As the women walked up on the porch, she noticed Brittany looking over at the cow barn. Cole and Noah were hard at work. Cole had his shirt off, and to say the man was ripped would be an understatement. Tory didn’t blame the brunette for staring.
As she led the women inside, Ivy ran up, shiny blond ponytail bouncing against her back. A little pink gathered smock with a unicorn on the front covered a pair of pink leggings.
“Ivy, these are friends of Josh’s. His brother’s wife, Carly, and her friend Brittany.”
Carly crouched down to Ivy’s height. “It’s nice to meet you, Ivy. Josh told us all about you.”
“He did?”
“Well, he told Linc about you and Linc told me so I feel like I know you already.”
“You’re pretty,” Ivy said.
Carly reached out and touched her cheek. “So are you, sweetheart.”
“Brittany’s a teacher,” Tory said.
Ivy looked up at her. “I can’t go to regular kinnygarten because we move around too much. But Josh says we can stay, so maybe I can go to your school when I’m old enough.”
Brittany kept the smile on her face. Tory wondered how much Carly had told her about Damon and what had led to the roundabout journey that had ended in Iron Springs.
“We have some very nice schools around here,” Brittany said. “And the bus could pick you up right out at the gate.”
Ivy swung her gaze to Tory, clearly excited. “Can I, Mama? Can I go to regular school?”
She swallowed. “We’ll see, honey. School doesn’t start till September. We’ve got a long time before then.”
“But maybe?”
“Maybe.”
Apparently satisfied, Ivy hurried back to the living room, plopped back down in front of the TV.
Tory busied herself getting down glasses, filling them with ice, pouring the lemonade, and handing the glasses around.
“I hope I didn’t speak out of line,” Brittany said, taking a sip.
Tory shook her head. “Not at all. It would be wonderful if Ivy could go to kindergarten in the fall. But the truth is a lot could happen between now and then.”
She wasn’t just thinking of Damon; she was thinking of her relationship with Josh. There was no way to know where it was going, if they would still be together in the fall. The thought stirred an ache in her chest.
She looked up at Brittany, saw that her gaze had wandered out the window. From where she stood, she could watch Cole working.
“I’ve got an idea,” Tory said. “It’s hot outside, and the guys have been working hard all day. Why don’t we take them some lemonade, too?”
Brittany beamed. “That’s a great idea.”
Tory glanced at Carly, who gave her a grateful smile. Clearly there was some matching going on here.
“Come on, Ivy, honey. We’re taking a quick walk outside.”
“’Kay.” She jumped up and ran to join them. “I’m ready to go.”
Tory got down a tray for the lemonade and some red plastic cups, poured a cup for Ivy, and they all took their drinks outside. The men spotted them and tossed aside their tools.
When Cole reached for his shirt and began to shrug it on, Tory bit back a smile at Brittany’s disappointment.
“We thought you might be thirsty,” Tory said, setting the tray down on a piece of plywood on top of a pair of sawhorses.
