LITMIR.BIZ

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years later, Molly told her to lean on the Lord. She didn’t know the Lord, and if she had, Steph wasn’t sure that even God could have helped. And if a God existed—Molly insisted He did—then why hadn’t He helped her when she needed Him the most?

      That’s one thing she admired in Molly. She stuck to her faith, and she had an answer for everything. She’d asked Molly why God let bad things happen. Molly’s answer? She told Steph two things. First God gave His children free will, and Eve used it. She ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge that brought sin and evil into the world. Steph had to agree. People often caused their own problems—their own doubts and sinful ways. Steph still couldn’t decide about Molly’s explanation. Why didn’t the Lord stop Eve from eating the fruit if He knew everything?

      Molly’s explanation: God didn’t want to be a puppeteer. Steph chuckled. Molly said He wanted His children to behave and love Him like a Father for who He was and not because they had no choice. After Steph thought about it, that made sense. If she ever had children, she would want them to choose to love her and not love her because they were forced.

      Molly’s second explanation: through difficulties people learn. They grow and strengthen. They lean on God for help, and that binds them together. That made sense, too.

      Steph rubbed her head. Sometimes she’d almost wanted to read the Bible and see if Molly knew what she was talking about. Steph questioned a lot of things. Even now she questioned what she could have done to make her marriage better. She wondered if she were at fault as Doug had accused her. Maybe she should have gone for help. A counselor might have taught her how to handle Doug’s moods, his anger, his—

      “Fred, heel.” She gave the leash a quick tug and brought him to her side, grateful he’d pulled her away from her wallowing.

      Steph looked up at the summer sky, hoping Molly’s wedding day would be as warm and cheerful. Weddings and funerals in the rain were terrible.

      Funerals? Why did she let that slip into her mind?

      Fred tugged again and jerked her forward. When Steph looked ahead, she understood Fred’s motivation. Suzette. She gained momentum, pleased to see Nick at the opposite end of the leash.

      Nick waved, a smile growing on his face.

      Fred’s enthusiasm quickened her steps even more. She waved back, and along with the leash, Steph felt her chest tighten.

      “I stopped by your house to see if you wanted to walk Fred, but you weren’t there.”

      She chuckled, watching Suzette wrap around his legs while he tried to untangle her. “That’s because I was here.”

      He looked as good today as he did when she’d met him a few days earlier. Today he wore earth-toned colors, the collar of his sport shirt peaking above a rust-colored pullover.

      “So once again, you’re the dog walker.”

      “Always.” He stood in front of her while Suzette and Fred pressed their noses together, then tugged at their restraints.

      Her spirit lifted looking into his smiling eyes, but the usual caution followed. She wished her heart listened to the warning.

      Nick jerked with Suzette’s enthusiastic tug. He tipped his head toward the park. “Want to let the dogs run?”

      The talk she’d given herself about not getting involved fluttered away. “Sure.”

      His face brightened as he took a step toward the grass. “Let’s go.”

      Steph followed him, her heart and head fighting. Yes, she found him appealing, attractive even, but all the foolish emotion was fruitless. Allowing a near stranger to fill her with possibilities could only lead to heartache. At thirty-nine, she’d settled into complacent singleness. She had her home and her good job now that Molly had opened the shelter and shared the building with her. She had a companion in Fred, and she’d learned that dogs were everything a soul mate should be—faithful, devoted and filled with unconditional love.

      Could a man offer her those attributes? She didn’t think so.

      Nick reached a bench and grasped the connection on Suzette’s leash. “Do you think I’m taking a chance?”

      “Does she come when you call?”

      His face twisted to a crooked smile as his eyebrows lifted. “I doubt it, but Fred does. I figure she’ll follow him.” Then he smiled, and her heart swayed like her grandma’s rocking chair.

      She grinned back, but her levity lost momentum. She wanted nothing unpleasant to happen to Suzette. She would never forgive herself, but her trust in Fred’s ability to come when she called won out. With confidence, she bent and detached his leash.

      Distracted by Suzette, Fred didn’t move. A first for him.

      “Here goes.” Nick released the restraint, and Suzette tossed her head, then jogged off with Fred leaping around her as she went.

      Nick gave a soft chuckle. “Men make such fools of themselves.” His voice was low, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

      Steph backed up and sat on the bench, keeping her eyes focused on the animals.

      “So far so good,” Nick said, pulling his gaze from the frolicking dogs. He sat beside her. “Have you met my brother yet?”

      “No.” She studied him. “Why?”

      He shrugged, a shadow growing on his face. “He’s not very neighborly.”

      “That’s fine with me. I’m busy and don’t have time to hang over the fence, either.” She swallowed her words. “That is unless someone is leaning on it when I walk outside.” She pictured his friendly smile the day they met.

      His eyes brightened. “And the bright side is I’m not a cranky neighbor.”

      She understood the reference. “I’ve never had problems with a neighbor except a few complaints about my doggie day care when it was there.”

      “Doggie day care? You mean, there in your home?”

      His questioning look made Steph wish she hadn’t mentioned it. “That’s what I do for a living.”

      His eyebrows lifted. “I’d never thought a pet day care could be so lucrative. Good for you.” His gaze drifted to her house.

      She cringed. “My house is paid for. When my husband died, the insurance paid it in full.” The admission surprised her, and she tensed.

      Nick lowered his eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t realize—”

      “You didn’t know.”

      His demeanor had changed, and Steph was sorry she mentioned it at all. She’d dampened their lively conversation, and the silence became uncomfortable. “My business moved to my friend’s dog shelter facility, Time for Paws, spelled P-A-W-S. It’s nice there. More room.”

      “Cute name.” Nick slipped his arm behind her along the bench.

      Feeling his closeness, Steph’s mind raced, trying to keep the conversation flowing. “What do you do for a living?”

      “I own a small company that produces parts for industrial tools.”

      Owns a company. So out of her league. “Parts for tools? Now, that sounds lucrative.”

      He chuckled. “A new company takes time to grow. I worked for Martin for a while. He owns a large electronics firm, but I decided to take the big step and open my own business. It didn’t sit well with my brother.”

      “No? I’d think he’d be pleased.”

      “You’d think so.” He gave her a crooked smile.

      In the bright sunlight, chestnut highlights glinted beneath the waves of his dark hair, cut in layers and so thick she could drown in it. She curled her fingers around the bench seat to keep herself from touching it while he watched

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