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“Oh, yeah,” Sunny grins. “That was me.”

“Your ex ran down Main Street in his underwear because your mom dragged him out of the backseat of his car shaking him like a rag doll,” Emberlynn says, clearly delighted. “He was caught cheating on Floozy with another woman.”

“So, he was running, the woman he was cheating with was running, and Floozy went chasing them both,” Sunny says.

We all laugh except for our mother.

She smooths her hair and clears her throat. “Yes, well…Kyra asked me to pick up some things for her. She’s planning to extend her stay a few days.”

“To keep you with her so you won’t become a felon,” Sunny teases.

My mother sends her a glance. “I’ll go pack what Kyra needs,” she says and heads to the bedroom.

“Seriously, I thought Mom was going to snatch Floozy bald. She was yanking her hair for all she was worth,” Sunny says. “Dad was running toward them both telling Mom to stop acting crazy. Then he stepped between them and kept asking Floozy if she was okay.”

“Poor Mom.”

“Ms. Carter was so mad that she hit Dad in the ankle with the duck head part of her cane and he was hobbling about saying he was a victim because he’d been cheated on.”

“After what he did to Mom, that’s rich.”

“I know.” Sunny shakes her head. “It was such a circus.”

“On the one hand, I’m glad I was out of town but on the other hand, I wish I’d been there to defend Mom,” I say.

“She was fine,” Emberlynn says firmly. “And she’ll be fine going forward. Sure, she’s had hard days and might go through a few more, but she’s strong and she’s clearly had enough of Floozy and your dad’s bullshit.”

My phone alerts me and I check it to find a message from Midnight Cowboy.

To: Sunflower

Subject: What a night

I feel like I’m seeing someone for the first time even though I’ve known her since we were kids.

Anyway…I’ve got to go sing to my horse. I took my old mare, Lady Grace, out earlier and I think he was jealous. He was acting agitated when I got home from my folks’ house tonight.

~Midnight Cowboy

“What are you smiling about?”

I turn my phone around to show her the message.

“Sing to his horse? Maverick does that,” Emberlynn says.

“Are you sure?” Sunny asks.

“I am,” Emberlynn insists. “He has an old mare named Lady Grace that he took in when the former owner couldn’t care for her anymore. My grandma told me.”

I lower the phone, rejecting the idea. “No, this can’t be him.”

How could it be possible that Midnight Cowboy is Maverick????

Chapter 8

Maverick

I finish the message to Sunflower and sit to pull my boots on. Something tickles at the back of my mind. Sunflower…sunflo…the keychain…Tempest had a leather keychain with a sunflower painted on it in tray on the foyer table.