Eden adjusted Lily’s sun hat, trying to keep her creamy skin protected.
“At least it’s not too hot,” Clara said. “And there’s a lovely breeze.”
Eden nodded. They’d set out after their pancake breakfast to explore before the sun was too high in the sky. She knew Archer wasn’t a fan of working weekends, but she wanted to put in a few hours later—preferably during the girls’ afternoon nap.
Teddy had warned them it would be crowded, but she hadn’t believed him. It took forty minutes to find a parking space. After assessing the crowded brick sidewalks and numerous vendors, Eden put on the front pack and secured Lily, while Ivy was strapped into the less bulky umbrella stroller. But the girls were content, enjoying the Wild West reenactments, clowns and music.
“Look!” Ivy pointed, her feet bouncing up and down. “Animals.”
Sure enough, several long-haired goats sat on the courthouse lawn. An old woman in full pioneer regalia was working a spinning wheel.
“What’s she doing?” Ivy asked.
“Spinning,” Eden said.
“No, she’s not spinning, Momma.” Ivy grinned up at her. “She’s sittin’ still. What’s she doing with the white stuff?”
Eden and Clara laughed.
“It’s called spinning,” Eden said as she pushed the stroller closer. “She turning the sheeps’ hair into fabric.”
“Goats,” the old woman said. “Angora goat. Mohair is soft as silk when it’s cleaned and combed right.”
“I can comb hair,” Ivy volunteered.
The old woman smiled. “I just bet you can.”
Eden’s gaze wandered over the square while Ivy chatted with the old woman. Stonewall Crossing was like something from a different era. The architecture had been preserved, that was clear. If any of the buildings were new, they’d been held to a strict building design. Soda shops, a hardware store, a ladies’ boutique with homemade soaps and lotions, a handful of restaurants, and several clothing shops. And, of course, a boot and hat shop.
If they were going native, boots might be in order.
Let me know when you’ve worked it out.
She’d lived so long reading into what was said and left unsaid she didn’t know how to interpret Archer’s parting words. He had left her feeling elated and terrified. Elated because there was a chance he’d made room for her in his heart. Terrified because she could be completely wrong and her heart was going to be shredded. Just because she wanted his offer to help to mean so much more didn’t mean it did.
And there was still her lie—a lie that woke her up, sweating and breathing hard. Could he forgive her?
“You okay, Eden?” Clara asked.
She nodded. “I want some ice cream.”
Clara’s smile grew. “Sounds good.”
They waved goodbye to the woman and her goats and crossed the street toward the ice-cream parlor.
But the broad shoulders and close-cropped sandy blond hair of one particular cowboy caught her eye. Archer Boone was headed straight for them, a large lizard draped across his shoulders.
Ivy burst into tears.
“What’s the matter?” Eden braced the front pack holding Lily with one arm as she stooped by Ivy’s stroller.
“It’s scary,” Ivy said, peeking between her fingers to look at Archer.
“If Dr. Archer is holding it, I bet it’s not scary,” Eden said. “Isn’t that right?”
Archer stopped. “That’s right.”
She smiled at him, eyeing the dinosaur-esque creature he was holding. “What is it?”