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later, Daisy returned looking composed.
    â€œAll right?” he asked more because of his upbringing than because he cared. His mother had raised him to be a gentleman, and as such, he never could stand to see a woman cry—even if this particular woman had some sorrow coming.
    â€œGood as can be expected,” she said with a shrug. “Hearing my brother’s voice twisted me up inside. I wasn’t prepared for the rush of feelings it brought on. Reminded me how badly I miss my family—even Dallas. He and I were never close.”
    â€œCash speaks of you often.” Luke nabbed a piece of bacon. “Mostly about the good times. Misses you something fierce.”
    â€œI miss him, too. Maybe because we’re closest in age, but he’s secretly my favorite.”
    Luke smiled. “That boy’s straight up full of himself.”
    â€œStill handsome?”
    Just as much as you are pretty. The way a fog had rolled in, softening the sunlight on her hair, tightened his stomach. He hated the part of himself that had never quite gotten over her. “He’s all right. But as a man, I’m not really into his type.”
    â€œSure, sure. You don’t have to hide your attraction from me.” Her unexpected smile was his undoing. Oh—he had an attraction all right, but for the lone female of the Buckhorn siblings.
    â€œAll kidding aside, what’s your plan? Because if you and I don’t reach a peaceable custody agreement, I don’t have a problem with it getting ugly. I’ve already missed ten years with my son and I refuse to miss a minute more.”
    â€œI understand.” She paled, only this time it had nothing to do with the ever-increasing fog. “I’ll need to speak with my boss. Clear my schedule. Also, I think it would be best if initially, I meet up with my family without Kolt. I want them prepared so that meeting him doesn’t come as quite such a shock.”
    â€œAgreed.”
    While hammering out more details, it occurred to Luke that Daisy Buckhorn was still to this day the best-looking woman he’d ever seen. Good thing he wasn’t in the market for romance. More times than he could count, he’d been burned. He gave his heart too easily, only to have it handed back. Why? Females claimed he was incapable of trust—a fact for which he had Daisy to thank. Ironic, seeing how his job largely depended on him gaining an animal’s trust. Too bad for him women and horses didn’t have all that much in common.
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    â€œI WAS SO SCARED I’d never see you again.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” Daisy said, hugging her mother while they both cried in the entry hall of the home where she’d grown up. Georgina Buckhorn used the same orange blossom-scented lotion she always had, and, for Daisy, memories of being sweetly tucked into her bed androcked through every scraped knee were overwhelming. Trembling, she ingested the full burden of what she had done. In escaping Henry, she’d virtually thrown away everyone she’d ever loved. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t know what else to do.”
    â€œYou should’ve damn well talked to us,” Dallas said, next in line to crush her with a hug. “We’re family. There’s nothing we couldn’t have worked our way through—especially something as blessed as you having Luke’s baby.”
    Daisy prayed that by the time she left Weed Gulch, she’d have found the courage to tell her brother—along with the rest of her family—the true reason she’d run.
    â€œLord, I missed you,” Cash said when it was his turn for a hug. “And damned if you aren’t as pretty as I am handsome.” The comment was typical Cash and caused a much-needed release of tension.
    â€œHey, squirt.” Wyatt held her tight. “You think just because you’re all grown-up you can bust into the Boys’ Only tree