“Can I get a milk shake?” Dot asked.
“Sure,” Poppy agreed, hurrying them into her truck.
“What if he shows up while we’re gone?” Rowdy asked.
“I’m sure he’ll call before he makes the drive,” she answered.
“Think he’s okay?”
She nodded stiffly. If he was okay, Poppy would make damn sure he knew that what he’d done tonight was not okay. Loudly. With lots of curse words. Rowdy had been looking forward to riding Boone Ranch and spending time with Toben.
She took her time on the winding roads. The kids chattered away about what sort of ice cream they wanted, how good Otis was at throwing a rope and how they wanted to go swimming again tomorrow.
“I can’t believe we’re going home soon,” Dot said, sighing. “Feels like we’ve been with you forever.”
Poppy laughed. She wasn’t going to argue with her niece. It hadn’t been an easy visit, but she was glad things were less painful. Rose and Bob would arrive Sunday evening, stay a few days and leave with the kids Tuesday night. “It’s been fun. And ice cream will make it better.”
The one café on Main Street was crowded, so she and the kids took seats at the counter.
Poppy ordered a small vanilla milk shake, shaking her head at the orders the kids placed. Whatever—it was a treat. And Rowdy’s grin was back.
She glanced around the café, smiling and nodding at those she made eye contact with. Loneliness gripped her. Maybe it was the old couple sharing a sundae in the corner or the teens making out in a booth, but there were times Poppy wanted that sort of connection. Mitchell was as close as she’d come. Not in the passionate, make-out-in-the-corner sort of way. Kissing, intimacy, had been awkward and forced between them—not the way it was meant to be. Unlike her experience with Toben. That night had been all passion, white-hot, plucking every nerve ending and leaving her aching.
“Like it?” Rowdy asked, glancing doubtfully at her shake.
“Want a sip?” she asked, offering him the straw.
He shook his head. “Want a bite?”
She assessed the pile of brownies, ice cream, whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top. “I’m not sure what to eat.”
Rowdy scooped off a healthy spoonful of ice cream, far too big to fit into her mouth, and offered her the spoon. He grinned, waiting for her reaction. Poppy opened her mouth as wide as she could, knowing whipped cream smeared her chin and the tip of her nose and not caring in the least.
Until Toben arrived, his shirt rumpled and his jeans covered in dirt and grease. He took one look at her puffed out cheeks and burst out laughing.
She wiped off her face, swallowing the mouthful of sticky sweetness as quickly as possible.
“What happened to you?” Rowdy asked, eyes round.
“I’m sorry about tonight, Rowdy. I was looking forward to it all day. Tractor got a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. To make things worse, I left my phone in the break room at the ranch, so I couldn’t call for help. Or your mom. Took me an hour to walk back. By then my phone was dead. I was headed your way when I saw your truck.” He glanced at her, sitting on the stool beside her son. “You got something right here.” He took a clean napkin and wiped the side of her nose.
He was sorry. He’d been stuck in the heat for over an hour. And he’d headed straight to them—to Rowdy. As far as excuses went, these were pretty damn good.
A man shouldn’t smell this good when he was this dirty.
“You could have showered first,” Dot said.
Toben looked down, as if only now aware of his appearance. “Guess I could have cleaned up a little.”
“No shame ever came from honest hard work.” The words were out before Poppy realized she was saying them. Her granddad’s words. Her cheeks grew hot under his blue-eyed inspection.
“Want some ice cream?” Rowdy asked. “I got too much.”
“Don’t want to deprive your ma,” Toben said.
Poppy rolled her eyes. “Help yourself.”
Toben shifted, nudging her aside and sharing her stool. He took the spoon the waitress offered him and dug in.