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Chapter One,   Chapter Two,   Chapter Three

"I'm not going to make it on time." A moving truck van swerved in front of Deni Sparks on highway I-44. She slammed her foot down hard on the brake pedal. In exasperation, she pounded on the horn.

Traffic bumped through the potholes that pockmarked the St. Louis Poplar Street Bridge. Blinking yellow lights on top of a bridge patrol tow truck caught Deni's attention.

"Nothing like a stalled car, a flat tire or a wreck to start your Saturday morning off right." Her neck began to itch. Deni checked the mirror for the telling red splotches that always appeared when she was anxious. At the sight of her strawberry-colored neck she groaned. Up ahead she watched the tow truck squeeze through the snarled traffic.

She picked up the letter lying on the seat next to her, as if by reading it she could change the time of the meeting. The time on the paper was still the same-10:00 at the law office in Belleville. She tossed the letter back on the passenger seat and bumped the air conditioner fan up a notch. For early June, it was unusually hot and humid. "Please, Father, make this traffic move or grant me extra patience."

Through the passenger window she watched a barge push the through the muddy Mississippi. The traffic began to merge into the left lane. Flipping on her blinker, she looked over her shoulder. The driver in the next lane waved her over. With a wave back she slipped into place in the next lane. She passed the bridge patrol tow truck. Its massive front bumper aligned with the back bumper of a limping minivan full of miniature baseball players wearing Cardinal hats.

Another glance at the clock on the dashboard. Ten 'til ten and still twenty more miles to go. She pushed on the accelerator and sped down tree lined I-64 toward the 159 exit that would take her to Belleville, Illinois.

Deni drove around a fountain and turned left on Washington Street. She squeezed her cherry red Jeep into the parking space in front of a brick Victorian building. In the small front yard an iron and gold sign that proclaimed Abernathy & Abernathy Law Offices swung in the warm breeze.

She sat behind the wheel for a minute wondering why Ann would leave her something from her estate. The letter from the lawyer clearly stated she was to receive something of Ann's and that she had to be present at the reading of the will. "Only one way to find out," she said opening the door.

The gentle breeze twisted her blue floral skirt around her ankles as she read the tiny print on the parking meter sign. Searching through her suede backpack for change, she identified by feel a pen, a pack of gum, and finally a quarter.

"The meters are free on Saturday."

Startled, Deni turned to look behind her. She found her eyes centered on a chest. A manly chest. A strong looking manly chest. Tilting her head back, she found herself lost in eyes of brown caramel. "I didn't want to take a chance. I'm from Missouri."

The chest man flashed a dimpled smile at her before walking away. "Welcome to Illinois."

She whispered under her breath, "Friendly town." Deni watched his tanned muscular calves flex as he walked away from her. She didn't turn away until the blue of his shirtsleeve slid into the sleek black Jag parked two meters down.

Shaking herself back to reality Deni faced her destination. She checked her watch. Late! Oh no! The iron gate swung open easily at Deni's touch. Her heels clicked across the pink cobblestone walk. Pausing before the door she admired the craftsmanship of the stained glass in the door. The hue of the yellows, greens and purples told her the door must be original to the building. In her hand, the porcelain doorknob felt cool. Once inside she stood still letting her eyes adjust to the dim light before making her way to the receptionist's desk.

A woman in a pinstriped blue suit sat behind an imposing desk, her attention riveted to her computer monitor. "Do you have an appointment this morning?"

"With Mr. Abernathy. I'm Denise Sparks."

"Mr. Abernathy is waiting for you. You're late." She looked up then as if demanding an excuse.

"I'm sorry. Traffic was backed up," stammered Denise. "Past Market Street."

"Mr. Abernathy is in the first office on the right." The receptionist waved her hand in the general direction and went back to looking at her monitor screen.

Deni walked down the small hallway to an open doorway. The smell of cherry pipe tobacco wafted from the office. Peeking in the door she saw a man sitting at a polished cherry wood desk. She gently rapped on the door frame.

Mr. Abernathy's gray head bobbed up. He jumped out of his chair extending his hand. "Denise, come in, come in. Have a seat," he said, guiding her to a maroon chair. "Would you like some coffee, tea or perhaps a soda?"

"No, thank you." She looked around the empty room. "I thought there would be others here for the reading. I didn't think I was that late. Have they left already?"

