There were two things Mary enjoyed the most about the auctions; the auctioneer and the warehouse full of flowers. Becky’s gran would have been so proud of Mary. Even at her young age, she loved the color and texture of the blooms. She’d wander from stall to stall with Becky, pointing out the flowers she liked the best and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the early morning purchases.
Mary jumped off her chair when the doorbell rang. “It’s Sean.” Before Becky could stop her, she rushed across the room and opened the door. “Did you bring Henrietta and her babies?”
He kneeled on the floor and shook his head. “Not today, but I have something else you might be interested in.” Reaching for the box he’d brought with him, he showed Mary what was inside.
Her eyes widened. “Is it for me?”
“You can keep it here for a few days. Matthew and I used to play with it when we were your age. Look at this.” From inside the box, he pulled out a tiny plastic goat. “It’s almost as cute as Henrietta.”
Carefully, she took the goat out of Sean’s hands and carried it across to Becky. “It’s Henrietta.”
“So, it is. What else is in the box?”
“Fences and cows and tractors.” Racing back to Sean, she collected the box and showed Becky.
“Wow. You could build your own ranch.”
Mary nodded. “I could make one just like Sean’s.”
“How about you finish your dinner first? You can take Henrietta and ten other pieces from the set to the table with you.”
“Ten?”
Becky nodded. “Sean might help you hold them.”
Dipping her hand inside the box, Mary counted ten plastic shapes and gave half of them to Sean. “Will you look after the box while I finish dinner?”
“I’ll leave it beside the kitchen counter. It will be safe there.”
Mary’s eyes followed him as he left the box where she could see it.
“I’ve got something else for us, too.” Before Mary could follow him outside, he collected another box and opened the flap. “It’s a chocolate cream pie.”
Mary looked pleadingly at Becky.
“After you’ve finished dinner.” She smiled as Mary gave a resigned sigh. “Would you like some spaghetti and meatballs, Sean?”
“It smells delicious, but I’m okay. I ate before I came into town. I could make coffee while you’re finishing dinner?”
“That would be grand. We were longer at the school than we thought we’d be.”
While Mary told Sean about the play, he poured the coffee, then sat opposite her while she sang him a song.
Becky watched Mary’s reaction to Sean, the honesty and vulnerability in her gaze when she didn’t think he was watching her. In Sean, she’d found the father-figure that was missing from her life. At the moment it was fine but, once Matthew’s wedding was over, what would happen then?
Sean walkedonto the veranda carrying two cups of hot chocolate. After Becky put Mary to bed, she’d made herself comfortable outside, enjoying the last rays of sunshine as they dipped below the horizon. “I can add more milk if your drink is too strong.”
She glanced in the cup before smiling. “’Tis fine. It’s a treat having someone make me a hot chocolate. Usually, the only company I have after Mary goes to bed is a good book or the television.”
“Barbecue night at Nathan’s is about as exciting as my life gets.”
The soft sound of Becky’s laughter drifted across the still night air. “Listen to us. Anyone would think we were eighty-five years old and reminiscing about our younger years.”
Sean smiled. “Believe it or not, I used to enjoy going into town with my brothers. But as they found girlfriends and then got married, everything changed.”
“You’ll miss Matthew once he’s married, then. From what Sally has said, he has a wicked sense of humor.”
“He does, but he also has a heart of gold and a deep sense of loyalty to the people he loves.”
