Cord wandered back to the deck and his friends, although the dogs stayed on the porch.

As soon as he returned, Eli brought up the inevitable subject of Carly. Cord had to admit he didn’t have answers to this morning’s questions yet. “I’ll ask Shallie to see if she can come up with some information,” he said. “They seem to be getting on well.”

And that led to speculation about Shallie. “Well, like I said, she’s really interested in horses, plus she’s thinking about working with a friend of hers. And…maybe she wanted to, uh, revisit the scene of her ever-so-delightful childhood.”

“And her charming cousin or whatever he is,” J.P. murmured.

“Changing the subject,” Cord said, “what about the music night at Bailey’s on Sunday? Country Classics with The GateCrashers. You must’ve seen the sign this morning. Carly and Shallie would both like to go, and I said we could do that. Either of you want to join us?”

“Hell, yeah!” Eli said. “Haven’t seen The GateCrashers in a while.”

“Also a good chance to spend some time with Carly and Shallie.”

Cord got up again to visit the front porch. And again, Carly and Shallie abruptly stopped talking. He caught a reference to Reba but couldn’t tell what that was about. He thought he’d lighten the atmosphere and tried to tell them a joke.

“Hey, did you hear the one about the dog who walks into a bar?”

“He ended up under the table?” Shallie asked.

“Yeah, just like Trooper!” He’d have to share that with J.P. “Good one. Did you make that up?”

“Sure did,” she said, and Carly applauded loudly.

Cord brought out the wine bottle and refilled Shallie’s glass, which was almost empty. Carly declined another sparkling water.

“Thank you.” Shallie raised her glass to him.

“Oh, and we’re definitely on for the music night on Sunday. Eli and J.P. are planning to join us.”

Carly grinned. “Three for the price of one?”

“So to speak.” He wondered if Shallie knew that the three of them were Carly’s possible fathers—but assumed from the confidential tone of their conversation that she did. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your meal…”

They seemed to be enjoying their veggies and cheese, if the amount they’d already consumed was any indication. He returned to the back deck, this time accompanied by the dogs hoping for burger bits. “Forget it, guys.”

As he sat down, he caught the middle of a conversation. “Yeah,” Eli was saying. “I’m starting to have some concerns about Eric—” Eric Worth, his nephew, son of his sister, Sara “—but I’m—”

“What’s going on?” Cord interrupted. “Is everything okay?” Although he knew immediately what a stupid question that was.

“Well, no. Sara’s worried about him, and I’m getting a bad feeling…”

“Why?”