“Blue always says stuff like that,” Riley confided to the rest of them, “but she loves Mrs. Garrison.”

“Have you been drinking again, young lady? I thought we talked about that.” Blue grabbed Riley’s arm and walked off with her.

“Looks like you’re getting company,” Jack said. “I’d better make myself scarce.”

As he left, Judge Haskins and Tim Taylor, the high school principal, came up to Dean. “Hey, Boo.” The judge couldn’t quite pull his eyes away from April. “Nice to see you here performing your civic responsibility.”

“However unpleasant it might be,” Tim said. “I had to give up my Saturday morning foursome.” Both men gazed at April. When no one said anything, Tim held out his hand. “Tim Taylor.”

Dean should have seen this coming. Since April stayed out of places like the Barn Grill, she hadn’t met either of them. She held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Susan—”

“This is my mother,” Dean said. “April Robillard.”

April’s fingers twitched. She shook hands with both men, but beneath the brim of her cowboy hat, her eyes began filling with tears.

“Sorry.” She waved her fingers in front of her face. “Seasonal allergies.”

Dean’s hand settled on her shoulder. He hadn’t planned to do this—hadn’t thought this far ahead—but he felt like he’d just won the biggest game of the season. “My mother’s been doing undercover work for me, using the name Susan O’Hara.”

That required a few explanations, all of which Dean made up on the spot while April blinked her eyes and faked an allergy cough. When the men finally left, April rounded on him. “Don’t say a single sappy thing to me or I’ll completely lose it.”

“Fine,” he shot back. “Let’s get some cake.”

Getting cake, he decided, beat the heck out of having to fake his own allergy cough.

April finally managed to separate herself from the crowd. She found a sheltered spot behind a row of shrubbery in the far corner of the park, sat in the grass against the fence, and let herself have a good cry. She had her son back. They’d need to test the waters for a while, but they were both stubborn, and she had faith they’d work it out.

In the distance, the garage band’s lead singer began a painful, white boy’s rap. Jack came around the corner of the shrubbery into her shady sanctuary. “Stop that kid before he harms innocent children.” He pretended not to notice her red eyes as he sat next to her.

“Promise me you won’t ever rap,” she said.

“Only in the shower. Although…”

“Promise me!”

“All right.” He picked up her hand, and she didn’t try to draw it away. “I saw you with Dean.”

Her eyes started tearing all over again. “He introduced me as his mother. It was…pretty wonderful.”