"You're the only one. Most of Mrs. Rosen's estate was handled through the mail. It was a small estate." Mr. Abernathy glanced at the papers on his desk. "Mrs. Rosen didn't have any family living and most of her money was used for her care."

"At the nursing home."

"Quite correct. Young people should get that long-term care insurance, which wasn't available for Mrs. Rosen. It would have helped her pass on what she had worked so hard for during her lifetime."

"I didn't even know there was insurance like that." Deni shook her head in disbelief. "Now I'm even more curious. If you mailed everything, what could she have left me that couldn't be mailed?"

"She left you her lake house property. I believe you stayed there one summer."

"The lake house? To me?" Deni was stunned. An image of the comfortable cottage flashed in her mind. She remembered the soft gentle wind that came off the lake at night, walking the coastline with Ann and learning about God from her. Mr. Abernathy's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"However, there are a few things that go along with getting the property. You must decide if you will accept the conditions of the will within the next twenty-four hours."

"What conditions?" she asked, more calmly than she felt.

"You have to live in the house for three months and you must move in within the week."

"Move in this week?"

Mr. Abernathy held up his hand to keep her from interrupting. "Before you answer too quickly, you need to know that the house has been vacant for three years. There has been a caretaker, but I understand minimal upkeep has been done on the house." Mr. Abernathy gathered his papers into a neat pile and clipped them with a red paper clip. He sat back in his green leather chair and drew on his pipe. "Do you understand the stipulations of the will?"

Deni looked past Mr. Abernathy out the window. "Ann was so good to me the summer my grandmother died. She and my grandmother were best friends. We were both grief-stricken." She swiped a wayward curl off her cheek. "I still don't understand why she would leave the lake house to me."

"She told me you loved the lake and more importantly the house. When Ann and I wrote this will, Ann was sure it would be just the place for you to open your business. She mentioned how upset you were when you had to return to the university."

"I thought I would stay with her and finish the last semester in Illinois, but many of my classes wouldn't transfer. I promised her that I would come back to the lake house the next summer. Then her hip broke, then the pneumonia." Deni paused willing the tears not to start. "I went to visit her at the We Care Center when I could. It's so hard to think she's gone." Deni studied her hands for a moment, blinking back hot tears before continuing.

"Ann encouraged me to start my stained glass business. She kept telling me I was wasting my gift from God." Deni looked at Mr. Abernathy. "All I have to do is live there for three months?"

"That and sign this paper." Mr. Abernathy shoved a cream-colored document toward her. "Sign by the X's; here, here and here." He tapped the lines with his pen before handing it to her.

Deni took the paper and signed "Denise Dawn Sparks." She held onto the paper for a second. Once Mr. Abernathy had the document her life would change, for the better she hoped. "Here. I've signed all the lines."

"That should do it. You can pick up the keys from Chad Hastings. He owns the boat shop at Wooded Lake." He stood and held out his hand. "I hope this works out for you, Denise."

Denise paused at the door. "What happens to the house if I don't stay, Mr. Abernathy?"

"Provisions have been made for someone else to take over the property. Are you having second thoughts?" Mr. Abernathy rubbed the back of his neck. "You don't have to accept the house. Better to decide before you uproot your whole life. I'm sure Ann would have understood."

"No. I want to do this. If Ann believed in me that much-then I want to try." Deni smiled. "I won't need the twenty-four hours to decide. I'm going to live my dream."

Deni closed the law firm's door behind her and stood dazed in the bright sunshine. It's just not possible, she thought. The lake house is mine, just for living there three months. She fumbled for her keys, buried deep inside her backpack. "Finally," she muttered to herself, grasping the heart-shaped key ring.

She started the Jeep but didn't pull away from the curb. She sat still, trying on the feeling of owning her own house, a nice house at that. If she hadn't made plans to meet her friend Liz for lunch she would drive out and look at her new home.

Driving back to her apartment in St. Louis, Denise made mental lists of chores that would need to be done before she could move. Breaking her lease was the first thing she had to do. Not that leaving behind that small, two-bedroom-one window apartment would make her sad.

The garage at the lake house could be made into a comfortable studio. No more trying to work in the tiny second bedroom.

She might drag out the drawing of the sign she once designed for fun. The one she was going to use if she ever opened a studio, but never expected to use. She felt the excitement of a new life surge through her.

Moving to the lake house would get her away from Rob Grahm and the painful memories he brought to her daily. Every time she saw Rob in the hall, the teacher's lounge or a meeting he wouldn't even look at her. Not even a glance. Living in Illinois would be a change for the better. She was positive. Nothing was going to make her move from the lake house. She would have a home to call her own.

