“I met her today when I went in there for burgers to take with us on our fishin’ trip,” Nick said. “And Dana takes care of the store, right?”

“Yes, and she’s taken over the checkin’ in and out for me so I can do the cleaning. What do you do?”

Besides modeling? Their eyes locked somewhere in the middle of the table. Or maybe you own and run a gym?

“I’m a carpenter. My brother and I build houses,” he said. “Not big fancy ones, but small ones that people around here can afford. My mama is the one who takes care of our books. Keeps us busy, especially around the lake, where folks usually just want summer places built.”

“How long have you been doing that?” She loved the sound of his soft drawl. Maybe she could take him home. He could sit beside her bed and read the phone book to her until she fell asleep.

Get ahold of yourself, girl. Someone as pretty as he is has to have a whole line of girls already on his dance card. A clumsy blonde wouldn’t have a chance with this hunky guy.

“I started working with my brother before I ever graduated. Summertime and after school. Soon as I finished high school six years ago, I got brought in as a full partner.” Praise the Lord! That would make him about twenty-four. Dana couldn’t yell at her that he was old enough to be her father.

He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I’m so glad that Johnny has Brook for a new friend, by the way. He’s been so lost since his mama died and his daddy’s tour has been long. This week he’s smiled more than he has in two years.”

“Brook had a bad experience with her friend last week. We’re glad that she found Johnny, too,” Tawny said softly.

Nick leaned back and picked up a slice of pepperoni. “How about you? What did you do before you came here?”

“I was in college until December. Got into trouble and was asked to leave, so I worked in a coffee shop until I came here.”

“Freshman?” Nick reached for another slice at the same time she did, and their hands brushed.

What in the devil was wrong with her? She hadn’t been this nervous about a guy since her first date. No, that was wrong. She hadn’t even been this jittery back then.

“Senior. Needed a semester to have my degree, but I’ve decided that it’s not that important. How about you? Did you go to college around here?”

“Hated school. Couldn’t wait to get out so I could work full-time.” He bit into the pizza. “Romano’s makes the best ever.”

Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend? Are all the women in this area crazy? Questions bombarded her mind, but she said, “You got that right. I even like frozen pizza. Lived on it and ramen noodles every week when my money ran out.”

“Never had to eat that kind of thing. Mama makes supper for us every night so we can spend some time with Johnny.”

“You live with her?” A picture flashed through her mind of Marcus Green and his cat. Lord help! Was she drawn to men who were mama’s boys?

“No, me and my brother, Drake, built our own house with our first year’s profit,” he said proudly. “Close to her and close to the lake so we can get in some fishin’ most evenings if we have the energy.”

“Hey, y’all.” Dana came in the back door. “I see you’ve met. It’s starting to rain, so we’re coming into the house. Anyone want to watch a movie?”

“No, let’s play poker,” Brook said. “Nothing smaller than a nickel or bigger than a dime.”

“You serious?” Nick asked.

“Sure, the foreman at the ranch where we used to live played with me and Mama lots. He was real into gambling.”

“I’m in.” Tawny finished her pizza and licked her fingers.

Zed leaned back under the roof as he smoked his second cigarette. There wasn’t a whisper of a breeze, so the rain was coming straight down. Some of it splattered on his boots, but he didn’t care. It smelled wonderful and it cleared the air, making it easier for him to breathe.

It was straight up ten o’clock when Tawny appeared out of the shadows. She carried her shoes in one hand but held both arms out as she sang and danced in the rain. Harper could sing like an angel, but Tawny, God love her little soul, couldn’t carry a tune. Annie used to say that the angels used earplugs when that girl opened her mouth. But she was so happy that evening that her voice put a smile on Zed’s face.

When she finished, she took a bow and ran over to where Zed was sitting. She plopped down beside him.

“Must’ve been some damn good pizza. You freezin’?” He chuckled.

Water made a puddle around her feet. “I’m so happy that I can’t feel the cold, Uncle Zed. Do you know Nick Eagle? Is he a decent man?”

“The best. He’s the baby of the family, or was until they took Johnny in to help raise. They’re a good, hardworkin’ family.”

“Where’s his daddy?”

“Died when Nick was in junior high school. He was a carpenter, like those boys are, and he fell off a house. Broke his neck,” Zed said.

“Is Nick married?”

Zed could hardly sit still. He had to get into the apartment and tell Annie the good news, but he couldn’t ruin Tawny’s evening by leaving before she did. “Nope. Drake was for a few years, but it didn’t work out. ’Bout the time that Nick got out of high school, he and his wife split the blanket. Now he and Nick got them a little house on the other side of the lake,” he answered. “So you liked that little sissy braid he wears?”