Wade looked at the unappetizing display on his plate and then at the expectant face of his daughter. Forcing a smile, he lifted his fork and tasted beef burgundy. It tasted even worse than it looked.
"Do you like it, Daddy? Do you like it?"
Wade chewed and chewed and chewed. "Honey, it's…unbelievable."
Zoe squealed and clapped her hands. "I knew you'd love it."
Wade glanced at Fawn and the adorable dimple playing peek-a-boo as she tried to suppress a smile.
"We're gonna surprise you again tomorrow," Zoe announced after he finally swallowed his first bite. He lifted his fork with another and inwardly sighed.
Fawn said, "Zoe, why don't you grab that drawing you did earlier so you can show your father?"
"Yeah, okay." Zoe pushed through the swinging kitchen door and called, "I'll be right back, Daddy!"
Fawn laughed and said conspiratorially, "Quick, give me your plate and I'll dump it down the disposal while she's gone."
"Am I that transparent?"
"No, you're actually a good actor. I just happened to have tasted our latest disaster before we served it to you." Fawn grabbed the plate Wade handed her and rushed to dispose of the contents.
He laughed and then said something he'd been meaning to say for a while. "Fawn, I want to thank you for spending quality time with Zoe. She's become a different child this past month. I haven't seen her so happy since…well, since her mother died."
"She's a joy, Wade; a special little girl." Fawn handed his plate back. "Um, Wade, have you ever wondered about the voices she says she hears?"
He set his plate down and placed his knife and fork across it. "I had a shrink tell me Zoe creates the voices as a way to garner attention."
"What if there's more to it than that?"
"I'm not sure I'm following you."
"What if…"
Zoe burst into the kitchen. "I got it. Hey, Daddy, you already finished. You want more?"
"Ah, Punkin, I think I'm good for now. What have you drawn?" He reached for her paper.
Excited, she said, "Fawn and I have been drawing my bedroom in different ways. And look, here's what it'll look like with lavender walls."
Fawn's cell phone squawked and interrupted Wade's praise of his daughter's design. Excitement lit her eyes as she grabbed the phone from her jean's pocket and said to Wade and Zoe, "That ringtone of an eagle's squawk belongs to my friend Roth. His wife is expecting their first child any day."
***
A shiver of anticipation ran up Fawn's spine. "Hello, Roth."
"Our prince has arrived."
"Oh, that's exciting! How is Rainey?"
"It was tough going for a while, but she's recovering quickly."
"You sound like you need recovery time, yourself."
He sighed. "Watching Rainey give birth to our son has given new meaning to the word love. I'm just happy the delivery part is over. Davide is beautiful; Rainey is beautiful; and life is beautiful."
"I can't wait to see our little prince." Fawn glanced at Wade and Zoe and gave them a thumbs-up sign. The deeper meaning behind her words, however, was known only to Roth and herself. She talked a few minutes longer and encouraged Roth to rest. After she ended the call, she sighed contentedly.
"What did your friends name their baby?" asked Zoe.
"They named him Davide. But they spell his name a little different." Fawn spelled the name for them.
"Is he a real prince?" Zoe asked.
Fawn coughed and fenced the question. "Wouldn't that be something?" To divert the conversation she asked Wade if he wanted a refill on his coffee.
"Yes, thank you. Where do your friends live?"
"Not far from Portland, Oregon."
"They sound like close friends. If you'd like a few days off to see the baby, I understand."
Fawn had a sudden inspiration, but she didn't want to speak it in front of Zoe. "Thank you, I'll think about it."
Later, when Wade walked to the barn to check on the horses, Fawn walked with him, leaving Zoe to search the cookbook for their next culinary adventure. Sam followed at her heels and Wade laughed. "That dog is head-over-heels in love with you."
"The feeling is mutual." She stooped to pat Sam's head and his old tail swished back and forth. She looked up at Wade and asked the question on her mind. "Wade, would you allow Zoe to go to Oregon with me and visit my friends?"
He knelt beside her and rubbed Sam's back.
She said quickly, "I think she would enjoy the trip, and my friends would love to meet her."
Wade rocked back on his heels. He chewed the inside of his cheek and pushed his Stetson back, and Fawn thought he was going to refuse, but then he stared into her eyes and the intensity of his emerald gaze put butterflies in her stomach. He must have found his answer in her eyes, because he said, "Maybe it would be good for Zoe to get away. All right, but I'm paying for both your airline tickets."
"Goodness, no; I'll pay for them."
"Fawn, I'll pay or the answer is no."
Seeing his determination, she relented. "Okay."