Maybe what she enjoyed most about being Nell Kelly was that Nell didn’t have to worry about anyone’s place in history. She could just be herself. Nell, she realized, wouldn’t have a problem talking to Mat after last night’s delicious escapade.

She moved to the front and sat in the passenger seat. “Do you want me to drive for a while?”

“Not on your life. You’ll decide that Button can’t enter kindergarten if she hasn’t seen Lincoln’s law office in Springfield or the riverboat in Peoria.”

“There’s a riverboat in Peoria?” She’d already seen Lincoln’s law offices.

“It sank.”

“You’re lying. Let’s do it, Mat. Let’s go to Peoria. It’s such a perfect symbol of middle America. It’ll be like a pilgrimage.”

“Iowa’s just as good a symbol of middle America as Peoria, and that’s the only pilgrimage we’re going to make.” He glanced over at her and those smoky gray eyes took a leisurely stroll from her chest to her toes. “Besides, we can’t make love in Peoria.”

Nell Kelly, the hussy, extended her legs just a little bit farther. “There is that.”

“There sure is.”

He’d definitely liked her legs. She smiled to herself. “Lucy loved throwing the Frisbee with you.”

“Yeah. She’s a pretty good athlete.”

“I wonder what’s going to happen to her. I asked about her grandmother today, but she wasn’t very forthcoming.”

“I met her once, and I don’t think she’s your typical gray-haired grandmother. Sandy was born when she was young, so she’s probably only in her early fifties now.”

“That’s good for the girls. They need someone younger. I just hope she can handle Lucy without breaking her spirit.”

“Nobody’s going to break that kid’s spirit. She’s got a lot of guts.”

She hesitated. “When you talked to her earlier, was she acting strangely?

“What do you mean?”

“Did she . . . say anything about the two of us?”

“Yeah. She said you thought I was hot and sensitive.”

“I never said that.”

“Extremely smart, too. But then I always knew you were a good judge of character. She also volunteered to disappear for a while if I wanted to put any moves on you.” He paused. “Which I do.”

She began to smile, but didn’t quite make it. “Lucy’s doing some matchmaking. I think she believes that if she can get the two of us together we’ll adopt her and Button. That’s why she blew up at me. I told her it wasn’t going to happen.”

His own expression sobered. “This is what I wanted to avoid. I swear if Sandy were still alive, I’d kill her for this.”