Free Second Song Cowboy (Second Chance) by Rhonda Lee Carver Page B

told me it’s your favorite.
    “You’re spoiling me.” He had a feeling she felt sorry for him , but he wouldn’t pass up a pie.
    “ I also brought mac and cheese, lasagna and corn casserole. Throw the meals into the microwave and nuke them on high for five minutes. Easy.”
    He c huckled. “Just because you’re married to our brother doesn’t mean you’re responsible for me and Deckland.” Although he loved her cooking.
    “What are sisters-in-law for?”
    “You certainly are the best.” They’d become close over the last few months and she felt a lot like the sister the Brooke men never had. Lord knew they needed a woman’s point of view added in the testosterone mix. “No dance classes today?”
    She shook her head, sending tendrils of hair falling from her bun. “I had one earlier and I’m done for the day. Jessica will be fine without me this afternoon.”
    “So, tell me the update. How’s the house coming?” Peyton and Dillon were in the final stages of building a house on her Uncle Marty’s land.
    Her exasperated sigh echoed off the walls. She dragged a chair out from the table and plopped down. “If I’d known it would be this frustrating, I’d have decided to stay in the farmhouse. Thankfully, we’re only looking at another few months.” She rolled her eyes. “Dillon and I got into an argument over a toilet. Can you believe it? A toilet for heaven’s sake! He wants extravagant and I’m looking at function. I’m used to penny pinching.”
    “ He does spend a lot more time on the toilet than you, I’m sure.” Dante pointed out. She nodded. “And no, you wouldn’t have stayed in your Uncle Marty’s house. You love your privacy too much.”
    Peyton thrummed her fingers across the table. “Okay, I do. But the biggest reason that Dillon and I decided to build our own place was because I feel Betty and my uncle need as much seclusion as my husband and I do. Uncle Marty doesn’t need me watching over him like he once did now that he has a companion. I’ll have my own space, my own house, but be close enough if they need anything.”
    “ Aren’t you really saying that since Aunt Betty moved in with Marty they’re like teenagers having wild and crazy sex?” Once upon a time, her cheeks would have flushed, but she was comfortable now that she’d gotten to know him.
    “Well, just between the two of us, I think Uncle Marty is a spring chicken again. Betty has done wonders for him, I’ll give her that. However, I’d rather not hear activities through the thin walls of a bedroom. And, Ollie doesn’t need to either.” She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and then smiled. “Speaking of which, guess what I found underneath my son’s mattress last week?”
    “ A nudie magazine?” He arched a brow.
    “H e wishes he had an entire magazine. I found a picture of a naked woman.” Her cheeks did redden now. “Dillon told me not to worry. He said this is normal for a boy who is maturing.”
    Dante winked. “Trust me, it is. How did you handle it?”
    “I traded the nude picture with one of Ollie and me when he was toddler.” A worried expression swept over her features. “Do you think I did the right thing?”
    “You’ve probably scarred the boy for life.” He held back another round of laughter.
    Her eyes widened and one corner of her mouth lowered. “Really? You think so?”
    “No, but it probably did keep the tro oper from standing to alert for a few days, if you know what I mean. How did he act when he found the new picture?” He couldn’t wait to hear the boy’s response. He’d gotten to know Oliver pretty well and Dante knew he was a great young fellow.
    “He didn’t say a word, but that night during dinner he sat with a red face.”
    “Maybe Dillon should have a talk with the boy, explain how the pipes work.”
    Peyton sighed. “That’s planned tonight. Thank goodness, I don’t have to. I would, but it’d be very awkward.” She stood up. “Well, I’ve