Page 19 of Hard Rain Coming
His body ached down to the bone, but he ignored the pain and hugged the little girl before setting her back down. “You grew.”
“Did I?” she asked, dancing in a full circle.
“At least an inch.” He winked.
“You smell like a horse.” She giggled.
“Well, I’ve been riding one for days now.” He tousled her hair. “Did you feed my cat?”
She nodded, face as serious as a five-year-old could get. “Her babies’ eyes are open.”
“That’s good.” Dallas stepped back. “Maybe we can move them back to the barn.”
“You can’t do that.” Nora looked alarmed.
“No?”
She shook her head. “They’re babies.”
This was a war he knew he’d lose. “If you say so. Where’s your dad?”
“In his office. I was upstairs with Auntie Vivian. She has the nicest hair, and she’s letting me braid it.”
“You don’t say.” He blinked away an image of Vivian and all that hair he was intimately acquainted with. Which led to thinking about all that creamy skin. And long legs. And a mouth meant for things best left unsaid.
He doffed his boots and headed for the office, where he found Benton settled back with his feet up on his desk. The man looked stressed.
“You look like shit’s about to hit,” Dallas said, easing into a chair opposite.
Benton sighed and shook his head. “Might be.”
When his friend offered nothing more, Dallas frowned. “Care to elaborate?”
Benton seemed to be considering his answer and then muttered, “Fuck it.” He moved his feet off his desk and got up. “Daisy Mae is suing for custody.”
To say Dallas was shocked was an understatement. “Bent, I…” He scratched his face. “She’s been out of the picture for years. I don’t understand.”
“You’re not the only one.” Benton shrugged and shook his head, clearly of the same mind. “She makes noise every six months or so. Sometimes longer, like a year. But she’s never done anything. Never had a lawyer contact me. Never showed up in Big Bend.”
“She’s here?”
“She was last week. Was at her sister’s place for two days. Wanted to meet up, but I was in Texas with Nora.”
“Is she clean?”
“She says she is.”
“She’s said that before.”
“I know.” Benton swore and walked to the window, absently staring into the night. “It feels different this time.”
Dallas knew how much Benton loved Nora. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say other than that.”
“I don’t want to keep Nora from her mother. I’ve never wanted that.”
“Everyone knows you’re not that kind of man. She was the one who walked away, remember?”
“She has her demons,” Benton replied. “Hopefully, she’s managed to kick them to the curb this time. Anyway. It’s my problem. I don’t need to go on about it.” Benton looked his way. “Everything went well with the move?”