"Too tall, I'd say," Kent growled.

She glanced over at him and saw the jealousy in his eyes. She stepped close to him, lifted up on her toes, and placed a kiss on his lips. "Way too tall. You're just right."

"I better be." He gave her a sizzling kiss before he stepped back. "I hate to say it, but we better go. Hannah's waiting."

She smiled as she wiped away the hint of lip gloss she'd left on his mouth, thinking how much she liked a man who put her child first. "Let's see how she likes her new pony."

Lauren quickly got into her SUV and glanced at the empty booster seat. She wasn't used to being separated from her daughter, but Hannah needed to grow and develop friendships so that she felt comfortable in a larger world. If not for the fires, Lauren would think Wildcat Bluff was the perfect safe place for that to happen. But the fires gave her pause, so until the firebug was caught she'd stay cautious.

She drove to the Bluebonnet with Kent right behind her. She parked in front and he nestled his pickup beside her. She got out of her SUV, not bothering to lock it as she was relearning to do in Wildcat Bluff County. Kent joined her in front of the cafe and clasped her hand as Billye Jo rode up with Spot.

"I can't wait to see Hannah's face," Kent said in a low voice, squeezing Lauren's hand.

"Me too. I'm so excited to make her dream a reality." She let go of his hand and opened the door to the cafe. "If y'all will wait here, I'll get Hannah."

She took a deep breath before she stepped inside the Bluebonnet, feeling concerned that Hannah wouldn't like her pony. Maybe the pony would appear too small or not the right color or some other reason she couldn't imagine right now. She shut down those thoughts. She'd come all the way from Houston to give Hannah the opportunity to expand and grow and experience a bigger world. And that included becoming a cowgirl.

Lauren glanced around to see if anything had changed while she'd been gone from the county. Earlier she'd been too distracted with Hannah to notice. Now she was happy to see the cafe looked much the same as when it'd been updated and upgraded in the fifties. The interior was still all chrome, red vinyl booths and barstools, gray linoleum floor, and rough wood walls decorated with framed photos of veterans and rodeo winners, both considered defenders of Sure-Shot values.

A few folks sat at several of the chrome-framed tables with laminate surfaces and matching chrome chairs with red vinyl seats. A glossy black-and-white poster of Annie Oakley in a fancy cowgirl costume with a smoking Colt .45 in each hand graced the wall behind the long counter. On a round stool with a tall gla.s.s in front of her sat Hannah gazing up at the photo in rapt attention.

Lauren smiled at the sight of her contented daughter and nodded at Elsie, who stood with her hip c.o.c.ked at one table while she took an order on a pad with a pencil. She wore cat-eye, rhinestone eyegla.s.ses and her bright-red hair was pulled back in a curly ponytail. She'd squeezed her long-limbed body into a lilac tunic matched with hot-pink leggings and purple cowgirl boots.

Elsie grinned at Lauren, revealing bright-white teeth. "Your little darlin' is still sitting safely right where you left her." She laughed in a deep, husky tone. "All that sugar today and she probably won't sleep for a week. Just warning you."

"Thanks, Elsie. I'll take over now."

"Bring her back any time. We've talked cowgirls nonstop."

"Mommy," Hannah called as she swiveled around on the barstool. "Look at that lady!" She pointed at Annie Oakley. "She can ride standing on the back of a horse and shoot targets at the same time."

"That's right," Elsie agreed. "Annie wasn't called Little Miss Sure Shot' for nothing. She wowed the Queen of England and others in Europe back in her day."

Hannah giggled at Elsie's words.

Elsie gave a sharp nod. "One look at Annie's can-do American spirit and those folks knew they'd met a real, honest-to-goodness queen of the Wild West."

"That's me!" Hannah clapped her small hands together. "Only, may I be a princess?"

Elsie adjusted her snazzy gla.s.ses. "Darlin', you're a United States of America citizen, and that means you can be anything you want to be. Princess. Queen. President. You name it."

When Elsie received a round of applause from her diners, she raised her chin. "That goes for all of you. I'm here in Sure-Shot because it's the best place in the world for me. And I'm putting my MBA to work by running my very own business."

"And we're mighty grateful for that fact," one of diners called, "but do you think we could get our burgers and fries anytime soon?"

Elsie threw back her head and laughed till she wiped tears from her eyes. "Now that's one of the things I love about Sure-Shot. n.o.body's allowed to get the big head around here."

