She poured two glasses and handed one to Noah. Brittany handed the other to Cole, whose eyes turned hot and dark, the attraction between them clear.
They headed for the shade of the cow barn. While Noah chatted with Tory, and Carly and Ivy played with the big yellow cat, Cole and Brittany wandered deeper into the shadows of the barn.
Noah chuckled. “Maybe Cole has finally met a woman who won’t let him give her the brush-off.”
Tory followed his gaze to the couple talking softly, Cole laughing at something Brittany said. “Why would he want to do that?”
“He’s a man with no legs—or at least that’s the way Cole sees himself. In his mind, that makes him less than a man.”
“It’s obvious Brittany doesn’t see him that way,” Tory said.
“Britt’s been crushing on Cole since junior college,” Carly said. “And if you tell him that, Noah, you’re a dead man.”
Noah chuckled. “I won’t tell him. I just hope he’s smart enough to appreciate a beautiful woman like Britt. She’s pretty both inside and out.”
“Yes, she is,” Carly agreed.
They stood in the shade and finished their lemonade. Cole and Brittany joined them, and the men went back to work. Tory walked the women over to Carly’s flashy red convertible.
“I’m really glad we came,” Carly said through the window as they settled inside.
Tory smiled. “Me too. I hope you’ll come again soon.”
“We’ll be here for the barn raising,” Brittany said with a last glance at Cole.
“It’s going to be fun.” Carly cranked the powerful engine and the sports car rumbled to life. “I still can’t believe Linc bought me this. I usually drive one of the company pickups.”
“It’s gorgeous.”
“I thought he was crazy when I saw this parked out front Christmas morning, but I totally fell in love with it. I don’t get to drive it that often, but I figured today was the perfect day.”
Now that she was a mother, the car Tory would most love to have was a compact SUV. “It was great having you,” she said. “Come back anytime.”
“Thanks for the lemonade,” Brittany said. “And . . . umm . . . everything else.” A conspiratorial look passed between them and both of them grinned.
Tory waved as Ivy ran up beside her and the Stingray roared back down the dirt road toward the highway. She thought of the friends she had made.
It had been a very good day for her.
She just wished it had been a better day for Josh.
* * *
The service was almost over. Josh stood in a line of soldiers off to one side of the open grave next to Coy, a big, blond, hard-boiled former marine who lived up in Gainesville. A dozen other marines in DBs stood on the grass close by, some of them wounded vets Josh already knew, others soldiers and vets he’d met today.
Pete’s big extended Hispanic family filled rows of white plastic chairs set up beneath a canopy on the lawn, many of them openly crying, not afraid to show emotion. The vets were more stoic. They had learned to deal with loss a long time ago.
The area around the casket was filled with flowers, their sweet scent wafting through the air. The service overflowed with mourners. Pete was a popular guy in the community. An American flag draped over Pete’s coffin.
At the back of the crowd, a couple of men stood out from the rest, guys in dark suits with short-cropped hair. Like a lot of men who had served, Josh could smell law enforcement a mile away. Off-duty police? Detectives, maybe? Feds? He had a hunch it was some of each, couldn’t help wondering why the feds would be there.
So far Pete’s killer hadn’t been apprehended. Maybe they hoped he would show up today to revel in his accomplishment. Sadly, it wasn’t uncommon.
Josh steeled himself as a line of marines raised their rifles and fired three volleys, a final salute to a man who well deserved the honor. The sound recalled the nightmare he had suffered last night, waking covered in sweat to the imagined sound of explosions. He was glad he hadn’t spent the night with Tory.
The chaplain said a final prayer and in the distance, a lone bugle played taps. The flag was folded and presented to Pete’s wife, and the service was over.
As the mourners began to depart, Josh fell in among them. He was only a little surprised when one of the suits singled him out, this guy’s sport coat less expensive, a little rumpled. A local cop, he guessed.
