Her Surprise Cowboy

Excerpt:

    THE SHELTER CREEK Easter Celebration was in full swing. Kids were running around clutch-ing empty baskets for the upcoming egg hunt, vendors were selling food and drinks. People had brought picnics and set up blankets and chairs around the edge of the grassy town square. There was a long line at the gazebo, where people were waiting to get their photo with the Easter Bunny.
    Trisha, always organized, had gotten them there early, so they hadn’t had to wait for Henry’s Easter photo. Then they’d had one taken with the three of them together. Their very first family photo. Liam figured both he and Trisha looked pretty awkward in it, but maybe that was okay. At least it was honest.
    Now he was standing with Trisha and all her friends, watching Jace’s younger kids participate in the egg-rolling event. Carly, their older sister, had wandered off a while ago, disappearing into one of those clumps of teenage girls who seemed to function as one big blob, moving around the town square to-gether in a conglomeration of color and mo-tion and high-pitched giggles.
    Trisha was leaning on the handlebar of Henry’s jogging stroller. “Jace is taking this egg roll really seriously,” Liam whispered to her. He was rewarded with a smile as she looked at Jace to see what Liam meant.
    Jace was on the sidelines coaching Alex in the best way to push his egg forward with the long-handled wooden spoon.
    “He might even be turning into a helicop-ter parent,” Trisha whispered back, only half joking. “I think he’s trying to give those kids everything they never had before they came to live with him. He goes all out for every holiday.”
    “That’s cool. I want to be like that. Super dad.” Liam knelt down next to Henry, who had a front row view of the egg roll from his stroller. “What do you think, buddy? Me and you, winning this egg roll in about three years?”