know about Becky.”
“That’s right. Neither of us did. We hadn’t heard a thing about that little girl until Ronnie brought her here and left her.”
Kayla wondered. Maybe Sharleen had known nothing, but Sam…? How could she believe him, against all Ronnie’s claims?
The sound of a dog’s bark distracted her. The noise had come from the backyard.
She moved over to the screen door and saw Becky outside with one of the ranch animals, a puppy. He looked like a Labrador-shepherd mix. His body and nose were dark, his face tan. A large dark patch of fur completely circled one eye, giving him a permanently startled expression.
Kayla smiled.
She looked over at Sharleen, who had started in on the plate of pancakes. “I’ll be right outside with Becky if you need something,” she said.
Out on the porch, she sank to the top step.
When Becky saw her, she snapped her fingers and pointed. Dog. She covered her eye with her hand. Pirate.
Kayla laughed. A good name for the little pup. And so nice for Becky to have a friend.
Keeping a watch on the clock, she let the two play together. After a while, she looked through the screen door again and found the kitchen empty. Sharleen must have made her way into the living room or up the stairs again without help.
As the morning wore on, Kayla glanced more and more often at the time. She wanted to be in town at the Double S long before Sam arrived.
It might take a while to get Becky cleaned up. She and Pirate had spent their time running back and forth across the yard and tramping around the barn.
Kayla waved Becky over to her.
The sooner they got to the café, the more opportunity she would have to talk to Dori. To find out what the woman could tell her about Sam. Because, obviously, Sharleen Robertson wouldn’t say anything but good about her son.
Much as Kayla understood that, she felt frustrated by it, too.
Somehow, she’d have to find someone who would open up to her about Sam.
AS SHE NEARED THE DOUBLE S, Kayla eased her foot off the gas pedal. Slowing to a crawl, she almost unwillingly glanced toward the front of the building at the sign Sam had made. Creative and quirky and wonderful. All things that the man himself was not.
From the backseat, Becky squealed. She had seen the café, too. In the rearview mirror, Kayla saw her tap the fingertips of her right hand against the palm of her left. Her eyebrows climbed toward her hairline.
“Cookie?” Becky asked.
And the message said, obviously, she wanted one.
“We had all those sweet pancakes at breakfast this morning,” Kayla told her, signing the sentence in the language her niece would understand.
And Becky did. Still, she ran those same fingertips she’d used to sign cookie down the length of her T-shirt. “Hungry.” And she grinned.
Kayla rolled her eyes. She had always made it a point not to spoil the child. Not too much, anyway. But Becky sure knew what buttons to push.
Yet it had been a long while since breakfast. And Becky had expended a lot of energy playing with Pirate that morning.
Besides, the cookie would keep Becky occupied while Kayla talked with Dori.
After parking the car, she released Becky from her booster seat and ushered her through the doorway of the Double S.
Most of the tables and booths in the café were filled with customers. Becky ran ahead to the dessert case. Kayla crossed to the counter at the rear of the room. Maybe she should have come earlier, instead of letting Becky and Pirate have their fun. Dori might not have a chance to chat immediately, and Kayla would risk Sam walking in during the middle of their conversation.
Fortunately, after just a few minutes, Dori bustled across the room toward them. “Good morning. You’ve come for more of my sweets, yes?”
Kayla laughed. “Since Becky has her nose nearly glued to the dessert case, I guess I have to admit she has, at least.”
“Very good.” Briskly, Dora turned to pour a cup of tea for Kayla. “I am happy to see you.”
She soon settled Becky on the stool next to Kayla’s with a chocolate-chunk cookie and a glass of milk in front of her. “Sam is at his ranch this morning, I’m sure. A very hard worker, that man.”
“Yes.” Kayla leaned forward eagerly. Dori couldn’t have given her a better opening. “He doesn’t seem to leave the ranch very much at all.”
“Now he does, more than he did