Beneath the Texas Moon

Daniel rubbed his hands together. “I came to renovate one very old and needy house. Where do you want to begin?”

Eve forced herself to concentrate on the task and led Daniel through the house. From one room to the next, she told him what she envisioned, and he gave her pointers and suggestions. When the tour was complete, they left through the front door.

Daniel marched the length of the weathered porch bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Some of these boards are warped and need to be replaced, and this column is practically rotted through. I’m surprised the roof isn’t sagging. The good news is that the electricity was replaced fifteen years ago, the bad news is the exterior paint’s peeling and the plumbing needs work. This renovation is going to cost.”

“I expected as much. I’ve got the money set aside.” Eve’s gaze scanned the yard for her son. “Let me check on Joey.”

“Great. I’ll be just a minute,” Daniel said.

While Daniel measured the boards, Eve ambled around the side of the house in search of Joey and Mac.

They squatted in a corner of the yard staring at the dirt.

Mac pointed down and talked in a low, steady tone, his words inaudible at that distance.

Joey listened, his eyes round and eager.

Mac reached over, pressed Joey’s foot into the dust and lifted it straight up. He pointed to the print Joey’s shoe had made and to something in the dirt next to it.

Joey eyes lit with excitement at Eve’s approach. He ran to her side, grabbed her hand and tugged her in Mac’s direction. When they reached him, Joey poked a finger toward the powdery white dirt typical of the dry Texas hill country.

A perfect track of tiny shoe treads was set in the limestone dust.

“Is that your print, Joey?” Eve smiled at her son.

His head bobbed, and he pointed to the indentations next to his shoe print.

“What is it?” Eve asked.

“A deer track.” Mac stood and brushed his hands along the sides of his jeans.

Eve’s heart stirred. Mac had been showing Joey how to read tracks in the dirt. It was one of those man-things she would never have thought to teach her son. She frowned. This was the first time she’d considered how much Joey would miss by not having a father in his life. But a father was totally different from a stepfather. A father usually cared. Although, Joey’s father had cared more for his dogs than his son. The odds were even worse with a stepfather. Hers hadn’t cared, and he’d proven it over and over.

She straightened and looked up into Mac’s eyes, immediately wishing she hadn’t. This man had an effect on her, and she wasn’t so sure she liked it.

“If you’re through with my foreman, we have livestock to tend.” His voice was low and resonant.

Assimilating his words, Eve looked up and repeated, “Livestock? What kind of livestock?”

“Cattle and goats. One of our breeder nannies disappeared some time over the past two days.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.

Mac shrugged and rubbed a hand over Joey’s head. “See ya later, big guy. Bet if you look around, you’ll find more tracks.”

Joey hugged Mac around the kneecaps, and not two seconds later, he darted across the yard, stopping every two or three steps to check the ground.

Eve smiled at Mac. “I’m impressed.”

A frown settled between his eyes. “About what?”

“I haven’t seen Joey this carefree in months.” Eve swallowed the lump in her throat. “Thanks.”

“He’s a great kid.” Mac’s gaze followed her son around the yard.

“I’m ready when you are.” Daniel said as he sauntered over to the corner where Mac and Eve stood. He smiled and nodded toward Eve. “I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.” The foreman climbed into the truck.

As Mac turned to follow, Joey raced up and grabbed his hand, tugging him back toward the house.

“I have to go now, Joey,” Mac said. But he allowed the child to drag him a few more feet.

Joey pointed at a dry patch of dirt, and then looked up at the cowboy.

“Another track?” Mac squatted next to him. “Looks like a dog’s print.”

Joey’s little body stiffened, and his glance darted from side to side as if he expected to see the dog. Then he spun and raced for the house.

Mac straightened and planted his hat on his head.

“Don’t worry.” Eve said. “He’ll get over it.”

Mac frowned down at the track. “Do you own a dog?”

“No,” Eve answered. “Why?”

“This track is recent and fairly large.”

“I heard an animal howl last night and it sounded pretty close.” That eerie sound had echoed in her head until the wee hours. “Do you think it was the same one that left the print?”

“Most likely. You might want to keep an eye out for it.”

“Do you think it could be dangerous?” A trickle of fear edged into her belly.

“Any strange animal could be dangerous. Wild animals usually don’t stray close to town, but with you being on the edge, they don’t always know the boundaries.”

Mac nodded toward the house where Joey stood behind the porch rail, staring through the slats. “Just keep an eye out.” He climbed in beside Daniel and the truck rumbled away.

Eve stared down at the dog track. Despite the heat of the Texas sun beating its late morning rays through the breaks in the clouds, goose bumps rose on her arms.

She shook back her concerns and took off for the house and the mountains of work awaiting her.

On the porch, she gathered Joey in her arms and hugged him close, inhaling his little-boy scent of dust and baby shampoo.

As she reached for the doorknob, the roar of an engine drew her attention back to the driveway, and she glanced up, half hoping Mac and his foreman had forgotten something. Instead of a truck, a shiny black Lexus pulled into the yard.

A man dressed in a gray suit stepped out of the car, brushing the fabric of his jacket smooth of wrinkles. Although of similar height and build to Mac McGuire, this man was strikingly handsome in a polished way, unlike Mac’s rough exterior. His pale blue-gray eyes shown beneath sooty black brows and hair sprinkled with gray. Yet, despite the gray, he appeared to be about thirty.

He smiled, his grin engaging. He looked every bit the confident and successful businessman. “Ms. Baxter?”