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eating.”
    James snorted. He remembered. His father’s drinking escalated once their mom left while the boys were in grade school. By the time the boys graduated high school, Dad had given up. He even came to their graduations sloshed, standing up with a drunken cheer when their names were called.
    “Good times,” he said quietly.
    “Hey, don’t get down. At least we had each other. You would have sat there all alone without a great brother like me.”
    “Yeah, and I probably wouldn’t have sat in Sheriff Colson’s jail after letting you talk me into going all Willie Mayes on those mail boxes graduation night.”
    Jesse grinned. “We didn’t get arrested.”
    “No, but I had to spend the money I’d saved to buy five mailboxes and posts.”
    “Good thing you weren’t a better shot then.” Jesse pulled into the café’s parking lot. “Let’s eat.”
    James climbed out of the truck, shaking his head. Jesse’s life had always been an adventure. And following him meant James paid the price. His thoughts went to the little boy by the mutton pen. At least he had one man in his life who gave a crap. James felt the kid’s dad should be the one calming him down before the big event — even though he knew having a dad around wasn’t always in the cards.
    Thinking about JR had opened a hole in his own heart. As he followed Jesse into the crowded café another thought beat in his head.
    Maybe it was time to build a family. His own life.

CHAPTER THREE
    “Hurry and get dressed. The parade’s about to start,” Barb called from the bathroom where she’d been touching up her makeup for the last twenty minutes. Lizzie had found her friend sitting on a bench in the sunshine outside The Pancake House. Barb had eaten at Daisy’s a few doors down.
    “Ahem, I am dressed.” Lizzie stood at the door of the bathroom and examining her tank top and jeans.
    “You’re not wearing that, are you?”
    “Why wouldn’t I wear jeans and a tank to a parade? You want me in my prom dress? I think it still fits.”
    “Smart ass. No, you need something with a little more pow. Maybe show a little leg. Wait a minute, I have something perfect.” Barb disappeared into her bedroom. When she returned, she carried a sapphire blue sundress.
    “You want me to wear a dress?” Lizzie shook her head. “It’s a parade . A rodeo parade. Not a tea party.”
    “And these.” Barb held out some gladiator sandals. “You’ll look great.”
    At least the shoes were flats and not the hooker heels Barb usually wore. “And why do I want to look great?”
    Barb shoved the dress and shoes into Lizzie’s arms. “To make James sorry he ever left town.”
    Lizzie had told Barb about dating Cash. Barb was supportive, but not for the reason Lizzie hoped. As far as Barb was concerned, every move needed to be about making James jealous.
    Maybe, Lizzie thought honestly, it was. Because just when she thought she’d erased all the old scripts from when the three of them ran together in high school, the man showed up and it was like he’d only been gone a week the way she reacted.
    “Fine, I’ll wear the dress. But not because of James, I’m wearing it because it’s going to be hot outside.” She turned and headed to her bedroom.
    “Whatever you have to tell yourself to make you happy,” Barb called after her.
    The woman knew her too well. Lizzie glanced at her cell. No call yet from JR or Dad. Where were they? Dad had said he planned to fix a leak in one of the pipes running water from the hot springs to the baths. He should have been done by now. She reached for the phone and tried one more time. Same result. The answering machine.
    She’d have to resign herself to the fact that JR was coming into town. And she had to find James and tell him the truth. Before someone else did.
    Glancing at herself in the mirror, she smoothed down the sapphire skirt. It had been years since she’d dressed up for anything. God, she didn’t even think she had a