Before Stevie could figure out what to say, Dolly slipped under the bottom rail and stretched out beside Mia. All three kittens tumbled over and under the rails to join the party going on up next to this new person in their lives.

Mia laid the crias over close to their mama and picked up the cat. “You are beautiful, Miz Dolly,” she crooned. “I can’t believe that Maggie isn’t screeching at you, but I’m glad she isn’t. And just look at these babies of yours.” She picked each one up and kissed its little nose. “This is almost as good as candy.”

Stevie was still thinking about what Mia said, and had to agree that no man had led her down the wrong path. She had taken that fork in the road all by herself. She realized in that moment that she had judged all the men she had dated in the past twenty years by Cody. That hadn’t been fair to any of them or to herself, and it was time to get past it and move on.

That’s my girl, her mother whispered softly in her ear.

With all the emotions of the evening lying on her heart, Stevie needed a little time alone to think about laying the grudge aside and really moving on with a clean slate. Cody would probably spend most of the evening with his family, so she could have the bunkhouse, and even better, that big bathtub all to herself.

“I’m going to go on to the bunkhouse,” Stevie said. “You going to be out here awhile?”

“Oh, yeah!” Mia answered without looking up from her lap full of cats. “I’m glad that things have worked out so you can be here with us until things thaw, Stevie.”

“Thank you,” Stevie said.

“Hey, a new face in the family is fun, and besides, I’ve been needing a friend to talk to about some stuff. Not tonight though. Mind if I come see you sometime tomorrow?” Mia asked.

“Not one bit,” Stevie answered. “It’s not like I can go anywhere.”

With a wave over her shoulder, she turned and walked away. Heading toward the bunkhouse with only a little bit of moonlight to guide her way, she touched the locket around her neck and wished for the wildflowers of spring instead of all the snow and ice.

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Well, son, you had enough layin’ around with nothing to do?” Sonny asked when Stevie had left.

“I kept busy, Dad,” Cody assured him. “I didn’t want Max to feel like we were eating all his food and using up his wood, so I chopped a whole stall full of wood, and Stevie and I cleaned the tack room for him.”