Willow Brook Road

“It’s the only way for a small, independent bookstore to succeed these days,” she said.

When their purchases were paid for and bagged in two separate bags so Bobby could carry a couple himself, she gave Sam another smile. “I’ll be in touch about dinner. Probably one night next week. I know Tuesday is deadline night at the paper, so I’ll aim for Wednesday or Thursday.”

“Great,” Sam said.

Outside Bobby was practically skipping across the street in excitement. “Can we read when we get back to the inn?”

“Would you rather do that than swim?” Sam asked, surprised.

“Uh-huh,” Bobby said with a nod. “I always liked it when Mommy read to me.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Sam said. He held out his hand. “Hold my hand when we cross the street, buddy.”

Bobby tucked his hand trustingly into Sam’s, then gave him a shy look. “I think maybe being here is going to be okay.”

The softly spoken comment brought the sting of tears to Sam’s eyes. He was glad for the sunglasses that kept those tears from his nephew. “I know it’s going to be okay, Bobby,” he said, his tone more reassuring than it might have been even twenty-four hours earlier. “We’re going to be a team, you and me.”

Bobby grinned. “I like being on a team. Do you think they have T-ball here?”

“I imagine they do.”

“Can I play?”

“If you want to.”

“Will you come to the games like Daddy did?”

“You bet.”

Sam studied the satisfied expression on his nephew’s face and realized turning into a dad wasn’t going to be quite as terrifying as he’d imagined. Bobby was already showing him the way.

* * *

Jackson was down for his afternoon nap, though how he could sleep with Davey and Henry fighting over a video game in the living room was beyond Carrie.

“Hey, you two, a little quieter, please. The baby’s sleeping.”

“Oops,” Henry said, his expression immediately turning serious.

“Shouldn’t you have outgrown this competitive thing with your younger brother by now?” she teased. “You’re only a year away from going to college.”

He grinned. “I’m just warming up for college,” he informed her. “I hear it gets pretty wild and competitive in the dorms and fraternity houses.”

“Whatever happened to the sweet, serious little boy who first came to town to live with Shanna?” Carrie asked, remembering his arrival even though she’d been just a few years older.

“I got turned into an O’Brien,” he said, then gave her a taunting look. “You want to play?”

Davey’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, Carrie, take him down, okay?”

“I’m no good at this game,” she protested innocently. “You both know that.” Still, she sat down and took Davey’s remote. “Don’t be too hard on me, okay, Henry?”

Fifteen minutes later, she’d wiped the floor with the smug teenager, proving he and Davey weren’t the only competitive people in the room. Davey hooted.

Henry’s gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Have you been practicing behind our backs?”

“It is my game in my house,” she told him. “What did you think, that I’d let you go on trouncing me?”

Henry laughed. “I was hoping. I need somebody around to keep my confidence high. Uncle Connor sure doesn’t let me win and even Davey’s getting to be more than I can handle. I guess I’ll have to start playing with the babies if I want a surefire win.”

“Are there any more of those cookies, Carrie?” Davey asked. “I’d like a couple for the road. We need to get home for dinner.”

She gave him a stern look. “Which is exactly why I’m not giving you more cookies. I don’t want your mom or dad over here yelling at me about spoiling your appetites.”

Just then her phone rang and she spotted Shanna’s name on the caller ID. “Speak of the devil.”

“Is that Mom?” Davey asked.

Carrie nodded.

“Then we’d better move,” Henry said, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Bye, Carrie. See you.”

“See you,” Davey said, bounding out the door ahead of his big brother.

Carrie sighed and answered the phone. “Your boys are heading home right now.”

“Good to know,” Shanna said. “But that’s not why I called.”

“Oh? What’s up?”

“Are you free for dinner next Wednesday or Thursday?”

“Sure, either one,” Carrie said without bothering to check her calendar. “It’s not as if I have a lot of commitments these days. Anything special going on?”

“Not really. We just haven’t seen enough of you lately,” Shanna said.

The comment was so completely untrue it was laughable. “I saw you this morning,” Carrie reminded her. “And Henry and Davey just left my house. I see all of you at Sunday dinner at Grandpa Mick’s. What’s this really about? And don’t fib. You’re no good at it.”

“I invited Sam Winslow and his nephew for dinner,” Shanna admitted.

“Oh, boy,” Carrie whispered. “If you’re trying to do some matchmaking, quit it. Sam and I have some issues.”

“Not that I could see at lunch today,” Shanna argued. “It was quite the little family scene in Sally’s.”

“You saw us?”

“Of course I did. If it was supposed to be a secret rendezvous, it might have been better to have it someplace more secluded and minus the kids.”

“You are so far off base,” Carrie told her. “There is nothing at all between Sam and me. There’s not likely to be, either. I’m not crazy about some of the decisions he’s been making about Bobby and he doesn’t seem all that crazy about me, period. Let this go, Shanna. I’m glad you invited him over. Earlier today I was thinking he and Kevin might have a lot in common, given how abruptly they both became single dads. Trust me, though. You’ll have a much better time without me there.”