Chapter 24

Sammy Glover swore her heart had stopped beating. She first looked at Bear for help, but he simply raised his eyebrows. She had pressed the issue about cooking, but how could she have known? Misty talked about cooking like she loved it, and most people learned to cook from their momma's or grandmother's.

"I'm so sorry, honey," she said when Link didn't offer any help either. To his credit, he had tried to warn her. She covered Misty's hand with hers. "I apologize for bringing it up."

"It's okay," Misty said. "My fault. I'll keep the conversation lighter." She glanced over to Link. "You said it would be lively."

"It usually is," he grumbled. "Heather, didn't you have a story from the pool today?"

"Oh, dove tails," she said. "You would not believe what people try to take into the pool with them." From there, his sister let her mouth run, telling a story about a package of chocolate cakes that had gotten loose from a child and looked like something terrible.

Everyone laughed, and the mood lightened. Until Daddy asked, "Do you have brothers and sisters, Misty?"

Sammy tensed again, but Misty easily said, "Yeah, just one brother, though. Nothing like this." She smiled around at everyone. "You guys don't know how lucky you are." She sure seemed to radiate light, and Sammy sure did like her for Link.

She was bright and fun and outgoing while he tended to stand on sidelines and observe. Together, they'd be a perfect team, and as Sammy watched her son, she could see he'd fallen. He was completely smitten with Misty, though he'd probably tell her as much if she asked.

Misty grinned at him, touched him, and seemed perfectly at-ease with him too. They knew each other, and she appeared to be just as into the relationship as Link. Thankfully.

Misty didn't name her brother or tell them where he was or what he was doing, and Sammy sure wasn't going to ask. Bear had gotten the memo too, because he didn't follow up with the most logical question either.

She couldn't comprehend not even having Thanksgiving dinner, or something special for Christmas. Even a grilled ham and cheese sandwich on Easter.

What about her birthday?Sammy thought, the question growing inside her. Everyone deserved something amazing and special on their birthday, even if the item was trivial. It meant someone, somewhere, had been thinking about them.

"When's your birthday, Misty?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Both Misty and Link looked at her, and Link didn't jump in to answer for his girlfriend.

"Momma celebrates her birthday early," Smiles said.

That brought another drape over the table, but Sammy smiled at her son. "I do," she said. "My sister and her husband died close to my birthday, and I didn't want to be thinking about that when I should be celebrating." She casually stabbed another piece of turkey and swiped it through her pile of mashed potatoes and gravy.

"Mine's in March," Misty said.

"Oh, same as Link," Sammy said.

They both nodded, and Sammy would ask him what day later. Perhaps they could stage a big party for the two of them in True Blue.

"Momma," Link said, already shaking his head. "It's not necessary."

"What?" Sammy asked innocently. "You'll be twenty-seven in a few months. That's a big milestone."

"Is it?" he challenged. "Maybe I missed all the hype around twenty-seventh birthdays." He looked over to his father. "What did you do for your twenty-seventh birthday, Daddy?"

Bear smiled, of all things. "I worked the ranch." He took a big bite of his roll and said nothing more.

Sammy wanted to roll her eyes. "How old will you be in March, Misty?"

"Thirty-one, ma'am."

Sammy's heart fell to the soles of her shoes, especially when Link said, "Also not a milestone, Momma."

"Still, March is a big month for us," she said. She gestured between her and Bear. "We got married in March. So did Oakley and Ranger."

"On the same day," Bear said.

"So we could just have a big family celebration."

"I like parties," Misty said, and Sammy practically lunged at her to hug her.

"There you go. She likes parties, so we'll have a party."

"It's months away, Momma," Link said, glaring at her out of the corner of his eye.

Sammy knew how to win this and get out of it at the same time. "So we'll just wait and see." She smiled at Misty and looked over to Rock. "Rock, we get three sentences on what you did in your rodeo prep class this morning."

He looked at her like she'd just said speaking three sentences would torture him, but she didn't budge an inch. If she didn't give him a stipulation, he'd say nothing.

"Then can I tell everyone about the new girl in my health class?" Smiles asked. Sammy would get two whole conversations from him, and she nodded at him while also telling him with her eyes to stay quiet until Rock had his turn.

"Is this a new girl you like or just a new girl?" Daddy asked.

"It's Smiles," Heather said with a snort. "What do you think?"

Smiles didn't deny that he was a bit of a flirt, or that he seemed to like every female who smiled back at him. In fact, he just smiled while his siblings teased him—everyone but Rock.

Sammy let it go on for a few moments, and then she said, "All right, all right. Rock, your turn."

He put another big bite of bread in his mouth, but they'd all learned to wait for him. If they didn't, he'd get out of talking, and Sammy would have to nag him again the same way she had Smiles about filling the cups with ice before dinner.

Sammy knew all of her children and the things they did to avoid what they didn't like to do. So she waited, and finally Rock said, "It's just the beginning, and we've started with a first aid unit."

That was one sentence, and Sammy waited patiently for a second, her love for her family expanding and filling her whole heart. She glanced at Misty, and she easily absorbed her into her heart too, which caused her to instantly start praying that all would work out between her and Link.

Her beautiful son, who Sammy knew only wanted someone to see him and love him and choose him.