* * *

In his Jag, Shane Anderson studied his opponent as she left the lawyer's office. This Sparks woman was tiny, but that didn't mean anything in a real estate war. Tiny often meant ferocious. Her floral skirt swishing around perfect ankles caught his eye. Probably a romantic. That's what his sister always said: flowers on clothes means the person is romantic.

Unexpectedly, he grinned at the smile on her contented face. Then he saw them. Pearls. She was wearing pearls, like Aunt Bee on Mayberry, and he just knew, at that very moment, that this woman would fight him. She would embed herself in that house like gold in a mine. Make that a mine two miles underground.

Shane watched the Jeep pull away from the curb. He picked up his car phone, flipped it open and punched in the number of his best friend, Chad.

"Ann left the house to some woman."

"A woman? Why?" Chad's voice sounded desperate to Shane. "Do we know her? Think she'll sell us the house?"

"I've never met her. I don't know why, but Ann left her the house at least for three months. If she doesn't stick it out then I get the property."

"There's hope then?"

"I doubt she'll stay once she gets a look at the place. She doesn't look like the type that would settle for anything less than perfect. I'll talk to you later, Chad." He pressed "End," and tossed the phone onto the leather passenger seat. Gripping the steering wheel, he pulled onto the street and thought about the plans he had made for the lake house property. Frustrated he gripped the wheel even harder. That house should have been his. He'd been close to Ann forever. All those little chores he did for her, just because he wanted to help her. Carrying in wood for the fireplace, cleaning the gutters. Sure she had paid him, but as he grew older, he had thought she would leave him the house. And why did she leave it to this woman? When had she met Ann? He planned on finding out the answer to that question within the week.

His dreams would come true. He'd spent too much time planning to give up now. A resort would bring in money for the small town. Money needed for a better library and community center. A resort would bring him more work, too, and that he could handle. He wasn't afraid of hard work. To him it was a welcome challenge.

And now he had another challenge. He wondered what kind of work it would take to make pretty Denise Sparks to leave-for good.

Pretty? Now where had that come from?

* * *

Deni drove down the two-lane road, her patience stretched like a piano string. With the help of her friends she had managed to pack her apartment. Or at least managed to get everything in boxes. And who knew what things she would find in those boxes? Her friend Lori had laughed and promised that they would just label the boxes with the name of the most important item packed in inside.

Liz had taken charge of canceling the utilities and making arrangements for the electricity and water to be working when she arrived at her new home. Liz had even managed to get her new phone number, though she wouldn't be able to use it for a few days.

Now on the road, the delivery pizza boxes tossed and crumbled newspapers almost a memory, the lake house seemed farther from St. Louis than she remembered. Farther from the friends she had left behind. A nagging feeling poked and prodded at her as the cornfields rolled past. Had she done the right thing?

The Jeep echoed with the nerve-racking howls of Marmalade. "Marmalade, kitty, please, hush! You've been howling for two hours! We're almost there. Hershey, you've been such a good boy. You look like royalty staring out the window. I bet people are saying, 'Look at that beautiful chocolate Labrador.' Oh, Hershey, you'll like having a lake to swim in."

Denise wondered when her cousin Terry would arrive at the lake with the small U-haul truck. Her life was packed inside that truck. The apartment had been so full of boxes it was difficult to move. When she and Terry had put them in the moving van they looked lonely stacked in the corner with empty space all around, making her life seem small.

She daydreamed about living at the lake. She could see the garden she would plant, full of lavender, thyme, and lemon mint. She visualized the kitchen with gleaming copper pots and shiny counter tops. She could almost inhale the wafting smells of oatmeal and cinnamon cookies. A place where children's laughter would bounce from the walls. If only they could be her own children.

Passing a sign, she was startled to realize that she had missed the first entrance to the public boathouse. "Hang on, Hershey!" She made a sharp turn into the gravel drive. She winced at Marmalade's sharp howl. "Sorry, kitty."

She rolled down the windows and made sure Hershey's leash was still clipped in the doggy seat belt. Closing the door behind her she said, "I'll be back in a second. Now don't chew the radio knobs, Hershey."

The boat shop sported cobalt blue paint with yellow window trim. Picking a penny off the cobblestone sidewalk, "See a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck." She slid the coin into her skirt pocket, hoping no one had seen her childish antics. Not that she cared. Everyone should practice being a child once in a while; besides it was a beautiful day and she felt like a child on an adventure-the adventure of a new life.

