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laugh. “But you had me worried for a second or two.”
    “So when should I plan for them to arrive?”
    “Not for about a month. We have all sorts of things to work out first. We’ll have to close the house and put things in storage.” She lowered her voice. “Jim and I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to do this. Really.”
    “No big deal. I’m glad to do it. And you’re right—it’ll be good practice for when I have kids of my own.”
    “I’ll call you again in a few days. As soon as I have more details.”
    “Great.”
    “I love you, bro.”
    “Back atcha, sis.”
    “Talk to you soon.”
    “Sure thing.”
    After Ian placed the receiver in its cradle, he leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.
    It’ll be good practice for when I have kids of my own.
    But when, if ever, was that going to happen?
    He was thirty-five years old. Thirty-five, widowed, and not seeing anyone at the present.
    Ian had taken his time after Joanne’s death before he tried entering the dating scene, and when he did think he was ready, he’d found there weren’t many women out there who interested him. Mostly that was because of his newfound Christian faith. He wanted a relationship where both man and woman embraced things like chastity, fidelity and the desire to make an until-death-do-you-part commitment. He’d been surprised to find how those requirements severely limited his choices, even in the Christian community.
    The image of his slightly odd but definitely cute new neighbor drifted into his thoughts. He’d noticed her Bible when seated beside her in church that morning. The leather-bound book was well-worn, its pages highlighted and underlined with dates and comments written in the margins. He’d also noticedthe smile that had curved her rose-tinted lips as she lifted her voice in song.
    Most appealing…
    He gave his head a quick shake. What was he thinking? Shayla Vincent? She was the last woman he’d want to get involved with. She might be a believer, but she was also a city girl from a place that almost never saw snow. The chances of her sticking it out in Rainbow Valley through a hard winter were slim to none.
    No, sir. When the time came, God would bring the right woman into Ian’s life. He would be patient and wait.
     
     
    With smoke billowing behind her, Shayla raced through the front door, carrying a charred roast in its pot. Eyes watering and throat smarting, she tossed the ruined meat over the deck railing, dropped the pot and oven mitts onto the deck, then sank onto the top step, fighting the urge to dissolve into tears of frustration.
    “Don’t like well-done beef?”
    She looked up to find Ian O’Connell leaning his hip against his pickup, his arms crossed over his chest. A half smile curved his mouth, and his eyes twinkled with amusement.
    Well, it figured he would be here to see this. He usually showed up during her worst moments, didn’t he?
    “The oven overheated,” she explained.
    He pushed off the truck and strode toward her.“The whole place isn’t going to burn down while we talk, is it?”
    “No.” She glanced over her shoulder. The smoke was beginning to clear. “But maybe it should,” she added with a note of disgust.
    “Why don’t I check it out?”
    “Be my guest.” She didn’t bother to rise. Merely slid over to one side so he could get past her.
    One more thing needing repair. One more drain on the inheritance that had seemed bountiful when she received it but now seemed so inadequate. She could almost hear her mother saying, Come home, dear, where you belong.
    She pressed the heels of her hands against her closed eyes, her elbows resting on her thighs.
    “I opened the windows,” Ian told her a short while later. He sat down on the step next to her. “It’s the thermostat, I think. Or maybe the element. Shouldn’t be too expensive to replace.”
    She straightened and looked toward him. “Even for a stove that old?”
    “We’ll get it fixed. Don’t