LITMIR.BIZ

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become that place in Owen on Main Street. It was practically the only sit-down restaurant for miles besides the small café in Tawnee Valley.

      The only other restaurants were at least an hour’s drive away. Brady could think of better things to do with their time than driving to get to a good dining place.

      Maggie kept smoothing that one strand of hair. For a moment he thought she wasn’t going to answer him at all. It wasn’t that far-fetched that he would want to take her out to talk. Especially after last night.

      “Okay.” Maggie didn’t lift her gaze from staring at the ends of her hair.

      That was it? Too easy, but he could use a little easy right now. “Great, I’ll pick you up at six.”

      “Who will watch Amber?” Suddenly, her attention was fixed on him. The sunlight glinted off the green in her eyes.

      “Oh…” Who would watch Amber? He’d never thought about that. Never had to think about it before.

      The water stopped. He only had a few minutes before Amber returned.

      “What about Penny?” Brady didn’t know Penny all that well. Only what Luke had told him once after a few beers in London. But she didn’t seem like that bad of a person. Maggie trusted her. Amber liked her.

      “Penny can’t on Sunday nights.” Maggie padded over to her dresser.

      “I’ll take care of it.” Brady had to find someone. If all else failed, there was one person that owed him about eight years’ worth of babysitting.

      After a quick stop in Owen to pick up his new phone, Brady and Amber drove the country roads to get to the farm. Brady wished he could watch her face as she took in the countryside, but he kept his eyes on the road.

      As he pulled in the driveway, Barnabus started barking and pretty soon the puppy joined Barnabus and started howling.

      “Is that Flicker’s brother or sister?” Amber leaned her forehead against the passenger-side window to see the balls of fur pacing the car as Brady took it easy over the gravel.

      “Sister, I think.” Brady parked the car near the old windmill.

      “Is it okay to get out?” Amber’s voice was timid, but trembled with excitement.

      “They won’t hurt you.” Brady smiled reassuringly. “Just walk as if you have every right to be here and if they get in your way, give them a gentle push and say ‘get down’ firmly.”

      She nodded solemnly and opened the door. Immediately, two noses came through the opening and pushed into her lap. Her giggles filled the car as Brady leaned across her to shove the dogs back.

      “You don’t happen to have a pork chop in your pocket, do you?” Brady said. The dogs were wiggling and pushing regardless of Brady trying to shove them away.

      “No.” Amber laughed as the puppy licked her face.

      A high-pitched whistle made both dogs retreat. Brady watched as they ran across the courtyard toward the barn and Sam.

      “That was funny.” Amber shoved out of the car and followed the dogs.

      Brady hurried after her.

      “Hi, Mr. Ward.” Amber stooped to pet the puppy, who sat close to Barnabus and wiggled. Sam had trained the puppy quickly.

      “Mr. Ward?” Brady gave Sam a questioning look as he caught up with Amber.

      “He brings the baby animals to the petting zoo at the end of the school year,” Amber explained, not paying any attention to the two men. Her focus was intent on the puppy. Barnabus whined and nudged her with his nose. She giggled and started to pet both dogs at the same time.

      The color rose on Sam’s neck. “Mrs. Potter asked me if I wouldn’t mind. It’s before planting season.”

      “Amber?” Brady tried to pry her attention away from the dogs. Finally, she looked at him expectantly. “Sam is my brother. He’s your uncle Sam.”

      That finally got her attention. She stood and stared at Sam. “I’ve never had an uncle before.”

      “You have two. Your uncle Luke is away at college.” Brady held his breath as Sam and Amber regarded each other. It was as if they were sizing up the competition. Each taking the other’s measure. If she were a grown-up, it would have been intense. But since she had to tilt her neck so far to look at him, it ruined the effect.

      “Sarah Beth says her uncle takes her to Dairy Queen on Sundays.” Amber crossed her arms over her chest.

      “We put little girls to work out here.” Sam matched her pose and didn’t seem as if he would budge an inch.

      “If I work, do I get Dairy Queen?” She raised her eyebrow.

      “If you do your job and don’t complain, I can see what we can do.” Sam couldn’t possibly mean for Amber to do chores. The type of chores they used to do as boys were too much for a little girl.

      “She’s only—” Brady protested.

      “I don’t do windows,” Amber said with all the calm of a seasoned negotiator. Brady had seen corporate negotiators with less talent.

      “Neither do I. Do we have a deal?” Sam held out his hand.

      She took it and shook it once. “A deal.”

      “Sam, you can’t use my kid as child labor.” Brady couldn’t help but feel betrayed. He’d brought Amber out here to play not to be put to work.

      “A promise is a promise, Daddy.” Amber smiled at Brady before turning to Sam. “What do you want me to do?”

      “This is insane.” Brady threw up his hands.

      “The baby lambs need to be fed. First, we need to go warm the milk and bottle it.” Sam started toward the house and Amber followed. “Then we go out to the barn and feed them. Think you can handle that?”

      “Yup.”

      Brady stood in the driveway with the two dogs. He couldn’t help but wonder what had just happened. Since when did Sam hang out with kids? And how did he manage to make Amber feel needed by giving her something she would have done, anyway?

      “You let Amber go with Brady out to the farm?” Penny pushed the bowl of chips closer to Maggie. “You need these more than I do.”

      “I can’t keep spending time with him. I almost had sex with him last night.” Maggie slouched on the couch. The TV buzzed with a repeat of a show about house hunting in the background. Neither of them were watching it, but it seemed natural to have it on.

      “Whoa, back up the bus, lady.” Penny sat up on her knees from her curled position in the corner. “What do you mean almost?”

      “Amber had a nightmare and then we all ended up sleeping in my bed. It was so freaking domestic, it was scary.” There had been part of her that had been grateful that she hadn’t been the only one carrying the burden of Amber’s fears.

      “Okay, we’ll deal with that in a minute.” Penny hit the off button on the remote. “Let’s talk sex.”

      “It was nothing.” Why she’d felt the need to confess, especially to Penny, she’d never know.

      “That bad, huh?” Penny patted Maggie’s knee sympathetically.

      “No.” Maggie couldn’t seem to stop herself. Maybe Penny could sort out this mess. “It would be easy just to have sex. The tension is there. All. The. Time. I know now that he won’t leave Amber because of my stupidity, but I think I want it to be more than it was before.”

      “You mean more than just sex?” Penny relaxed against the corner. Her forehead crinkled as she tapped a finger to her lips thoughtfully. If she’d come to a conclusion, she kept it to herself.

      “Yes,

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