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She shoved these disturbing thoughts out of her head and instead reviewed the appointments she’d had that evening. She was disappointed that Eva Dayton hadn’t taken her observations to heart. Holly was a bright, cute little girl, but her aggressive personality would keep her from any real friendships.

A vision of Seth Daniels popped into her mind. Normally, she didn’t do much tutoring. There were several young women in town who were available for that job.

However, knowing that Sammy’s mother had apparently abandoned him had deeply touched her heart, and that was why she had decided to tutor him herself.

It had nothing to do with that surprising spark she’d felt toward Seth, a spark she hadn’t felt toward any other man in the two years that she had been widowed.

“It means nothing,” she murmured as she picked up the framed photo that sat on the end table.

It was her very favorite photo of the man who had been her husband. The sun shone on his light blond hair, and his green eyes sparkled as if he’d just told one of the dumb jokes he loved to tell. His mouth was curved into a grin that was as bright as sunshine.

Her heart squeezed tight as she gazed at the man who had been her high school sweetheart and her very best friend. They had been married for a glorious three years when a congenital heart issue resulted in a massive heart attack that had unexpectedly taken his life.

They’d had so many plans…so many dreams. They had wanted a family…at least two children or maybe more. “I haven’t forgotten you, Davy. You will have my heart forever,” she whispered. She set the picture back down on the end table and turned off the television.

She was ready to go to bed now and hopefully fall into dreams of the husband she grieved and not of the incredibly hot father of a motherless little boy she’d met earlier.

Seth arrived at the farmhouse he now called home and went inside the front door to find Lydia Winnibaker seated on the sofa watching television. His neighbor had recommended the plump, sixty-something woman as a reliable, almost always available babysitter. After interviewing the woman several times, Seth was comfortable with hiring her when he needed a sitter, and the bonus was Sammy really liked the older woman.

“Hi, Lydia,” he greeted her. “How are things going here?”

She got up from the sofa. “Well, he beat me three games out of four of Go Fish. We had milk and cookies, and then he went to bed a little while ago. I checked on him minutes later, and he was sound asleep.” She smiled at Seth. “He was a very good boy for me this evening.”

“That’s always nice to hear,” Seth replied with an inward sigh of relief. He paid Lydia for her time, and then he walked her out to her car and she left.

Seth immediately went back inside and headed down the hallway to his son’s bedroom. Once there, he stood in the threshold and gazed at his sleeping son. As usual Sammy had kicked off all his blankets and was sprawled on his back in the twin bed.

Seth’s heart expanded with an intense love for the boy. Damn Rachel for walking out on the little boy she’d helped to create. Seth had been stunned when Rachel had left him. He’d had no idea she was having an affair and wanted out of the seven-year marriage.

He could forgive her for walking out on him, but he found it absolutely unforgivable that she could just turn her back and leave her son behind. But it had been almost two years, and she hadn’t attempted to make any contact with Sammy. Seth didn’t think they would ever hear from her again.

It was a damned shame. She certainly didn’t know what she was missing out on. Sammy was a funny, loving little boy who could brighten a room with his grins. He had a big imagination and said he wanted to be a dog doctor when he grew up.

He left Sammy’s room and returned to the living room, where he sank down in the black recliner and turned on the television to catch the local news and weather before going to bed.

It hadn’t been a surprise to him that Sammy was struggling in school. He’d seen his son’s anger growing with each day that passed. That anger usually resulted in outbursts and tears.

Before they’d left the farm on the outskirts of Kansas City to move here, he’d taken Sammy to a child psychologist who, after seeing Sammy a handful of times, suggested that all the boy really needed was structure and love.

He also hadn’t been surprised that Sammy was behind academically. Seth hoped that with Mrs. Michaels’s help, they would be able to turn his son around. A vision of Suzanna Michaels suddenly filled his head. Seth had felt a surprising jolt of attraction when he’d first seen her.

Her shoulder-length curly blond hair appeared to be soft and touchable, and her eyes were the color of a brilliant summer sky. Her features were delicate, but her mouth was generous with lips that looked very kissable.

He sat up straighter in his chair. What in the hell was he doing thinking about her lips? Her prettiness? All he wanted from Suzanna Michaels was her help with Sammy.

Besides, Seth had sworn off women the day his wife had left him. Never again would he put his heart on the line. He would also never give a woman the opportunity to walk out on Sammy again. Seth would never remarry, and he was comfortable with that decision in order to save Sammy from any further heartache.

Monday morning, as Seth and Sammy sat at the breakfast table before school, Seth told Sammy about the new rules in place. “Mrs. Michaels has a really awesome necklace that any boy would like to wear,” Seth began. “And when you have a good day at school, she will let you wear it home for the night.”

Sammy’s eyes lit up with interest. “Really?”

“Really, and that’s not all. When you wear the necklace home, you and I will go get ice cream or do something else special, and you get to stay up a half an hour later at night. I’ll also let you pick what we watch on television on those nights.”

“That all sounds awesome,” Sammy replied with enthusiasm.

“But there’s a catch,” Seth continued. “If you don’t wear the necklace home then I’ll know you didn’t behave in school that day. As a result, you will go to bed early without television or tablet time, and there will be no cookies and milk or any other treats for that night.”

Sammy stared at him soberly. “So, I need to get that necklace and wear it home every day.”