Page 74 of Bourbon and Secrets

“Wanted to ask you something.” I tip my head to the side, signaling her to sit next to me. “Two things, actually.”

She lifts her feet onto the bleacher in front of us, her Converse sneakers decorated with swirls and drawings of animated food characters.

“I ordered the decorations for the sleepover party. They should get here any day now. You just need to tell me what kinds of snacks I should get, unless you want to come with me?”

She nods as she says, “Sure, I’ll go with you.”

Alright, the butter-her-up question didn’t hit like I hoped it would.

“You’re quiet today.” I knock her knee with mine. “Maybe more than just today. Want to talk to me about anything?”

She leans forward, resting her crossed arms on her knees as she looks out to the crowded rodeo.

“You look at her a lot,” she says, focused on the woman I was just staring at.

I hadn’t planned on Faye being the reason for her being quieter, but I should have considered it. As I glance around our group, everyone is engaged in their own conversations, giving Lark and me a minute to ourselves.

“Does that bother you? Me looking at someone...or liking someone new?” With sudden nerves, I glance at my daughter to gauge her reaction to that and if I have the backbone to say anything more.

“I don’t know,” she says, her eyebrows pinching like she’s really thinking through it. “I think I got used to it just being thethree of us. I hadn’t thought about you looking at someone other than Mom before.”

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and slide closer to her. “I can understand that.”

“I mean, I know the women around town like you...” She casually smiles at me and makes a gagging face, which has me chuckling. “But you never look at them. Not like you do when you see Faye.”

Such mature words for someone who can’t possibly be growing at the pace she has been. “You’re right, sweetheart. I have been looking at her.”

“She is very pretty,” Lark says as she watches Faye leaning on the paddock.

“She is.” I smile, leaning closer to my daughter. “Smart too. And she thinks you guys are pretty cool.”

She turns to look at me. “Well, obviously, if you said she was smart.” Smiling, I can see so many thoughts passing through her head as her eyes look around my face. “You’re the best person I know, Dad. I’m just trying to figure out how all this works.”

I pull her in tighter to my side, trying to hold in the emotion of hearing her say that I’m the best person she knows. Jesus, sometimes they really can hit you in the chest. “How all of what works?”

She sighs, “Life.”

A laugh pushes past my lips. “If you figure it out, will you give me the details?”

Resting her head against me, we let the joke linger as the rodeo clowns start making their way into the main gates.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, Lark. Life has dealt us some shit, hasn’t it?”

Lily hops forward in her seat, finger pointed right at me. “Curse purse, Dad.”

Lark starts laughing, and I whisper to my oldest, “How did she hear that? Seriously?”

A few girls from Lark’s softball team decide to relocate to the section of bleachers near the bull shoot. I squeeze her shoulder when I say, “You and your sister have my whole heart. Always have and always will. And I promise that whoever I look at won't change that.”

Her eyes water as she nods in response, and mine do the same.

“I’m going to go with my friends. Is that okay?”

“Course it’s okay.” I smile as she stands up to weave her way over.

“And Dad,” she says before she walks any farther. “She looks at you too. When you’re not looking, she smiles when she looks at you.”

I glance toward the paddocks again, and I don’t know why that surprises me. I know Faye’s attracted to me. It’s impossible not to see and feel the chemistry between us, but hearing that observation from Lark hits differently.

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