Lauren couldn't keep from chuckling along with Elsie, smelling onions and fries and grilled meat in a place that might be considered small on a bigger stage but was as big as the heart of Texas. She knew she'd done exactly right to come home as she looked at her adorable daughter. Hannah was perfectly content sitting at a counter with strangers all around her while drinking lemonade and deciding to be a princess.

She'd been worried for so long that Hannah would never come out of her sh.e.l.l from the loss of her father. Now that worry was slowly but surely being put to rest. Her daughter was blossoming in Wildcat Bluff. And nothing could suit her better.

"Mommy, do you want some lemonade? Elsie makes the very best."

"That's right," Elsie agreed, walking behind the counter. "And I'm serving Slade Steele pies made special for the Bluebonnet Cafe."

"How'd you manage that?" Lauren walked over, leaned down, and kissed Hannah's soft cheek. "I thought he was strictly working for Granny at the Chuckwagon Cafe."

Elsie flipped her long ponytail with one hand. "I have my ways."

"I'm sure you do," Lauren said with a smile.

"Honestly." Elsie turned serious. "Slade's reputation for pie-baking is growing far and wide. If he doesn't watch it, he's going to have a business take off out from under him."

"Like a mad bull?"

"If he can ride a bull, and that cowboy surely can, he can ride a business." Elsie picked up Hannah's empty gla.s.s. "I've already told him I'll help him any way I can to get his biz off the ground. You know, there's overnight shipping all over this great country. I might even be willing to throw in with him and add some items of my own."

"Sounds wonderful," Lauren said to encourage her.

"Truth of the matter, I want us to cater to the hipster market."

"What is that?"

"Hip millennials like quality over quant.i.ty. They'll pay extra for craft beer, gin, and vodka. Organic food and drinks."

"They aren't the only ones who like all that," Lauren agreed. "Folks such as Morning Glory got that ball rolling, didn't they?"

"Sure. But hipsters are expanding it now." She set down Hannah's gla.s.s behind the counter. "Slade's already making muscadine wine from his vineyard. We've been talking about him expanding his product and marketing it as craft. What do you think?"

"Sounds great."

"Thanks. We're just getting started here. Serena is going to get the Sure-Shot Beauty Station up and running pretty quick. It'll be fun for all of us."

"I'm thinking of starting something in our county, too."

"Really!" Elsie grinned in delight. "Great minds think alike. What are you going to do?"

"I'll let you know later." She glanced down at Hannah who was beginning to squirm impatiently. "Right now I've got a little girl who wants to see her first pony."

"All right!" Elsie leaned down and looked into Hannah's eyes. "Now, once you get your pony, you'd better get a tiara since you're going to be a cowgirl princess."

"Yeah!" Hannah leaped off the stool.

"Stop by and see me soon so we can talk business," Elsie said. "Folks used to leave our county to find work. Now we're creating it in our own backyard."

"That's great to hear. I'll be back to chat."

"See you later."

Lauren gave Elsie a warm smile, then took hold of Hannah's small hand and led her toward the front door.

Chapter 29.

When Lauren stepped outside the Bluebonnet Cafe, she waved at Kent and Billye Jo, who looked to be impatiently waiting for Hannah.

"Mommy! Is that a real, live pony?" Hannah screamed in delight, ran toward Spot, stopped in indecision, and danced back toward Lauren.

"That's Spot, a fine paint pony."

"Spot! That's the best name in the whole, wide world. And she's the most beautiful pony in the whole, wide world." Hannah twirled around in excitement, eyes wide with wonder. "May I touch her?"

"Come on." Lauren clasped her daughter's small hand, feeling as if her heart might burst with so much love and happiness. "It's time for you to meet your new friend."

"Spot. Spot. Spot." Hannah danced beside Lauren, bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Billye Jo, this is my daughter. And Hannah, this is the horse trainer who brought you Spot."

Hannah stuck out her small hand, shyly ducking her head. "I'm pleased to meet you."

Billye Jo reached down and shook Hannah's hand. "I'm delighted to know you, too."

"Thank you." Hannah raised her head to look at Spot. "Do you think she'll like me? I'm not a cowgirl."

"I think she'll like you very much." Billye Jo squatted to be on the same eye level as Hannah. "You see, Spot lost her cowgirl when that girl grew too big for a pony, so now Spot needs another little girl who'll love her and ride her and give her treats."

