“Did you and Mom sleep together?”
“Sleep together?” he repeated in a choked voice.
“You know, did you have sex?”
How in hell did anyone ever raise a teenage daughter? he wondered weakly. Struggling for composure, he asked, “Don’t you think that’s a rather impertinent question?”
Casey grinned. “Mrs. Mac says I’m precocious.”
“Well, Mrs. Mac is right. Did she also mention that it’s a trait you might want to keep in check?”
“I guess that means you did,” she said, losing him completely.
“Did what?”
“Sleep with Mom.”
“I never said that.”
“When people don’t answer you directly, it generally means they think you won’t like the answer or that you’re not grown-up enough to hear it.”
Joshua caught himself grinning and carefully wiped the smile from his lips before he faced her. “And just where did you pick up that bit of insight into human nature?”
“Mrs. Mac and Mom. They never answer my questions.”
“Maybe it’s because you ask the wrong ones.”
“You mean because they’re personal.”
“Exactly.”
“But this one’s not really personal,” she said earnestly. “I mean, don’t you think it affects me, too, if you’re going to get involved with my mom? I mean, you could end up being my dad or something.”
Sensing a mine field, he asked carefully, “And how would you feel about that?”
Casey looked thoughtful. “I guess it would be okay, as long as you didn’t tell me what to do and stuff.”
“Then we have a problem, young lady, because I most definitely would be inclined to tell you what to do.”
She turned startled eyes on him. “You would?”
“Absolutely. I may not be up on the rules of parenting, but I think that’s what dads do, even stepdads.”
He couldn’t mistake the flaring of hope in her eyes. “Does that mean you’re really going to marry Mom?”
Joshua decided that Garrett would not appreciate learning of their impending engagement from her daughter. “Bundle those sheets and towels up in a pillowcase. It’ll make them easier to carry.”
“I guess that means you are,” Casey said, grinning. “Great. I’d almost given up on her, you know.”
“Given up?”
“On getting Mom to get married. Mrs. Mac had, too,” she confided.
“Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”
She looked puzzled for an instant, then nodded. “You want me to keep my mouth shut until you can convince Mom.”
He nodded. “It might be wise.”
“You’re probably right. She always hates it when I figure things out before she does.”
“I’ll bet she does,” Joshua said with a laugh. “I’ll just bet she does.”
By the time they had straightened up the cabin and made their way to the truck, which Red had left on the side of the road near the frozen creek, it was already nearing dusk again. Joshua cast one last look in the direction of the cabin, aware that the last twenty-four hours had changed his life. If only Garrett would admit to the same thing, he thought. Instead he kept visualizing her going off with Red the first chance she got.
“What does your mom think of Red?” he asked Casey as they started home.
“She likes him, I guess.” She regarded him closely, her eyes widening in sudden understanding. “Oh, you mean, like does she think of him as a boyfriend or something?”
Joshua winced. “Yes,” he admitted reluctantly.
“Nah. She’s known him forever and ever. He helped her get the job at the ranch. I think maybe he used to go in the diner where she was working when she first got here. He likes her a lot, but Mom’s pretty picky. She doesn’t date a lot.”
“I’d think she’d be asked out all the time.”
“Oh, she is, but she won’t go unless Mrs. Mac puts up a fuss. Mom says there’s no point in wasting her time and their money. She said she made up her mind a long time ago that she’d never get married. Why do you suppose that is?”
“Hey, kiddo, you’re the one
“Sleep together?” he repeated in a choked voice.
“You know, did you have sex?”
How in hell did anyone ever raise a teenage daughter? he wondered weakly. Struggling for composure, he asked, “Don’t you think that’s a rather impertinent question?”
Casey grinned. “Mrs. Mac says I’m precocious.”
“Well, Mrs. Mac is right. Did she also mention that it’s a trait you might want to keep in check?”
“I guess that means you did,” she said, losing him completely.
“Did what?”
“Sleep with Mom.”
“I never said that.”
“When people don’t answer you directly, it generally means they think you won’t like the answer or that you’re not grown-up enough to hear it.”
Joshua caught himself grinning and carefully wiped the smile from his lips before he faced her. “And just where did you pick up that bit of insight into human nature?”
“Mrs. Mac and Mom. They never answer my questions.”
“Maybe it’s because you ask the wrong ones.”
“You mean because they’re personal.”
“Exactly.”
“But this one’s not really personal,” she said earnestly. “I mean, don’t you think it affects me, too, if you’re going to get involved with my mom? I mean, you could end up being my dad or something.”
Sensing a mine field, he asked carefully, “And how would you feel about that?”
Casey looked thoughtful. “I guess it would be okay, as long as you didn’t tell me what to do and stuff.”
“Then we have a problem, young lady, because I most definitely would be inclined to tell you what to do.”
She turned startled eyes on him. “You would?”
“Absolutely. I may not be up on the rules of parenting, but I think that’s what dads do, even stepdads.”
He couldn’t mistake the flaring of hope in her eyes. “Does that mean you’re really going to marry Mom?”
Joshua decided that Garrett would not appreciate learning of their impending engagement from her daughter. “Bundle those sheets and towels up in a pillowcase. It’ll make them easier to carry.”
“I guess that means you are,” Casey said, grinning. “Great. I’d almost given up on her, you know.”
“Given up?”
“On getting Mom to get married. Mrs. Mac had, too,” she confided.
“Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”
She looked puzzled for an instant, then nodded. “You want me to keep my mouth shut until you can convince Mom.”
He nodded. “It might be wise.”
“You’re probably right. She always hates it when I figure things out before she does.”
“I’ll bet she does,” Joshua said with a laugh. “I’ll just bet she does.”
By the time they had straightened up the cabin and made their way to the truck, which Red had left on the side of the road near the frozen creek, it was already nearing dusk again. Joshua cast one last look in the direction of the cabin, aware that the last twenty-four hours had changed his life. If only Garrett would admit to the same thing, he thought. Instead he kept visualizing her going off with Red the first chance she got.
“What does your mom think of Red?” he asked Casey as they started home.
“She likes him, I guess.” She regarded him closely, her eyes widening in sudden understanding. “Oh, you mean, like does she think of him as a boyfriend or something?”
Joshua winced. “Yes,” he admitted reluctantly.
“Nah. She’s known him forever and ever. He helped her get the job at the ranch. I think maybe he used to go in the diner where she was working when she first got here. He likes her a lot, but Mom’s pretty picky. She doesn’t date a lot.”
“I’d think she’d be asked out all the time.”
“Oh, she is, but she won’t go unless Mrs. Mac puts up a fuss. Mom says there’s no point in wasting her time and their money. She said she made up her mind a long time ago that she’d never get married. Why do you suppose that is?”
“Hey, kiddo, you’re the one
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