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At that moment Sammy came back into the kitchen, Lady at his heels and his arms full of all kinds of dog items. “Daddy, can you help me put the collar on Lady? I tried and tried to do it, but I can’t get her to sit still long enough to get it on her.”

Seth laughed. Suzanna loved the sound of his deep laughter. It warmed places inside her that hadn’t been warmed in a very long time.

She watched as Seth got the pink-and-white collar on the squirming puppy and then showed Sammy how to fasten the leash. “Daddy, she doesn’t like it,” Sammy exclaimed unhappily as Lady fought against the leash.

“She just needs to get used to it,” Seth replied. “Let’s all take her outside.”

“I’ll carry her out,” Sammy replied, still obviously upset that the puppy was upset. Sammy picked Lady up in his arms, and then the three of them went out the door to the backyard.

Suzanna knew she should probably leave, but she was thoroughly enjoying her time with Seth and Sammy and the new puppy, and so she was reluctant to head back to her quiet, lonely home.

“Now put her down in the grass, son,” Seth instructed. “And when she does her business you need to tell her what a good girl she is and give her lots of loving. Once she’s finished, you take her back inside. Before long she’ll learn the routine.”

“I just hope I remember the routine,” Sammy replied as he put the dog down in the grass. Lady continued to fight against the leash for a few minutes and then settled down and began sniffing the grass.

Within minutes the dog peed and Sammy picked her up and lavished love on her, and then they all went back inside. Sammy and Lady went back into the living room to play, and Suzanna began to pick up the trash in the kitchen.

“You really don’t need to do that,” Seth protested.

“I don’t mind at all,” she replied. Besides, it gave her a reason to hang around a little longer.

As they cleaned up, they talked about the party and how well it had gone. “You had it planned perfectly,” she said. “And the bouncy house was a touch of genius.”

He laughed. “I can’t take full credit for it. Harper Bravano at the bakery told me Vernon Ingram had a bouncy house for rent if I was interested. She introduced me to Vernon, who arranged to have it set up here for today.”

“Harper is a very nice woman. She nearly lost her life when some creep tried to burn down the bakery with her in it. At that time, she was Harper Brennan. Sam Bravano, who is a local carpenter, had been dating Harper. Thankfully he managed to get her out of the burning building,” Suzanna explained as she continued to pick up trash.

“Anyway, Sam and his brothers rebuilt the bakery and then a couple of months ago Harper and Sam married.”

“Did they find out why it was set on fire?” Seth asked curiously.

“Jealousy. Apparently one of Harper’s regular customers who would come in and have coffee each morning developed an obsession with her. His name was Joe Rogers, and as he saw Harper and Sam getting closer, he developed a rage toward Harper, and so he set the fire in an effort to kill her.”

“What happened to the creep?” Seth asked as he bent over to pick up a couple of dirty plates from the floor.

“Oh, he was arrested and is now in prison serving time for attempted murder and arson.”

“That’s good. It’s always a win when a bad guy goes to jail.” Most of the dirty dishes and party paper were now in the trash, and he gestured her back to the table. “Want another cup of coffee?”

“I guess I could drink one more before I head out,” she replied. She glanced toward the window, where the sunshine had disappeared beneath a thick layer of clouds that had moved in. “It looks like our mild weather is about to change.”

“Yeah, I knew there was a front moving in late today. I’m just glad it waited until the party was over. It was so much easier to let them play outside rather than figure out how to entertain them all inside.” It didn’t take him long to serve the coffee and then join her at the table.

“I haven’t had a chance to ask you, did Dallas ever find the car that hit yours?” His blue eyes bathed her with a concern and caring that warmed her from her head to her toes.

“Unfortunately, no. He was hoping the car would show up at O’Brian’s repair shop with front-end damage, but that didn’t happen, or at least it hasn’t happened yet. Meanwhile he’s been checking with other car repair shops around the area.”

She reached up and shoved her shiny hair behind her ear. “I’ve decided it was probably a drunk driver. He or she probably sobered up and didn’t even remember hitting me. And maybe confusing dents and scratches on their car is just a way of life for them.”

“God, that’s a horrifying thought,” he replied.

“It is, isn’t it? Now I’m in the market for a new car. Mine was totaled by the insurance company. I’m just waiting for a check from them and then it’s car shopping time for me.”

“If you want company while you look at cars, just call me and I’ll go shopping with you,” he replied.

“Thanks, I just might do that because I know absolutely nothing about cars. All I know is how to put the gas in and press the button or turn a key to go.” She paused to sip her coffee, wondering what she was doing. Why was she looking forward to spending more time with Seth? Nothing would come of it. She didn’t want anything to come of it…or did she?

They finished their coffee and then moved back into the living room to watch Sammy and Lady’s antics. As they all shared laughter and lighthearted conversation, Suzanna realized how hungry she’d been for this kind of interaction.