Page 38 of Sweet Beginnings

“Online. I created a fake profile and have been discreetly fishing. So to speak.”

This wasn’t the first time she’d heard her sister-in-law grumbling about finding a man to marry for money, but Rachel had never brought it up with her brothers.

“What about you two?” Rachel took another sip from her mug.

The way the two brothers stared down at their food in silence said everything.

“So you’re not having any better luck either?”

Carson shook his head. “Let’s just say the internet isn’t as productive as I’d hoped.”

“Ditto,” Garret muttered.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Rachel turned to Sarah. “So, moving on, how’s the dog placement business going?”

“Could be better.”

“Fewer dogs?”

“That would help.” Sarah chuckled. “It’s just hard to find a home for the most difficult rescues.”

“I bet. Brady wasn’t easy when he first arrived. Recovering from his physical injuries was the simpler part.” Carson’s gaze shifted to the dog in question perched at the top of the porch steps, vigilantly surveying the horizon, prepared to do battle with any rodent or vermin who dared to encroach on his family’s territory. “Somehow, Mom knew exactly how to deal with Brady’s emotional challenges.”

And that was why Sarah Sue had desperately wanted Alice Sweet to take on Samson. If Alice hadn’t suffered painful injuries in her battle with a barbed wire fence, Sarah had no doubt that her mother-in-law would have been a perfect fit. But a hundred-pound dog with post-traumatic stress was not the kind of rest and recovery the doctor had in mind for Alice Sweet. At least the rescue ranch had found a suitable home for the troubled pup. She hoped he was as happy there as Brady seemed here.

“As a kid,” Carson spoke up, “I thought Mom could do anything. As an adult, I haven’t changed my mind.”

All of Alice Sweet’s children nodded. Sarah Sue felt the same way. It was going to take a miracle to bring the family ranch back to life, and with or without money, Alice Sweet was the only person Sarah Sue would place bets on.

For the next few minutes, the two single brothers chatted back and forth naming just about every single woman within a hundred-mile radius and so far, the conversation wasn’t anymore productive than the previous conversations over the last month.

“You okay?” The soft brush of Preston’s hand against hers, combined with the smooth timbre of his voice, had Sarah forgetting none of this was real, even if it felt very real to her.

Without a word, she bobbed her head.

His head tipped to one side, Preston’s hand squeezed hers and he inched closer, his voice lower, intended only for her. “The look in your eyes tells me something’s up.”

There was no way she was going to share that what she’d feared had come to be. She’d fallen head over heels in love with Preston Sweet. “I was just thinking about Samson.”

A frown settled between Preston’s brows. “I thought they found a placement for him?”

“They did, but the more difficult ones always seem to needle their way into your heart a little more than the others. I was just hoping he’s happy where he is now.”

Lifting her hand to his smiling lips, Preston placed a barely there kiss. “That’s just one of the things I love about you.”

Love?Love. Stunned at the word, it took everything in her not to jump to conclusions. People love pizza, and sailing, and puppies, and movie marathons. The four-letter word was often tossed around and with little reverence to the big L.

As if a fly on the wall, ready to swoop in and save her from finding something intelligent to say, her phone rang and Aaron’s name flashed across the screen.

“Speak of the devil.” She plastered on a forced smile. “Probably calling with an update. Hey, Aaron. How’s it going?”

“Samson is back.”

“What?”

“Long story. The foster was an experienced German Shepherd owner, but totally unprepared for a dog with PTSD. If you thought he was stressed before, you wouldn’t recognize him now.”

“Poor baby.” That just broke her heart.

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