From the change in his expression, it looked like Cody had seen the light. “Oh! So Mia and Beau did some kissing? When? In the barn when she was showing him the alpacas?”

“I don’t tattle on my friends,” Stevie said with a grin.

Cody handed off the orange juice to her and said, “If after our fourth date you know that I’m the one, will you be honest with me and tell me?”

“Of course I will, and I will also tell you if you are not the one, so that neither of us waste our time.” She twisted the top off the juice, took a drink, and headed toward the sofa. “I guess, since you brought leftovers home, we aren’t going to the ranch house for supper, right?”

He sat down at the same time she did, kicked off his boots, and propped his feet on the coffee table. “Right. Sunday nights we’re on our own. So, movie, television, or…” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Were you going to say strip poker?” she teased. “If that’s what you had in mind, then I don’t play that until after the fifth date, and even then, you better be sure about dealing the cards. I do not have a tell, and I’m very good at poker. I won enough at the Thursday night games in college that my folks didn’t have to give me spending money.”

“Another surprise layer of the mysterious Stephanie O’Dell,” Cody answered, “but I was going to say Monopoly.”

“Sure you were,” Stevie chuckled.

Before either of them could say anything else, her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number but answered it anyway. “Hello?”

“This is Bobby Blalock. Sonny Ryan called me this afternoon about a house that you own that needs repair, or at least a look over to see if it’s worth remodeling. I’ve got an hour or two free in the morning if you could meet me there about nine,” he said.

“I’ll be there. Thanks for calling and getting to it so fast. Can you make up a couple of estimates for me to give to the insurance adjustor?” Stevie said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Bobby said. “I’ll bring the forms with me. See you there.”

“Nine o’clock,” Stevie said and ended the call, not sure if she was glad that Sonny had talked to him, or if she was a little aggravated that he had made the call rather than just giving her the name and number.

You wanted a family, her mother reminded her. That’s what families do. They get into your life and take care of you.

“That was Bobby Blalock,” she explained. “I’m supposed to meet him at the house tomorrow at nine.”