The gate stopped at its fully opened position and Sam drove through, down the dark lane lit every twenty-five yards by iron lampposts. He drove past Jesse’s house and his grandmother’s home at the center of it all and pulled the truck to a stop in Zach’s driveway. He cut the engine, then hopped out, locking it before he dropped the keys in the terra-cotta pot on his porch. He took his time walking back toward his grandmother’s house. He heard a few high-pitched barks as soon as he stepped on the porch, but Poppy quieted down as soon as he put his key in the door.

“Hey, girl,” he whispered to the terrier mix as he scooped her up from the floor. “You up all alone?”

“Is that my baby baby?” he heard his grandmother Miss Leona say from down the hall. He walked into the kitchen and found her standing at the kitchen counter in her billowy pajamas, with a hot cup of something in her hands. He crossed the title floor and kissed her on her cheek, catching a whiff of the hot and very spiked cider in her mug.

“It’s late, young lady. What are you doing up?” he asked.

“Oh, the girls are still out. I can’t sleep until I know all of my babies are settled back in the barn.”

“Lilah and Corie are grown, Grandma. They could be out all night. No need to wait up for them,” Sam said, knowing she wasn’t going to listen to him, no matter what he said. Her grandma mode was strong, and Lilah was the baby of the whole Pleasant bunch. Ever since she took off running from the bunk-ass arranged marriage his uncle had tried to stick her in, she’d been living with their grandmother. Lilah was smart as hell and savvy to boot, but she was soft-spoken and kind of shy. When she went out with Corie, who was always looking for trouble, even he raised an eyebrow at the quality of their evening plans. Miss Leona felt responsible for her while she was figuring out what she wanted from her life without her father interfering.

“You know damn good and well I’m not worried about Corie,” his grandmother said. “I’m just up in case Lilah needs me to bail Corie out of jail.”

“Makes sense. You want me to wait up for them?”

“Oh no. They should be back soon. They just went to Claim Jumpers.” The cowboy dive bar on the other side of town was where all the locals went to kick back.

“Gotcha.” Sam set the dog down and took a seat at the kitchen island. He took his hat off and set it on his knee, then scrubbed his hands over his face.

“Everything going okay with Helene’s wedding?”

“Yes, ma’am. Happy bride. Happy guests. I think tomorrow will be real special for them.”