"I bet Spot's sad, isn't she?" Hannah straightened to her full height with determination in her brown eyes. "I may not be as good as Spot's cowgirl. I don't know how to ride and I don't have treats, but I'll love her with all my heart. And I'll do my best to keep her from feeling sad." She gave Lauren a worried look. "Mommy, isn't that right?"

"Oh, yes. And love is the most important part of all." Lauren glanced from her daughter to Kent and was rewarded with a slow, tender smile. If her heart had been full before, now it was overflowing with love. She felt proud of Hannah, who'd been sad for so long and now recognized how another could feel that same emotion. In reaching out to this pony with compa.s.sion, Hannah was also reaching out to herself as she moved into the healing process.

"I agree," Kent said in a voice gone deep and husky. "And soon, Hannah, you'll be the best cowgirl in the whole, wide world."

"Yay!" Hannah clapped her hands together, throwing off concern for excitement as she seesawed between the two emotions.

Billye Jo stood up, clasped Spot's halter, and led her forward. "Spot, meet Hannah. She's promised to love you and take care of you."

Hannah reached up and put her hand on Spot's velvety nose. She was rewarded with a burst of soft breath and an even softer nicker. "Oh, you're the best pony ever!" She threw her arms around Spot's neck and hugged while Spot turned her head, leaned down, and hugged Hannah back in that special way that horses show affection.

Lauren sniffed back tears of happiness. With so much love in Hannah's life, she would surely now leave her sad past behind and embrace her happy future in Wildcat Bluff. Lauren glanced at Kent, realizing that her daughter wasn't the only one discovering how much difference love could make in life.

"Horses heal." Kent put an arm around Lauren's waist and gently tugged her to his side. "Think how much good you're going to do with your equine-a.s.sisted therapy."

"What's that?" Billye Jo turned toward them. "Did you say something about hippotherapy?"

"Yes," Lauren agreed as she watched Hannah stroked Spot's long mane and murmur endearments. "I'm a physical therapist. I've had some training in equine-a.s.sisted therapy, but I intend to get a special certification."

"Lauren's got an idea to help folks in Wildcat Bluff County. I bet others will come here, too," Kent added with a touch of pride in his voice.

Billye Jo's eyes grew wide with admiration. "That's wonderful news. In Sure-Shot, we've been talking about training horses in equine-a.s.sisted therapy for some time, but we needed a therapist to bring our plan together."

"You've got her now." Kent dimpled as he gave them a big grin.

"That's terrific news." Billye Jo looked left and right, then leaned in close. "n.o.body but a few of us know this, but I've got a hippotherapy-certified horse right now."

"Really? I'm thrilled to hear it." Lauren felt her heart speed up with excitement. Hedy wouldn't need to wait for an appropriate horse.

"You're a sly one." Kent chuckled with good humor.

"Well, I wanted to see if I could do it. And I did." Billye Jo grinned, looking pleased with her accomplishment.

"Is your certified horse for sale?" Lauren asked, hoping she could afford the probably steep price.

"Nope."

Lauren felt deflated, realizing she might not be able to get Hedy help as quickly as she'd thought.

"But he can be borrowed."

"That'll work, too." Lauren felt a great sense of relief, not only for Hedy but for Hannah, who was now pressing kisses down Spot's long nose.

"Where are you going to be setting up shop?" Billye Jo asked.

"My place," Kent said. "At least for now. I've got that empty barn just waiting to be used again."

Billye Jo nodded in agreement. "Tell you what, let me know when you're ready to start and I'll bring my horse over."

"Do you trust us to take care of him?" Kent asked, obviously serious about the responsibility.

"Sure do." Billye Jo put her hands on her hips. "Besides, I plan to be there plenty to learn and help out."

"Thank you." Lauren felt almost overwhelmed by everyone's generosity, but she still didn't want impose on them. "I don't want you to feel obligated to volunteer so much. I'm happy to pay you for the use of your horse and your expertise."

"Won't hear a word of it." Billye Jo shook her head. "We're all learning at this stage. If we get this up and running, there'll be plenty to keep us going and help others at the same time. There are always horse folks, along with their horses, who can use work."

"Thanks." Lauren glanced over at Hannah, who was hugging Spot again. "But I'm definitely paying you for Spot."

"That's a deal because the money goes to a little cowgirl's college fund. I'm just handling the sale for her family."

"Be sure to let her know how happy Hannah is with Spot." Lauren had a sudden thought. "And let her know she's welcome to come and visit her former pony anytime she'd like."

"That's right generous," Billye Jo said, smiling. "I'll let her family know."