Her laughter stopped, a look of pure surprise settling on her features.
“Ta-dee,” Pearl said, holding out a flower. “Night-night?” she said, toddling toward them. “Ta-dee sing.”
“Yes,” Tandy said, kneeling and gathering her close. “I will sing you to sleep, cuddle bunny. Your daddy’s acting silly anyway. Maybe he needs a nap, too.”
“I’m good,” he said, watching them walk into the house.
Banshee circled him, then sat at his side.
“Like the goats?” he asked the dog.
Banshee barked.
“Help me convince Tandy to stay and you can herd them all day long.” He rubbed the dog’s head.
It was a long shot, but a guy could hope. With Tandy, he seemed to have an endless supply of hope. He stared at the back door, but decided following her was a bad idea. Because if he went after her, he might push—and things were going too well to risk it.
“Let’s check on the horses,” he said to Banshee, walking the repaired fence line. The horses trotted up, saying hello to him and sniffing Banshee curiously. Banshee returned the favor. Click leaned against the fence, his eyes sweeping the property. He’d spent the last two days clearing any debris from the tornado. From metal stakes to clothing, he’d found all sorts of odds and ends. Domino and Blackjack had been spooked after the tornado, but no harm had been done and he wanted to keep it that way. He circled the entire corral before making his way back to the house.
Tandy was in the kitchen. “Making tea,” she said. “Didn’t see any in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” he said. “She go down okay?”
She nodded, her smile returning. “Guess it was the singing?”
He chuckled. “Low blow.”
Banshee flopped onto the floor.
“You wore him out,” she said, nodding at her dog.
“Pearl has that effect on people,” he said, smiling as a soft snore rose from Banshee’s place in the corner.
“Looks like the twister passed your place up.” She put the glass jar in the windowsill, in the sunlight, so the tea could steep. “Amazing how my little place toppled and yours didn’t get so much as a scratch.”
“It did. One window,” he said, washing his hands in the sink. “Had a bunch of odds and ends turn up, though.”
“Oh, like what?” she asked, handing him the kitchen towel.
“A shoe. Some sort of hair...thing.”
“Hair thing?” she asked, waiting.
“To curl your hair,” he explained, loving the smile on her face.
“A curling iron?” she asked. “Here’s hoping it wasn’t in use when it got sucked up inside the funnel cloud.”
He nodded. “That’d be unfortunate.”
She grinned, rinsing out a baby bottle.
“You don’t have to do that.” He took the bottle from her, his hands closing over hers. She felt so good. “I didn’t bring you here to clean up after Pearl and me.”
She leaned against the counter, her gaze searching his. “I don’t mind.”
He stepped back, dropping the bottle back into the sink, and putting space between them. “Maybe I do. It wasn’t that long ago you were bleeding all over me, remember?”
She smiled. “I guess I owe you an undershirt.”