“Uncle Smokey got his nickname in the army. When the city boys asked him where he was from, he’d tell them that he lived so far back in the sticks that they had to use smoke signals to communicate with folks in the next town,” Luke told her.

“I thought it might be from that old movie Smokey and the Bandit, but that’s way funnier.” Diana smiled.

The uncomfortable silence returned. What had he done wrong? He’d never been really good with small talk or women—that was the curse of being a computer geek. Diana didn’t ask anything else or start another conversation—maybe that night she wanted to be alone with her own thoughts.

But Luke liked the sound of her voice too much to let it go, so he finally asked, “Do you like to read? I’ve noticed that Carmen and Joanie read a lot. You just work all the time. I was a lot like that, too, until I sold my company. I buried myself in my work and forgot to live.”

“Did you like what you did?” She sat down on a park bench beside the path. “Is that a golf course right there?”

“The brochure I got when I checked us in said there was a six-hole course on the grounds, so I guess it is. Do you play?”

“Nope,” she answered. “You?”

“Not me,” he answered. “Like I said, I’ve always been a workaholic.” He sat down on the other end of the bench. “It gave purpose to my life at the time. But about a year ago it became boring, so it was time to sell out and move on. I’m thinking about starting a new company where I’ll produce computer software that can design lighter-weight and better prostheses for our war veterans. There’s lots of that kind of thing out there, but I’ve got some ideas to improve on what’s available now.”

“That sounds amazing.” The wind whipped her shoulder-length red hair into her face.

Luke stopped himself from reaching out to tuck it behind her ear. “It’s just a way to give back to all the veterans. For Uncle Smokey.”

Diana pulled a rubber band from her pocket and twisted her hair up into a ponytail, then zipped up her lightweight jacket. “I hope Tootsie starts to feel better when we get to the house. Do you think it’ll be colder up in northern Texas? I didn’t bring a heavier coat.”

“It can get pretty chilly. I went up there a couple of times for Thanksgiving so Uncle Smokey and Aunt Tootsie would have some company. A couple of times we got an inch of snow. Want my sweater?” Luke asked. He started to unbutton the cardigan.

She shook her head. “I’m fine for now—just wondering if I’d packed the right stuff.”

“There are stores all along the way, and it’s only a half-hour drive to Paris. We usually make weekly trips down there to get supplies,” he said.

“In the RV?”

“Nope, not in the RV. We’ll do that in Uncle Smokey’s old truck. It’s about thirty years old, but it still runs like it’s brand new.”

“Why would they keep a truck and only use it a couple of months out of the year? Until this year, they’d drive up there in their car, right?”

“That many trips into town on those roads would shake the hell out of their Caddy. And believe me, Aunt Tootsie treats that car like family.” Luke chuckled. “Age, on a truck or on a person, makes no difference. It’s how well they’re maintained that matters.”

Why, oh, why, couldn’t he have smooth pickup lines like other men? Luke asked himself. What he’d just said could be taken as an insult. She might think that he thought she looked like an old pickup truck at her age, when in reality she was downright gorgeous. He wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she still got carded at bars when she ordered a drink.

“I didn’t mean that you’re old,” he stammered.

“I didn’t take it that way.” Diana smiled. “I took it as a compliment. Thank you for saying it, because I’ve sure been feeling old this past week.”

“I wouldn’t know why. You’re a beautiful woman, Diana.” He stopped and stared at the sunset over the golf course.

She turned to face him. “I’m tall and gangly. I have red hair and freckles. I’m old enough to have a daughter in the army . . .”

He laid a hand on her shoulder. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not in a bathroom mirror. I think you are gorgeous.”

“Well, thank you again. It’s been a long time since anyone said something that nice about me.” Diana blushed.

He removed his hand, and they continued on, but the silence wasn’t nearly as awkward as it had been before.

Chapter Six

Chocolate-chip pancakes with bacon on the side had been the traditional Sunday-morning breakfast since Natalie was a toddler. Carmen awoke with that on her mind and had already slung her legs off the top bunk before she remembered where she was. All the events since Wednesday flashed through her mind like she’d pushed the fast-forward button on the remote control.

She pulled her legs back up and covered her head with the blanket. She wanted to just stay in bed all day. Everyone had been so good to support her that she couldn’t be the drama queen and ruin the trip for everyone. Why didn’t Eli just come home? If she could talk to him in person for only a week, maybe they could get all this sorted out. He’d taken emergency leave when his mother had her appendix removed, and that was just day surgery.

She threw the covers back and glared at the ceiling. Her imagination took control. The only reason why Eli wouldn’t want to face her was if he’d been cheating on her. What did the woman look like? Was she smarter than Carmen? Was she younger? Did his mother like her?

Sitting up and taking a deep breath, she tried to put the negative thoughts out of her mind. She crawled down the ladder at the side of the bed and peeked around the kitchen area to see Luke at the stove. She was fully covered in her pajamas, but it just didn’t seem right to parade around in front of another man in her night clothing. She grabbed up the clothes she’d laid out on the foot of her bed the night before and dashed into the bathroom, where she dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, brushed her teeth, and pulled her dark hair back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She dropped her folded pajamas on the bed, and in half a dozen steps she was in the kitchen area.

“Good mornin’, Carmen. Coffee is made. Biscuits are about done, and sausage gravy is ready. I’ll have this bacon fried in a few minutes. How do you like your eggs?” Luke asked.