She pushed open the boat shop door. A bell jingled announcing her arrival as Denise walked through.

"I'm out back." The gravely male voice floated to Denise from a doorway behind the counter. "Be there in a second."

"Okay, thanks." Deni took a casual tour of the shop. Food supplies, birdseed, motor oil, movies, milk, paperback books, and boat parts. Hmm. A quick shop in a boat shop. Deni grinned at her own silliness, but the smile on her face disappeared when the store manager entered the shop.

"Can I help you?" A man in jeans shorts and a striped shirt stood in the doorway, wiping his oily hands on a rag.

"Mr. Abernathy sent me. I'm looking for Chad Hastings. I'm Denise Sparks."

"I'm Chad. You're the one moving into Ann's place? I sure was surprised to hear she left it to a stranger."

"I wasn't a stranger to her," said Denise, her face hot. "Maybe you weren't here when I lived with her."

"Been here all my life. Must have missed that." Chad reached up to a pegboard that held a selection of keys. He picked up a set with a coral tag and tossed them on the counter. "Here. Glad I don't have to take care of that place anymore."

"I'm sorry it was such a chore for you," Denise snapped back. She grabbed the keys from the counter and stomped out of the shop.

Back in the Jeep, Deni sped out of the parking lot. She muttered, "I can't believe the attitude of that guy. A good looker with the attitude of a grizzly bear. He made me feel like I stole the house from Ann, Hershey."

Hershey yawned, clearly not interested in her troubles.

Deni searched for familiar sites as she drove. She smiled as she passed a mailbox made like a cow. "I remember now. It's just around that corner. It's almost time to get out of your kennel, Marmalade."

Deni eased the Jeep to a stop next to a mailbox. The numbers 126 were barely visible. Queen Anne's Lace grew high against the black metal post. The mailbox lid hung like a heavy teardrop from a rusted hinge. Resting inside the box was a bird's nest. She groaned. "I hope the house is better than this." When she turned the Jeep down the gravel drive, bubbles began building, separating and popping in her stomach. "God, maybe I should have looked at the house before I gave up the apartment. I hope I'm doing what You want me to do," she prayed.

The crunching gravel under the tires sounded ominous as she drove down the oak tree lined lane. Abundant weeds were intermixed with the limestone rock in the driveway. Deep potholes were filled with water from an early morning shower. The back tires plunged into a deep hole. Marmalade screeched.

The Jeep jerked to a stop in front of the house. The front steps leaned at an odd angle. The third step was missing. A screen hung off a second floor window. Peeling dove-gray paint adorned the shutters. The front gardens were full of weeds; a straggly baby's breath and a few daisies weakly stuck their heads out, looking for sunshine. The gutters exploded with rotten black leaves. Denise moaned. What have I committed myself to?

Hershey whimpered and whacked his tail against the front seat, bringing her back to more pressing needs. "Okay, okay I'll let you out." As soon as Deni released Hershey's leash, he ran across her lap, not waiting the door to open completely. Pushing it with his head, Hershey bounded off in the direction of the lake.

"Marmalade, looks like you and I get to explore the house together." Denise picked up the kennel and carefully made her way up the cracked wooden steps. She gently put the kennel down next to the door. "This is the moment of truth. I wonder if the key will even work?" She inserted the key and turned, expecting the door to creak when she pushed it open. It didn't. After closing the door behind her, she unlatched Marmalade's kennel door. "Come here, Marmy." She picked up the orange fluff ball and held her close.

The living room didn't look bad. A green and blue braided rug covered part of the light oak floor. Across from the fireplace a blue stripped couch peeked out from under a sheet. A brown leather chair sat near the window, next to a round game table. Filled bookshelves lined one wall. A few shelves were decorated with ornately designed spider webs.

Deni walked down a short hallway to the kitchen. "Please, let it be the way I remember it." She let out a sigh and dropped Marmalade to the floor. "It's just like I remembered!" Large white cabinets with glass doors, a center island cook top and counter space, wallpaper with blue forget-me-nots. When she closed her eyes for a moment, she could picture Ann sitting at the table, sipping tea and reading her Bible.

