Page 9

She returned his smile. “In one of our previous conversations you mentioned that it was your favorite kind of pie.”

“It is, thanks for remembering.” He gazed at her for a long moment and then turned back to the oven. “This should be ready in about ten minutes. So, how was your day?”

“It was good, except you know Sammy didn’t get the necklace today.”

“Yeah, I know. He’ll be going to bed right after your session with him, and I’ve already taken away his tablet for the night.” Seth turned to look at her once again with obvious dismay. “And I thought he was doing so well.”

“And he is still doing well,” she protested. “We’ve had way more good days than bad. Today was just a small setback, and I’m sure he’ll be right back on track tomorrow.”

“I hope so.” He opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a fresh-looking salad and set it on the table. He then added a basket of sliced garlic bread.

“How was your day?” she asked.

“It was good…busy. I’ve been trying to prepare everything for the winter months ahead. The barn was a mess when I bought the place, so I’ve been spending a lot of my time trying to sort things out there.”

“Winters here can be fairly harsh,” she said.

“That’s what I’ve heard.” He opened the oven door, pulled out a large baking dish and set it in the center of the table, where two potholders awaited.

“Oh my gosh, that looks positively delectable.” The plump chicken breasts were not only resting in a rich tomato sauce but also were covered with melted mozzarella cheese.

“Let me just holler for Sammy, and we’re ready to eat,” he said. He stepped out of the kitchen and called to his son, who immediately came running.

Within minutes they were all seated at the table with food on their plates. “This is delicious,” she said after tasting the chicken.

“I told you Dad is a good cook,” Sammy said. “And he even does the dishes,” he added, making both Suzanna and Seth laugh.

In fact, Sammy kept them laughing and entertained throughout the meal. He talked a lot about getting a dog.

“Have you decided what kind you want?” Suzanna asked.

Sammy frowned thoughtfully. “I think maybe a golden retriever or maybe a Chihuahua.”

“Those are two very different kinds of dogs,” Suzanna replied with a laugh.

“A retriever I could run and play with outside, but a Chihuahua I could play with inside. Both of them could sleep in bed with me at night,” he said with a sideways glance at his father.

“It’s not the right time for a dog yet, son,” Seth replied.

Sammy released a deep, dramatic sigh. “I hope the right time is on my birthday.”

“When is your birthday?” Suzanna asked.

“November 17,” Sammy replied.

“That’s coming up really soon. Are you planning on having a party?” Suzanna hoped to change the subject from the dog.

“I don’t know yet. Dad, am I having a birthday party?” Sammy asked.

Seth laughed. “I don’t know, son. Do you want to have a party? You’ve made a lot of new friends at school.”

“Yeah, I’d really like to have a party and invite everyone in my class. Would you come to my birthday party, Mrs. Michaels?”

“I would love to come to your party,” she replied.

“And maybe I could get party hats with dogs on them,” Sammy added with another look at his father.

As the meal progressed, Suzanna couldn’t help but think about the fact that this was what families did. They shared a meal and listened to their child’s dreams and wishes.