scarlett exchanged a look. How could she forget?

      “Then we can go?” Tandy asked.

      “Then we can go.” Renata nodded, a little too quickly—her hands gripping the bar to steady herself.

      “I’m going to get you some water.” Scarlett marched down the bar to the bartender.

      “She’s a little uptight,” Renata mumbled. “You’ll have to help with that.”

      Tandy winked at her, patting Renata’s arm. Scarlett could use a little more fun in her life. Maybe not six-shots-of-tequila fun, but fun. Hell, so could Tandy. Now that her late nights of studying and babysitting the newest crop of Boone nieces and nephews and cousins were behind her, she had a pretty clear social calendar.

      “The room is spinning,” Renata muttered, swaying where she stood.

      “No, that would be the shots.” Tandy steadied her. “I’m really sorry about Mitchell.”

      “His loss,” Scarlett said, pressing a water glass into Renata’s hand. “Drink.”

      Renata’s nose wrinkled, but she took a long swallow.

      “He’s an idiot. You don’t want to be saddled with an idiot for the rest of your life.” Tandy grinned. “You have brothers for that.”

      Renata burst out laughing. “So many brothers.”

      Tandy nodded. She thought her twin brother, Toben, was a handful. Renata had a twin brother and three more to boot.

      “Sorry we’re late,” Brody said. “My dad’s nurse called, almost quit—again—so had to do an emergency intervention there. That woman is the only person he’ll listen to. I’ll bankrupt the ranch to keep her with us.” He broke off, smiling. “What did we miss?”

      Tandy was trying not to acknowledge that we included Click. Had he somehow misinterpreted her quick exit? Did he think seeing a woman sprinting away was some sort of hard-to-get routine? Her anger was back and warming her belly, mixing well with the two shots she’d knocked back sometime before.

      Yes, her mad dash from Lynnie’s wasn’t the most mature way to handle things, but Click’s daughter had been a surprise. Tandy had known he’d be here. As soon as Scarlett told them about Lynnie, she’d known he’d be here and she’d be forced to see him. It had been enough to make her consider driving back to Stonewall Crossing. But how the hell could she do that without stirring up suspicion? She couldn’t. And besides, she wouldn’t do that to Lynnie.

      But now... Now, here he was, again, raining on their girls’ night out. It might not have been all that good to start with, but he had no right to be here.

      “I wasn’t sure you’d make it,” Scarlett said to Brody, casting a nervous glance between her and Click.

      Tandy forced herself to keep breathing. She wouldn’t think about today, his beautiful fourteen-month-old baby girl, or the urge to scream bubbling up in her throat. She’d try not to look at him, try not to hear the deep rumble of his voice.

      “How’s life, Scarlett?” There was that rumble.

      Her hands clenched at her side.

      “You know, nothing new ever happens around here. Not really. Family drama gets old after a while.” Scarlett smiled, shrugged.

      Tandy agreed. Uncle Woodrow and Aunt Evelyn had always been good at dramatics. She’d started visiting summer break after kindergarten. How many nights had she and her cousins sat on the stairs, listening to Woodrow and Evelyn carry on about who’d done them wrong this time. She’d been mesmerized at first. Evelyn was so pretty and Woodrow this big bear of a man. Their rants had lost their appeal when they’d started to nitpick and criticize her and her brother. Even then, Tandy admired how devoted the two were to one another. While the world might be against them—or so they claimed—they never turned on one another. Her mother had no one to vent to. Maybe that’s why she’d ended up the way she was.

      Click’s soft chuckle made her stomach ache. Being here, in a bar, with Click—and her cousins—felt wrong. And right—familiar. She needed a way out. The only immediate exit plan was to sing.

      Scarlett was talking. “I’ve missed you two so much. It’s nice to all be together again, even heartsick as we all are. Lynnie would like that... Her little misses together.”

      “Stirring up trouble,” Renata added.

      “She would,” Brody agreed.

      Tandy did her best to act calm, all the while aware of every move Click made. It was infuriating—to be so damn responsive to the man. And not all the responses were bad. She knew better. Why had he come? From the corner of her eye, she saw his bright blue-green eyes sweep over her, saw his jaw clench before his gaze darted away.

      Breathe in. Breathe out.

      “Click? You there?” Renata asked, narrowing her eyes and peering at him. “Um, ’s that you, Click?”

      “It’s me, Renata.” One dark brow shot up. “How much have you had to drink?”

      “Six shots.” Scarlett wrinkled up her nose.

      “Gonna feel that in the morning.” Click took the hand Renata held out, steadying her when she would have slid to the floor. “Need a hand out to the truck?” His gaze caught Tandy’s then bounced away, his jaw tight.

      “No, no, no.” Renata shook her head. “Can’t yet. Tandy’s gonna sing. She promised.”

      She’d do it, if she had to. But she was open to other alternatives. “Renata—”

      “You promised, Tandy.” Renata frowned at them both. “Stop being so...weird. It makes me sad, to see you two like this.” Renata’s blue eyes were full of tears. “Ya’ll had to go and screw it up...when me and Scarlett had the perfect wedding planned.”

      Tandy had two options: anger or humor. Her anger was a little too unhinged, so that probably wasn’t the best move. Once she started yelling, she might never be able to stop. Humor was the kinder choice, especially considering what they’d all been through today. So she took a long swig off her beer and laughed, letting her frustration bubble up and out. It helped—a little. “I’m sorry. I’m sure he is sorry, too.” She glanced at him, regretting it the instant