“Well, you can come on in and have popcorn or pie with us and we’ll play Pictionary.” Brook crossed the floor and got him by the hand. “And besides, I want to know where you got them green eyes.” She led him to the rocking chair.

“From my mama, child. She had those light eyes from her daddy, who was white, you remember,” Zed answered honestly. “And what is this Pictionary thing?”

“It’s a game, and you’ll be good at it. I hear someone driving up. I bet it’s Wyatt. I’m not going to like him any better than Mama’s date,” she whispered.

“And why’s that?” Zed asked.

“Because there’s been enough change in my world for a while,” she said.

“Change is good for us,” Zed said. “And you be nice to Wyatt. He could wind up bein’ your uncle someday, and you’d regret bein’ ugly.”

“I can stand an uncle better than a stepdad,” she whispered.

“One thing at a time. One date don’t make a stepdad or an uncle.” Zed grinned.

“Hey, Zed.” Wyatt waved at the door. “This is Brook, right? I’ve already met Tawny.”

Brook nodded. “You any good at Pictionary?”

“I could whip you standin’ on my head and cross-eyed, little girl,” he answered.

“In your dreams, smart aleck. You are on!” she said. “Uncle Zed is on my team. Aunt Harper is on yours and Aunt Tawny is the scorekeeper and the referee. What’s the stakes?”

“A dollar a game.” Wyatt pulled a bill out of his pocket.

Zed did the same and handed it to Tawny. “I hope you know what you are doin’, child, ’cause I ain’t never played this before.”

“I’ve seen you doodle. We’re goin’ to whip their butts,” Brook laughed.

Bad boys or blonds had never appealed to Dana. Maybe it was because of her mother’s history, but whatever the reason, she’d always leaned toward dark-haired guys who were superconservative. But that night she kept sliding glances across the console of the Lincoln, and delicious little shivers chased down her spine every time. With the angles of his face and that straight nose, he could easily be a cover model for the romance books that she liked to read.

“I hope you like authentic Mexican food,” he said.

“It’s my favorite,” she answered truthfully. “And right behind that is Italian.”

“What’s third?”

“Anything that Uncle Zed makes.”

“I’ve got reservations at a Mexican place tonight, but I’ll remember the other two for future dates.”

A man who would remember her likes. That put an extra kick in her heartbeat, especially when she thought about the idea of a second and maybe even a third date.

He kept time with the country music on the radio. “You can change the channel if you like.”

“Don’t mess with something that isn’t broken. I’m a country music fan, but if you don’t mind, I’ll turn it up a little.” She hit the button to raise the volume.

“Not a bit, but I love the sound of your voice, so please keep it low enough that I can hear you.”

A slow heat started at her neck. “Is that a pickup line?”

“No, it’s the truth. Your voice is like warm honey with just a few drops of good Tennessee whiskey to cut the sweet. You could read the dictionary to me and I’d be in a trance the whole time.”

No one had ever said anything that romantic to her, not even her ex during the time they dated. But she wasn’t going there tonight. That had been the most painful time of her life, compounded by the lies she’d told surrounding it, because she didn’t want to be like her mother.

“That is definitely a line,” she whispered, “and I’m changing the subject. How long have you been in this fish-and-bait business?”

Dana had learned the hard way how to read men—to know if they were interested in a one-night fling or if they were shooting her a line. She hoped that she wasn’t letting those sexy blue eyes lead her into a rabbit hole when she decided that he was one of the good guys out there, one of the few sincere, decent ones left.

“Since my wife died. Alison needed a full-time parent. I had a degree in marine biology and worked for a lab, so I just turned it around and started growing minnows and making my own brand of bait. It took about a year for the business to take off, but now it’s big enough that I have three full-time employees. At least I did until my delivery guy quit. I don’t think I’m going to hire anyone to replace him. I kind of like doin’ that part of the business,” he answered. “What about you?”

“Been in the horse-training business most of my working life, but now I’m helping my sisters run the resort,” she answered.

He parked in a crowded restaurant lot and turned to face her. “So do you like your job?”

“The jury is still out. I miss the horses and ranch life, but I love the idea that I’m keeping Granny’s legacy alive and going,” she answered.

“Plus, it’s a good place to raise your daughter,” he threw over his shoulder as he got out of the truck.

With his long stride, it only took a few seconds before he opened the door for her and held out his hand to help her slide out. She’d worn a flowing skirt with swirls of color and a matching knit cotton shirt. She was glad that she wasn’t wearing high heels when her sandals hit the ground. For one thing, the heels would take a beating in the gravel parking lot, and the other was because the electricity flowing from his hand to hers would have knocked her off balance for sure.