At the sound of tapping on the back door Deni jumped. She opened the door. A whimper caused her to look down. Hershey sat on the porch, dripping wet. Next to him was a pair of large feet in running shoes. The feet led to tanned, muscled legs. When her eyes reached the hem of a pair of jeans shorts, she jerked her head up, acutely conscious of a tall, athletic physique. He seemed vaguely familiar. Her eyes met his dark chocolate ones. She felt a shock run through her. She looked away, refusing to acknowledge the longing feeling. "Hi, I see you've found…"

"This is your dog then? You shouldn't let him run loose; someone might steal him," he said.

"I didn't let him run loose," she said, lifting her chin a little higher. "He smelled the water and took off running. Who are you?"

"I'm Shane Anderson. You're Denise."

"You know my name?" Deni stammered in bewilderment. Now she remembered, he was the man in front of Abernathy's Law Office, the one that said welcome, the one in the black Jag with the strong calves.

"I sat in my car and watched you go into Abernathy's building. Wasn't too hard to figure out that you were probably Denise. Abernathy told me Ann left you the house." Shane reached down to scratch Hershey's ears. "I hope you'll enjoy it for the next three months because after that it's mine."

"Yours?"

"Didn't Abernathy tell you? If you leave, the house goes to me."

"Why you?" Deni spat out the words.

"I'm next in line. If you leave, I get the house. Ann knew I wanted just the property." Shane waved his hand at the house. "Guess she thought you might keep it like it is."

"Don't count on it ever being yours. I'm staying for the next thirty years." He felt as if her green eyes had grown claws ready to rip his skin at the next wrong word. He stood straighter.

Shane studied her intently. Anger dusted her cheeks dusty rose. Her wavy auburn hair seemed full of energy. For a moment he allowed himself to wonder what that thick hair would feel like in his hands every night for the next thirty years. He brushed off the feeling, finally managing to say, "For thirty years?"

Deni smiled, much to his relief. "Maybe not thirty, but I do plan to stay here. Why do you want this house?"

"Not the house, just the property. I'm an architect. I have plans for this spot." Shane captured her gaze. He reached out and caught her hand in his. "Let's start over, please. Hi, I'm Shane Anderson."

Shane watched the hesitation in her face. She slowly pulled his hand from hers.

"Denise Sparks, Deni. Nice to meet you."

"Much better, especially since we are neighbors." Shane glanced back at the Jeep. "Want some help carrying in all those boxes?"

Deni smiled. "That's not all the boxes. The truck will be here later." Flashing him a quick smile, she said, "You're welcome to stick around and help unload it."

Shane carried the last box from the Jeep muttering to himself, "This one is heavy. Must be books." He set it down next to the bookcases. He jumped as something flew past him. "Whoa! What was that?"

Deni came into the room carrying the orange velvety cat. "Shane, meet Marmalade. I think you scared her when you dropped the box on the floor."

"I didn't drop it. I set it down," Shane grumbled. "There are plenty of books here already. You didn't need to bring more."

"Actually, those books go in the kitchen. They're cookbooks, or they're supposed to be if I believe the label." Deni smiled. "Would you mind putting them there?"

The sound of a blaring horn had her running to the window. A yellow and white moving truck launched gray smoke clouds as it bumped down the gravel drive.

"Terry's here! Thank goodness. I was afraid he wouldn't be able to find me." Deni dropped Marmalade gently on the covered couch and ran out the door.

The door to the moving truck opened, spilling a curly haired man dressed in chinos and checkered shirt.

Deni stopped short when she got a look at him. "Terry, you are going to help unload this thing, aren't you?"

"I suppose I could move a few things for you. I just volunteered to drive the truck remember?" Terry chuckled.

Behind her Deni heard Shane coming out of the house. "Shane, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Terry 'Lazybones' Fine."

"That hurts, Deni." Terry thrust his hand out to Shane. "I'm really not deserving of that name. She's the one that can trick you into doing her work while she watches." Terry laughed.

Deni playfully slugged him in the arm.

"I'm kidding, Deni. Open the back and let's get started."

Deni pushed up the truck door.

"Surprise!"

She squealed in delight as her best friend climbed out the back. "Liz!"

Hershey ran around barking in delight.

Liz dropped down to her knees and let Hershey give her doggy kisses. "I've missed you too, buddy."

"Hershey, it's my turn to hug my friend." Deni tugged her friend's freckled arm. "I thought you couldn't come, Liz."

"Last minute cancellation meant I was free to help you. Terry thought it would be fun to surprise you. That was some bumpy ride-and dusty." Liz wiped at a dusty spot on her black Capri pants. "Next time he can be the surprise."

