Chapter 3“I like it too.”
She jumped at the voice, close behind her, and spun around, stopping barely short of bumping into Dusty’s chest. “What are you doing here?” It came out a squeak.
“Just fooling around. It’s my daughter’s birthday next week. Thought maybe I’d find something to send her. She lives in Phoenix now with her mother and stepfather.”
Mari’s heart sank still farther. He has a daughter? But the daughter has a stepfather, which means…”Oh, I see.” Yes, she did see. A lot, almost too much. A big icy lump settled in her belly.
“And you’re shopping for a graduation dress.”
She fidgeted, suddenly shy to be talking to him right out in public. “Yeah. I guess I’ll go look in Wal-Mart.”
Dusty lifted one feathery sun-bleached eyebrow, his expression quizzically. “What’s wrong wit
