I immediately begin to help, pulling the bacon from the fridge and washing my hands.

This is what I needed.

“So, why are you awake, Son?”

“Just worried about the wolf killing the cattle,” I reply, and pull the bacon apart.

“Bullshit.”

I raise my head in surprise to find her glaring at me, her hands on her hips. Her salt-and-pepper hair is up in a bun, and her face is clean of makeup, but she’s no less forbidding.

“What?” I ask.

“You heard me. Is this about Cara?”

Just the mention of her name is both a stab to the heart and causes butterflies to explode in my stomach.

“She left.”

“She just moved back home, Joshua.”

“I know.” I shrug and turn away, making coffee.

“If you want her to stay, why didn’t you ask her?”

“Because it’s too soon to live together. Going home was right for her; I just got used to having her around.”

“Mmm . . .” she murmurs noncommittally. “She’s a sweet girl.”

“Yes. She is.” When the coffee has brewed, I pour both my mom and myself a cup, and she slips the bacon in the oven, sets the timer, and we sit at the kitchen table until it’s time to scramble the eggs.

“I always liked her parents.”

I nod and grip the mug in the palms of my hands, thinking about Cara and her kindness, her gentleness.

Fuck, I miss her.

“Gram would have loved her,” I whisper, and take a sip of coffee.

Mom smiles and nods. “Absolutely.” She sits back and narrows her brown eyes at me, deep in thought. Z and I get our features from Mom.

“Dad still in bed?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

“You’re in love with her,” Mom responds instead, and I know she won’t let me off the hook.

“Yeah, I’m in love with her. It’s got me all messed up.” I sigh and push my hands into my hair.

“Love will do that.” She smiles softly. “I’m so happy for you, my sweet boy.”

“Well, don’t get too happy. I pissed her off last night.”

“Love will do that too.” She laughs and takes a sip of her coffee. “Are you thinking marriage?”

Marriage?

I swallow hard and scowl down into my mug. “It’s entirely too soon to go down that road,” I mutter softly.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She shakes her head adamantly and rises from the table to refill our coffees. “Your dad and I got married after dating for four weeks and we’ll be celebrating forty years next month.”

“But you knew each other all your lives.”

She turns to me with a raised eyebrow and a small, knowing smile on her lips.

Point taken.

“Yes, I’m going to marry her.” I sigh and close my eyes as calm settles over me. “If she’ll have me.”

“She’d be stupid to pass you up. You’re brilliant and funny, not to mention the handsomest man I’ve ever seen.”

“Zack will be happy to hear that,” I reply with a grin.

“He looks just like you, so it works for me.” She chuckles and then gets that gleam in her eye that says she has a great idea. “I’ll be right back.”

She leaves the kitchen just as the timer for the bacon dings, so I take it out and put it on paper towels to drain. Just as I set the pan aside, she’s back with a small black box.

“If you’d like, give this to her when you propose.” She hands me the box and I open it to find Gram’s diamond-and-sapphire engagement ring nestled inside.

“Mom, I can’t take this.”

“It’s an heirloom, of course you can.”

“Why didn’t you give it to Zack?” I ask, and take it from her.

“Because your grandmother might have had a problem with that, given that it was still on her finger when he married that woman. Besides,” she sniffs, and crosses her arms over her chest, “that little bitch was never going to get any of my jewelry.”

“Good girl.” I smile and kiss her on the forehead. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome.”

CARA

“Who’s that?” Seth asks, and points out the window to the men and one woman standing in the back pasture. Josh is with them, and it’s like drinking water after being in the desert for months. I haven’t spoken to him since our angry phone call on Wednesday night.

I know he’s irritated about Ty being at my house, but is he punishing me for it? Because it sure feels like it.

“Have you seen them before?” I ask.

Seth twists his mouth in thought. “Yeah, they’ve been around off and on all week.”

“I bet they’re the Fish and Wildlife people,” I mutter, watching Josh wipe his forehead on the sleeve of his white T-shirt. His biceps flex with the motion, and my stomach clenches as I remember how it feels to have those arms tighten around me.

God, he’s gorgeous.

“Are we done?” Seth asks, interrupting my thoughts.

“Yeah, I’ll see you Monday. You get tomorrow off since I’ll be at the festival all day.”

“Yes!” He pumps his fist and grins.

“I’ll miss you too,” I mutter sarcastically, and he grins wider.

“I’ll miss you, but I won’t miss those worksheets.”