own boots. Suddenly, he felt the urge to pick her up off that stool and give her a great big hug. But he held back, afraid of frightening her. He was a stranger she’d met only a couple of days ago.
Thanks to his ex.
Forcing the bitter thought away, he swept the hand holding his Stetson wide in greeting and gave them all a small bow. “Morning, ladies.”
“Morning,” Ellamae said with a grin.
Dori frowned at him, her eyes nearly squinted shut. “Sam, you’re never here in the mornings. Is your mama all right? Is there something wrong on your ranch?”
There were lots of things wrong at his ranch. Things he didn’t want to think about right now. But the biggest problem was right here at the Double S. And he was looking right at her.
Again, he needed some willpower to get him through. When he could finally tear his gaze from Kayla’s sparkling blue eyes, he smiled at Dori.
“No, Mom’s okay. Everything’s fine. Just here for some lunch. And then after, I reckon I should show Kayla and Becky some of the sights around town.”
Dori clapped her hands. “What a good idea, Sam.”
Ellamae snickered.
He would shoot her a look, but she’d probably give him a shot in the arm in return. Getting what he deserved for rude behavior was more than he wanted to handle in front of his daughter.
Not to mention, in front of Kayla.
She sat watching him still, and her unblinking focus had started to do something strange to him. Had made him feel even more unsteady, as if the undertow of that deep water tugged at him. Or as if that rope he’d wondered about had just been given a mighty yank. Whatever the cause, he felt…funny.
And not in a good way.
To cover his confusion, he reached out and plopped the Stetson on Becky’s head.
She gave her little trilling giggle, same as she’d done last night when he’d stood outside her bedroom. Again, it rocked him. His breath caught in his chest. This time, he’d made her laugh.
Judging by the stunned look on Kayla’s face, Becky’s reaction had hit her hard, too. He’d have thought she’d be used to it.
The reminder that she had seen everything of his daughter’s life, while he’d seen nothing, left him struggling not to glare at her in front of the other two women.
Silently, he vowed to get this situation resolved right quick.
That barbecue Judge Baylor had harped on might do the job. Kayla could make sure Becky behaved, while he spent his time making a good impression on Judge Baylor. Letting the man see that he had the means to take care of his child. That Becky needed to stay with her daddy.
Meanwhile, today, he would show his little girl off to all the fine citizens of Flagman’s Folly. If Ellamae had spoken the truth, then he’d see to it every one of the judge’s spies got back to the man with a good report.
Things were looking up.
He didn’t have to force himself to grin at Kayla. “Well, how about it?” he asked. “Why don’t we have some lunch and then get our tour started?”
The expression on her face could have dropped a coyote in its tracks from across a half acre.
KAYLA COULD BARELY RECALL what she had ordered from the menu at the Double S. She’d eaten her lunch while in a near daze and, even as she followed Sam and Becky from the café, she had trouble coming back to the present.
She couldn’t seem to forget the look on Sam’s face when he’d put his cowboy hat on Becky’s head and heard her laugh.
The wistfulness in his eyes had started a hollow ache in her chest, and the sensation hadn’t gone away yet. She had a bad feeling it was somehow connected to her heart breaking.
She needed to do something to save herself. And Becky.
“Let’s leave the car and the pickup here,” he said as they stood outside the café. “We’ll do the length of Signal Street, but I have to say, it won’t take very long to walk it.”
“Oh?” she asked, forcing a cool tone. “Even so, I’m surprised you’re taking the time away from your ranch to give us a tour. Ronnie once told me you were never free to do anything with her.”
He looked taken aback by her response. What he should have realized was, she had just pointed out something she could use against him with the judge. A father who would never have time for