Cattail Ridge by T.L. Haddix

you a plate together. Go sit down. Everyone want coffee?”
    “Yes, please,” Rachel asked. “And maybe some of that cake, now that dinner has had a few minutes to process. I’ll help.”
    From the stubble on his face and the circles under his eyes, Emma figured Archer was close to dropping. The drive to Lexington was two hours and between the flight time and how long it would have taken him to board, she knew he’d probably been up since four or five a.m. “When’s the last time you slept?”
    “I got a few hours last night,” he said around a yawn. He pulled out a chair and sat down, Sydney still on his hip. She settled in more comfortably and patted his chest.
    “I missed you, Archer.”
    “I missed you. Thank you for the card. My brother said to give you a big hug and a kiss for him.” He made a production of doing just that. Sydney ate the attention up.
    Seeing her daughter so happy, Emma realized she was in trouble. Because as she watched Sydney interact with Archer so naturally, the joy on both their faces at simply being with each other told her that the kiss in the kitchen was so much more than just a casual exchange of affection. They’d started down a road that she knew was going to be impossible to backtrack on. And if she admitted the truth to herself she was as excited to see him as Sydney. Which scared her even more.
    So far, Emma hadn’t been great at maintaining relationships. This time, if things didn’t work out, it wasn’t just her own heart that would be broken. Sydney’s would be, as well. She truly believed Archer was in the same class of man as her father and brothers. She didn’t think he would turn out to be the kind of jerk both her exes were. But relationships were complicated and things happened. She still had no real proof that Archer even wanted a relationship with her, other than the kisses and the rather attentive looks he’d been giving her while he ate.
    You’re putting the cart before the horse, Em, she told herself as conversation flowed around the table. Give the man a chance to settle back in and see where it goes. Then worry about it.
    Sarah laid a hand on her shoulder as she walked past, and Emma reached up to clasp her it briefly. Her mother leaned down and whispered, “Relax.”
    Emma nodded and squeezed her hand. Right now relaxing was the best thing she could do. She was borrowing trouble that might not exist. There’d be plenty time later to worry, if the kiss led to more.

Chapter Eleven

    A rcher was tired. He was so tired, in fact, that if Sydney hadn’t been chattering on, catching him up on what he’d missed while he was away, he would probably have fallen asleep at the table. When he finished eating everyone headed in different directions. John and Zanny got their sons and headed home. Rachel left to make the trek to the house she’d built half a mile along the ridge, on a distant corner of Owen and Sarah’s property. Only Amelia, Emma, and Sydney stayed behind.
    “Why don’t we head in to the living room, let you stretch your legs out?” Owen suggested.
    “That sounds good.” With a groan, Archer stood and let Sydney lead him along, her tiny hand wrapped securely around his. He took a seat on the comfortable couch, and she climbed up beside him with a book. Emma took the corner opposite his and curled her feet up underneath her.
    “So is Logan looking forward to getting back to the Army?” she asked.
    Archer frowned. “No. Thanks to them missing that shrapnel, there was a lot of damage done to the tissue. So much that he’s not going to be up to spec physically to return. He’s not disabled, but he’s not good enough that they’ll take him back. From what his advocate said they’re going to go ahead and give him a full retirement. He’s been in for fourteen years and would have stayed the full twenty if not for this injury.”
    “That’s good news, I guess,” Sarah commented. “What’s he going to do?”
    “That’s a question no