“Gimme that phone,” Holly shouted. “This is Holly, and I’m talking now. My goat won’t eat his smelly old boots. His goat might, but my sweet girl doesn’t like the taste of dirty feet.”

“That’s enough about boots,” Wyatt said. “And I don’t want to hear about goats while we’re at dinner with Victoria.”

Mack tried to keep the smile off his face, but it was impossible. He glanced over at Lily and chuckled. “I guess that means y’all better not talk about kissing Star on the nose, either.”

“Or that you’re getting a cat from Granny Hayes,” Lily said.

Holly squealed so loud that Lily could just imagine the expression on Wyatt’s face. “Mama said we can have a cat, Braden.”

“I got the phone again,” Braden said. “If she gets a kitten, does that mean I can have one, too?”

“I imagine one would get really lonely all by itself,” Lily said.

“What are you going to do with goats and cats when you move back to Austin this summer?” Wyatt asked.

“We’re going to take them with us,” Holly said in a sticky-sweet voice. “And when we come to visit you, we’ll bring them all along so you can get to know them.”

“Bye, Mama. Thanks for taking care of my boots, Mack.” Braden ended the call.

“I love those kids.” Mack laughed out loud.

“They’ve sure done a turnaround since we moved back home,” she said. “Thank you for helping with that.”

“I didn’t do anything.” He shrugged. “They had some troubles, but they’re both good kids, and they’re smart. You can’t fool a child, Lily. They know it when they’re loved.”

“I decided when we came to Comfort that I was going to show them that they were loved. I’ve told them for years, but I’m afraid that my actions were lacking. I let my work consume me, and then they spent too much time in their rooms or with unsavory friends.”

“But you’re taking steps to correct that, and it’s working.” After the phone call from the kids, Mack was more excited about his life at that very moment than he had been in too many years to count. He just hoped that Adam didn’t choose this evening to make a surprise visit to his folks.

Chapter Sixteen

The sun had solidified into a huge orange ball sliding down on the far horizon when Mack parked his truck in front of a small brick home on the outskirts of San Antonio. The front yard was so small it could have been cut with manicure scissors, and from what Lily could see from the passenger seat, the fenced backyard couldn’t have been much bigger.

“I would never have thought your parents would be happy with a place like this,” she said.

“They aren’t.” Mack unfastened his seat belt and turned to face her. “Dad hated it at first, but now he doesn’t remember living anywhere else until he comes to visit me, and then he thinks he’s back on his own little goat farm. He doesn’t know who Mama is some of the time, and he thinks Adam and I are still teenagers. He loves it when Mama brings him up to the farm, though. That’s what we call your place. He’ll sit for hours and hours and watch the baby goats romp around. It’s the only time I’ve seen him really happy lately. Just be prepared. He may not know you at all.” He got out of the truck and hurried around the front end to open the door for her.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling.

His mother, Nora, met them at the door. A tall, rawboned woman with more salt than pepper in her hair, she looked just like she had the last time Lily had seen her. Tonight she wore jeans and a pretty light-green sweater that matched her eyes. She gave Mack the first hug, and then she hugged Lily and whispered, “Orville is having a good day. I’m so glad y’all came.” Then she raised her voice. “I’ve got dinner ready to put on the table. I hope you still like fried chicken, Lily.”

“Of course she does,” Orville’s gruff old voice said from the living room. “I remember she always loved your fried chicken at the church potlucks. Come on in here and let me look at you, Brenda.”

She looked up at Mack, who shrugged. “Just play along with him.”

The house was laid out with what real estate agents called a great room—dining room, living room, and kitchen all combined. Lily left Mack’s side and went to give Orville a hug. He had always reminded her of a bulldog—a wide face with drooping jowls, broad shoulders, and big biceps. Mack had gotten the best features of both his parents—his height and those big, broad shoulders from Orville, and his face shape from his mother. Adam must have been a throwback to a past generation, Lily thought, because she couldn’t see a blessed thing about him in either of his parents.

Orville hugged her and then took a step back and looked down at her with a frown. “Where’s Adam? I thought he was coming with you. Why is Mack bringing you to dinner?”

“I just arrived at the same time he did, and we came in together,” Lily told him.

“Did I hear my name?” Adam came into the room with a big smile on his face.

“There he is,” Orville said. “I knew he’d be along soon if you were here. Nora, is supper ready? The kids are all here now. Brenda’s here, too. Seems like forever since we’ve seen her.”

“How’d you get here before me, darlin’?” Adam headed straight for Lily. “We always play along to keep from upsetting Dad,” he whispered as he leaned in for a kiss.

“Touch me, and the only thing you’ll be doing is staring at a hospital-room ceiling,” she said in a soft voice.

Orville sat down at the head of the table and motioned for everyone to take their places. Mack seated Lily while Adam pulled out a chair for his mother. Then both boys sat down across the table from each other. Orville bowed his head and said a short grace and then looked over at Lily.

“I’m so glad all you kids”—he frowned and cocked his head to one side—“you’re not Brenda. You’re Vera Miller’s daughter. I’ve got this forgetting problem lately so I can’t remember your name.” He picked up the platter of fried chicken, took two legs for himself, and passed it on to Adam.

“Thank you for having me.” And for recognizing me. “My name is Lily. Mama passed away, and I’m living in her old house in Comfort.”