A Cowgirl's Secret - By Laura Marie Altom Page 0,50

know.

“When you made me agree that we have no business marrying, I meant it. But then I got to thinking…what if we did? But not for love or anything like that, but custody?”

“Please tell me you’re kidding?”

His earnest expression said he was dead serious. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t toyed with the notion of having a lawyer write up something to bind Kolt to me legally, but this is even better. And cheaper.”

“Are you insane?” She had never been more insulted. So much so that if they hadn’t been in public she’d have pitched her ice cream at his ridiculously handsome face!

“AM I FORGIVEN?” LUKE ASKED when Daisy picked him up at his cabin to go on a combined trip to Tulsa. The first order of business on the crisp, second Saturday in October was selecting kitchen cabinets at a custom shop. Then they’d hit up a few Halloween specialty stores for costumes.

Kolt lightly snored in the backseat.

“The jury’s still out,” Daisy said. With her hair in a ponytail and face scrubbed clean of makeup, she looked even prettier than the last time he’d seen her.

“I’m sorry. In hindsight, I realize the whole marriage-for-custody thing wasn’t one of my better ideas.”

“You think?” Her glare confirmed his suspicions that it might be a long day. Kolt had been the one who’d invited him, and as he’d gradually warmed toward his father, no matter what Daisy thought, there was no way Luke was going turn his kid’s invitation down.

“What’s with the message on your back window?” he asked while climbing into the passenger seat. “‘I See You’ is written in the dust.”

Shaking her head, she pointed to their sleeping child. “Kolt thinks it’s hilarious how I never can get all of the dust off my car. Our budding artist enjoys drawing faces and messages in the dirt.”

“He shows promise,” Luke teased, hoping to lighten the mood.

“I’d rather he became familiar with a soapy rag and bucket.”

Fastening his seat belt, Luke leaned his head back, settling in for what he guessed would be a not-so-entertaining day.

“I WANNA BE A SLASHER, chainsaw-killer guy,” Kolt announced at Ehrle’s. Though it wasn’t the biggest costume store in Tulsa, Daisy remembered shopping there with her dad and brothers when she was a little girl.

“Sweetie,” Daisy said, trying to keep her calm while a cajillion other kids darted down the aisle. “You’re a little young for that degree of violence. How do you even know what that is?”

Raising his chin, he said, “We watch slasher movies with Jonah’s big brother. They’re cool. I’m gonna carry Uncle Dallas’s chainsaw, too.”

“No, you’re not,” Daisy said.

“Why not? Everyone else is.”

Daisy tried counting to ten in her head, but only made it to three. “What have I told you about that argument not holding up in court?”

“That it won’t?” Kolt rolled his eyes.

Stopping on the monster aisle, Luke said to their son, “If I were you, I’d consider going with a Frankenstein theme. Not only do you get to paint yourself green, but you wear ripped clothes, have bolts sticking out of your forehead and carry a big club you can use to hit your friends.”

“Cool!” All smiles, Kolt soon had everything he needed to become a classic monster. More importantly, in Daisy’s mind, he’d gained yet one more reason to grow closer to his father.

THE NEXT SATURDAY, rain fell in gust-driven sheets, making for the perfect movie day. Luke had originally invited Kolt, but they’d voted that if Daisy didn’t nag about eating healthy food, she could join them. She’d held up her end of the deal by fixing cheese dip and pizza rolls. Luke had already laid out a full supply of candy: Twizzlers and M&M’s and Milk Duds.

“This is nice,” Daisy said, curled under a blanket into the far corner of the sofa. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve lounged an entire day.”

“Me, neither.”

Midway through Jaws, Kolt fell asleep in Luke’s armchair. Something about seeing his son in his favorite chair felt deeply satisfying, as if a part of Luke had been filled that he hadn’t even realized was empty. If only he could figure out how to manage his growing feelings for Daisy.

“Mom told me there’s a Halloween dance at the Grange,” Daisy mentioned, out of the blue. “I thought it might be fun. Would you want to go—strictly as friends?”

“Depends. What do you have in mind for costumes?” Was it wrong that Luke found her invitation flattering?

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought it