“Dot and Otis have something they need to say to you, Rowdy,” Poppy said.
Rowdy looked at his cousins.
“We’re sorry,” Dot said. “For the things we said.”
“Yeah,” Otis echoed. “I shouldn’t have said your dad might leave.”
“It’s okay.” Rowdy sat at the table and unwrapped his burger without hesitation. “I forgive you.”
Poppy looked at him, her smile surprised.
Toben sat beside Rowdy and unwrapped his food, too.
“Good night, you two. And no games or they’re mine.” Poppy watched them walk down the hall. The guest room door shut with more force than necessary. “Aunt Rose will be here soon.” She squeezed Rowdy’s shoulder.
“She keep them in line?” Toben took a sip. “Milk shake? Good call.”
Poppy’s smile lit her up. “I thought we could all use a good drink.” She winked at Rowdy.
“You’re the best.” Rowdy took a long pull off his straw. “Dad and I agree on that.”
“Is that the milk shake talking?” Poppy asked.
Rowdy laughed. “No. We were saying that before you got home.”
“Oh, well, then I guess that’s nice.” She ruffled Rowdy’s curls and sat back in her chair with a sigh.
“Tired?” he asked.
She looked pointedly down the hall. “Very.” Her phone started to ring.
Toben watched her glance quickly at him, then back at the phone. He knew who it was but he didn’t know why it bothered him. If anything, his run-in with Mitchell had taught him to respect the other man. He clearly cared about Poppy and Rowdy and had for some time. Not that Toben liked it. Not one bit. He cleared his throat, trying to sound unaffected. “You going to answer that?”
“Mitchell?” Rowdy asked.
Toben took a long sip of his milk shake—wishing it was a beer.
“Mitchell calls when he’s on the road.” Rowdy scooped ketchup onto his fry. “He’s been all over, emceeing rodeos. They have rodeos in Scotland.”
Toben shook his head. “I didn’t know that. That sounds interesting.”
She muted the phone and set it down. “I’m too hungry to talk right now.” Which suited him just fine.
He watched as she tucked her long brown curls over her shoulder, resisting the urge to smooth one rebellious strand behind her ear. She was far too graceful for such a no-frills, no-fuss woman. When she moved, he was mesmerized. Toben finished his burger, tried not to stare and listened to the easy conversation between mother and son.
Rowdy was full of such energy and joy. He pulled Toben into the conversation, too. Asking him questions about his favorite rodeo arena, favorite bull and favorite ride. Toben answered, just as eager to fill in some of the blanks as Rowdy seemed to be. His son’s grin, his laugh, the confidence on his young face—watching Rowdy filled Toben with hope. Maybe they could be a family. Maybe this was his chance to be the kind of father he never had.
“You know why a frog is always happy?” Rowdy asked.
He and Poppy shook their heads.
“He eats what’s bugging him.” Rowdy paused, looking back and forth between them. “Get it? Eats what’s bugging him?”
Toben chuckled. Poppy threw back her head, laughing. God, she was beautiful. His gaze slid along her long neck, the slope of her exposed shoulder and the line of her collarbone. He swallowed. She had some sort of power over him—making him sit up, take notice and...want.
He was good at that: wanting things he couldn’t have.
Once dinner was over, he and Rowdy reset the game so Poppy could join in.