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destination.
    Once the furry little creatures reached the curb, the mother made the descent to the pavement easily, the babies doing more of tumble and roll to get down. They all started to cross the street. Joe must have heard the oncoming car because he bolted out into the road, held up his hand to stop the vehicle and waited for the ducks to waddle to the other side. Even after the car sped by, he stayed where he was, his hands propped on his hips.
    The mama duckling had climbed up the far curb onto the sidewalk and the babies tried to follow. As each tackled the five-inch-high step, it fell on its back. The incline was too steep for the babies to make it up. The mother returned to them and simply stood there.
    Joe looked back to Dana, who hadn’t even started the engine. He rolled his eyes and she laughed. Bending down, he scooped up one duckling and placed it on the sidewalk, then repeated the process nine more times. Seeing the ducks could follow now, the mama began her trek again.
    After a moment, Joe jogged across the street and Dana buzzed the window down. His grin was infectious and she matched it with one of her own. “It’s hell what a man has to do these days.”
    “You’re a nice guy, Joe Moretti.”
    “Oh, damn. Don’t tell my cop buddies about this. I’ll never live it down.”
    “Yeah, they might start calling you Duckie or some such thing.”
    He squeezed her arm, tapped the side of the car and stepped back. Dana started the engine and pulled out onto the now duck-less street. She saw him in the mirror, all masculine grace and beauty, watching her as she left. But the image of him and the ducklings was the one that stayed with her all the way home.
    o0o
    Joe rapped his knuckles on the door to Annie’s house, then opened it and walked inside. She’d insisted Spence’s family enter without waiting for someone to let them in and Joe liked her even more for her inclusion of all of them as family.
    Off to the right, Cole was perched at the top of a ladder where he was painting the living room a sand color.
    “Hey, buddy, how you doing?” Cole asked.
    “Lousy.” Joe motioned to the walls. “How’s the painting going?”
    Spence strode down the hallway that led to the kitchen. Deep blue dots speckled his T-shirt. “Be better if Annie stopped trying to help.”
    “Why’s that?” Joe asked.
    Spence grinned. “Bad enough she wouldn’t let me pay for a service to paint the interior, but she wants to do her part .” He shook his head. “For somebody with such common sense in other areas…well, let me just say she’s added hours on to our task. Don’t even ask how she taped the edges of the ceiling, windows and floorboards like she was sending a package to China.”
    Once again, Joe was envious of the sappy fondness in Spence’s tone, of the relationship he and Annie had forged. The reason Joe had gone on RightMatch was because he, too, wanted what Spence had in his life and he couldn’t seem to find it in bars. And look where it got him. “Women!”
    Scowling, Spence cocked his head. “How’d you get here, anyway?”
    “I drove.”
    “You’re not supposed to do that for a day or so.”
    “No big deal.” Joe scanned the area. “Who’s here?”
    “Nobody else. Annie’s over at school getting her classroom ready for September and Hope went with her. I made Alex take a break and go swimming with his friends.” After studying Joe, Spence and Cole exchanged a glance. Then Spence said, “Let’s go outside. I’m ready for a beer.”
    Joe grunted his assent.
    As soon as they reached the backyard, a dog bolted from his place under a tree and ran over to them. Ah, the infamous Jake, who’d taken a liking to Spence even before Annie had. Spence scratched the mutt’s head, then they all sat down at one of the tables under the gazebo. For a few minutes, they enjoyed their beers.
    Cole broke the silence. “How did the lunch go with the dancer?”
    “Not so well.”
    “How come?”