"I'm glad you could come. I thought it would be weeks before you would get to see my house. Shane, this is Liz. Shane is a neighbor. He volunteered to help me unload the jeep."

"Volunteered?" Liz arched her eyebrows. "I'm sure that's what happened. Right Shane?"

"Actually, I think I did."

"When do we get a tour, Deni?" Liz asked.

"Seems to need some work." Terry kicked at a broken shingle lying on the drive.

"There was supposed to be a caretaker looking after this place." Deni shook her head. "Guess he didn't know what he was doing-"

Shane's voice stopped her from going any further. "My best friend, Chad Hastings, was the caretaker. He did what he could to keep the place standing. Ann didn't pay him or give him any money for repairs. He's a single parent, plus he has the boat shop to run. Doesn't leave him much time to fix things. His main goal was to keep the summer kids from destroying the house."

Cringing inside, Deni said, "I'm sorry, Shane. I didn't know. Jumping to conclusions is one of my biggest faults. I pray about it often."

Shane stared at her a moment before saying, "I forgive you. If you want to pay someone to help you fix things while you're here, Chad would be good at it."

"What do you mean while she's here?" Liz looked puzzled. "It's your house isn't it, Deni? You are going to stay, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, Liz. Shane just met me, how could he know how determined I am? He thinks I'll give up and leave this wonderful house. He's hoping because then it becomes his house." Deni frowned at Shane, "You're going to have to realize, I'm not going anywhere."

"It will be nice to have you around the neighborhood for a little while," Shane said jokingly, "but I'll be surprised if you stay."

Deni glared at him. "Come on, everyone. I'll take you on a tour of my house, just as soon as we move the bedroom furniture upstairs."

Terry groaned. "Shane, hope you don't mind but this will be a lot easier if you could help me move that dresser."

"Sure, I can help you move the large stuff inside."

"Thankfully, there isn't much furniture to move." Terry said grabbing one end of the dresser. "Just this, the futon and the kitchen table."

Later they all stood at the back of the moving van. Shane touched Deni's arm. "All that's left are boxes. Deni, I really have to run a few errands. I'll probably see you around." He started to walk away then turned and grinned. "I want you to know I'll be happy to help you move out when you're ready to leave."

Deni watched him go then turned to Liz. "He couldn't know, could he? I'll never give up this chance God has given me."

"You won't have to, Deni. God will work things out. He always does." Liz smiled. "He's cute, you know."

"Who, God?" Deni laughed. "I never thought of Him as being cute, more the kind grandfatherly type."

"Not God. Shane!" Liz glared at her friend. "You have to learn to love again, Deni. Ron wasn't the right person for you. He was mean-spirited and not caring. Who knows? Maybe Shane-"

"Jumping caterpillars, Liz! Just let me move in and get my business started before you marry me off to Shane, okay?" Deni grabbed a box and stomped her way up the stairs.

But Liz's words echoed in her mind. Maybe God had given her more than just a chance to make a home and start over-but a chance to find love as well.

Deni pulled her hair from the fabric-covered elastic band, letting it fall over her shoulders. She waved good-bye one more time to her friends as they disappeared from sight. Hot and sweaty from unloading the van she longed to take a quick dip in the lake but she brushed that thought away. She'd wait until evening.

Back in the house she felt deflated as she looked at the boxes waiting to be unpacked.

Hershey nudged her hand and she responded by rubbing his ear. "Hungry, boy?" She sighed. "I'd better feed Marmalade before she destroys something. Come on, boy, dinner time for you, too."

Deni dug in a box marked 'pets'; she tossed crumpled newspaper into the kitchen corner as she removed cans of cat food, a squeaky toy, and a jar of peanut butter. She held the jar, puzzling at it. Why would that have been in with the pet box? With hours of unpacking to come, she wondered what other exciting finds she would make as she put things away.

Her hand felt familiar items at the bottom of the box. "There, I've found them; you two will get to eat tonight from your own bowls."

She filled Hershey's ceramic bowl with dry dog food and set it on the floor in front of him.

Feeding Marmalade was a more difficult task. It took emptying several boxes to find the can opener for the shredded tuna. She turned the can over, letting the smelly substance fall onto the saucer.

"Here, Sweetness." She set the saucer in front of Marmalade. Marmalade whipped her head around, flicked her tail in the air and left the room. Deni sighed.

