“She does,” Cody said. “If it hadn’t been for two bites of a candy bar she had in her van, she wouldn’t have survived being stranded in the barn as long as we were.”

Stevie shot a dirty look at Cody. “I’m not all that bad, but I will admit to being a chocoholic.”

“Which would you rather have,” Mia asked as she carried her empty plate to the sink and cut herself a nice-sized wedge of the cake, “a cold beer on a scalding hot day, or a candy bar?”

“Candy,” Stevie answered without hesitation.

“Yep, we are kin, Aunt Stevie,” Mia told her and then asked, “want me to cut a piece for you?”

“Love one,” Stevie answered.

“And me?” Cody asked.

“Are you asking me for a piece of cake?” Mia asked. “Or are you asking Stevie if she loves you?”

Cody’s face turned scarlet. “Cake please.”

“If I’m going to be the waitress, I’ll put a tip jar on the counter,” Mia teased.

“I hope you aren’t planning on buying a new truck with all those tips that you’ll get for serving dessert,” Cody said.

“Pennies mount up to nickels, and nickels to dimes.” Mia shot a look toward Sonny. “Poppa told me that, and Poppa does not lie.”

“That’s my girl,” Sonny said with a broad grin.

Stevie remembered her mother saying those very words to her just before she slipped into a coma. She couldn’t recall what they were talking about just before that, but her mother’s last words had stuck with her.

The stars looked like diamonds on a bed of black velvet, and the quarter moon shone down on the white snow, giving the world an ethereal look that night as Stevie and Mia walked from the house to the barn. Stevie could tell that Mia was so excited about going to see the new animals that she didn’t even notice the beauty all around her, but then Stevie had been the same way when she was Mia’s age.

When they reached the barn, Mia flipped on the lights and hurried back to the stall where Maggie and the babies were. She was already inside and sitting on the floor when Stevie propped a boot on the lower rail and peeked over the top.

Mia gathered both crias in her arms like twin babies and began to rock back and forth. “If Maggie hadn’t taken her, I would have volunteered to take care of her. I wish I’d never gotten crazy and sold my flock of sheep.”

“Why did you?” Stevie asked.

“I thought I was in love,” Mia answered.

“We all do stupid stuff when we fall in love,” Stevie said.

“I bet you didn’t.” Mia looked up at her with eyes as blue as her daddy’s. “I can’t see you letting any guy lead you down the wrong path.”