“No ‘how do you do’ or anything?” Rowdy teased. “My feelings are hurt.”
“As they should be. This smile of mine has been known to cause men to faint,” she drawled. “I finally understand why all three of my ex-husbands just lay around the house during our years of matrimonial torture—they’d passed out from my smile. And all that time I mistakenly called them lazy no ’counts.”
Morgan and Rowdy both grinned. Edwina hadn’t had the best record with men. At least she could joke about it.
“You’re probably right. No need to smile on our ’counts,” Morgan said.
“Yeah, I’ve got horses to ride when I get home,” Rowdy added. “No time for passing out, so it’s just as well you keep your frown firmly planted downhill.”
She tugged her pencil from the crease of her ear. “You two always were the smarter ones— Well, I take that back. Rowdy, you’ve still got some catching up to do. But I’ll tell you what. If I decide to tag a fourth husband to my belt, I’ll give you first shot. How’s that sound? And Tucker already turned me down, just so you know.”
“Well, Ed, that sounds like a plan. In the meantime I’ll have coffee and a piece of the chocolate pie the boys recommended. And I’m wounded that you made the offer to Tucker first.”
“Hey, he’s the law around these parts. It was just smart thinkin’ on my end. But he’s passin’ on my beauty. Morgan, what about you?”
“Ed, are we still talking marriage or pie?”
She gave her lopsided grin that took up most of one side of her face. “You’re taken already, so we’re talking pie.”
“Then I’ll have the same as Rowdy.”
“Back in a jiffy.”
When she was gone Morgan asked, “So what’s the story with you and Lucy? If I had just suspected something was going on, it was made perfectly clear in the pen with the calf yesterday.”
Rowdy leaned in. “I messed up. I kissed her.”
There was a heavy pause as Morgan let the words sink in. “So that’s it. It’s plain you two have a connection.”
“It was a stupid thing to do. She’s had it rough and—” he shifted uncomfortably “—with my past, when she learns of it, I won’t be her fondest friend. As it is, she’s had it so rough that trusting a man is the last thing she’s going to do and one who just hauls off and kisses her? Big mistake.” He kept his voice low. There was no way he wanted anyone else hearing what he had to say. Talking about this in the diner was a mistake.
“I’m impressed.”
Rowdy was not in the mood for jokes, and the glare he shot Morgan said as much.
“Hey, I’m serious. You obviously have some good emotions going on for Lucy if you’re this concerned. That’s a good thing.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I’m supposed to be changed—to be moving slowly where women are concerned—and here I up and kissed her.”
Edwina walked up with their pie and he leaned back again and tried to look relaxed.
She gave him the eagle eye as she placed the plate and his coffee in front of him. “You look like you ate a porcupine while I was gone.”