She stole another forkful of his cake. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” The piece of cake slipped off the fork and was on the way to land on the sofa when Tex gobbled it down in one bite.

“I meant it as a compliment. Addy is amazing.” Cody loaded his fork with the last bite of cake and offered it to her. “Thanks for the talk. Think we might be friends?”

“Right back at you for being honest with me, and I’d like for us to be friends.” Stevie steadied his hand with hers so that the cake made it to her mouth. “And thank you for sharing your last bit of cake with me. Anyone who gives me chocolate is well on their way to being my friend. I’m going to bed now. What time should we be up and around? I can help with ranch work if you need me. Guess we won’t be going to church since we can’t get there past the roads that are blocked with broken-down trees.”

“Jesse and I can take care of that, but breakfast is early. We only have supper together in the ranch house. That way Jesse and Addy can have time to be a family,” Cody explained as he carried the plate and empty beer bottles to the kitchen.

“Then I’ll be up at the crack of dawn, and we can cook breakfast together,” she said. “But really, I would be glad to help with whatever. I could check the cattle and make sure they’re all right in this kind of weather.”

“Make sure your phone is charged.” Cody covered a yawn with his hand. “That way, if we need you, we’ll call.”

“You got it,” Stevie said. “I’m surprised that I haven’t got texts or calls from folks in town who need help with their animals.”

“Mama has probably let her friends all know you are stranded out here on the ranch and couldn’t get to them even if you wanted to,” Cody said.

“Hadn’t thought of that.” Stevie headed toward her bedroom. So now she and Cody were friends, but there was a little piece of her heart that still wanted more, whether she would ever admit it out loud or not.

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

The past several days had all run together, and Stevie had to check her phone to see what day it was when the alarm awoke her that morning. “How did it get to be Sunday?” she muttered as she padded to the bunkhouse kitchen in her pajamas and socks.

“I don’t know, but I don’t think we’ll be going to church this morning.” Cody handed her a cup of coffee. “Seems like a month ago that we were stuck at Max’s barn.”