Hershey emptied his bowl then walked to Marmalade's saucer, slid down on the floor, tongue hanging out, and waited. He looked at Deni as if to question his right to eat the cat's food.

"Go ahead and eat it. She is going to play the picky queen tonight."

Deni's stomach growled, but rummaging through more boxes to find food for herself proved to be a colossal task. She decided she wasn't that hungry anyway. "Hershey, let's go watch the sunset down on the beach."

The soft dirt path muffled the sounds of Deni's footsteps. Thick tree leaves overhead provided a shade canopy filtering the last of the sunlight. Only small portals of pink and blue could be seen through the entwined branches.

The smell of warm earth brought back memories of barefoot summers. She stopped and removed her tennis shoes and socks. She pushed her socks into her shoes and set them down on the edge of the path. She looked for something to identify the spot when she returned to pick them up. Not seeing anything that would look out of place in a small wood she gathered a few branches and piled them in the middle of the path. "There, I should find that easy enough."

Deni could see the picket fence that marked the edge of her property, its white paint rough like the hide of an alligator. She pushed on the gate; the hinges screeched in agony. "Make a note of that Hershey. We need to wire brush and paint this fence. I need to bring some oil for those hinges on my next trip to the beach."

Her bare feet felt the coolness of the stone steps that had been worn smooth from many years of weather. Both sides of the steps were filled with driftwood, dried leaves and woody rose bushes. She sat on the smooth cold stone, hugged her knees to her chest and prayed.

"This is going to take forever to clean up. Father, are you sure this is where you want me? I'm not much of a gardener and yet it's something I've always wanted to learn. Is this going to be another way of yours to teach me patience?"

Deni giggled. "Oh, Father you have such a sense of humor. I'm not going to worry about it. I know You will send someone to teach me how to make this as pretty as a park if that's what You want."

Hershey licked Deni's chin. She pushed herself to a standing position. "I'm coming. I know I said we were going to the lake and we are. I just needed a moment with my Father."

Making her way down the rest of the steps, her mind wandered to the many tasks that she needed to complete in the coming weeks. The garage was the first big project that needed to be done, of course. Couldn't start her business without it.

She walked unevenly on the crushed stone beach. Hershey ran past her and straight into the water. She stopped at the waters' edge and rolled up the hem of her pants legs.

Edging closer Deni tentatively touched her toes in the water. She shrieked. She had expected it to hold the warmth of late summer. She strolled along the water's edge until her feet felt numb. An odd shaped rock caught her attention. She stooped to pick it up, thinking it would be fun to begin a collection of unusually shaped objects. She slid it into her pocket.

Back on the beach, Deni sat watching Hershey run in the shallow water, biting at the tiny waves.

"It can't get any better can it, Lord?" Deni lay back on the beach to watch the sun set. Vivid orange, yellow and red ran and dripped together like a child's watercolor painting.

She watched a sailboat's blue and white canvas tripping up and over the small waves. Peace filled her heart.

Hearing footsteps crunching on the rock, she turned to see Shane bearing a cloth and wicker picnic basket. She smiled. Liz was right. He is cute. He had on a blue and white striped T-shirt that hugged tight, showing off a well-formed chest. She was going to have to be careful of thoughts like that. She forced herself to remember the list she had written and placed carefully in her grandmother's jewelry box. She would make sure every item on that list was true before getting serious about anyone ever again.

Shane stopped at her feet and smiled. "Hi, neighbor. I brought you some dinner. I know when you first move in it's hard to find the energy to get a decent dinner together. I hope you don't mind cold sandwiches."

"Thank you, but how did you know I would be alone for dinner-that my friends weren't staying?"

"Liz told me before I left. She made it clear they had to return the truck before dinnertime. I think she was hinting that you would be here all alone without any food or human company."

Deni felt the warmth as it crept to her face. "I'm sorry. She's a mother hen sometimes."

"I thought she might be. That's okay. I needed to eat and I don't mind having company once in a while during a meal." She paused.

"I thought you wanted me to leave. Seems strange that you'd show up with a welcome meal."

Shane shrugged and looked down.

"I know it seems strange. I do want you to leave-the house, I guess. But until you do, you have to eat."

She laughed out loud. What a confusing man.

Shane watched Hershey splashing along the shoreline. "He likes the water, doesn't he?"

"Too much. When he was a puppy, I had to keep the bathroom door shut or he would jump in the bathtub with me." Deni laughed. "There just isn't enough room in most tubs to hold a Labrador and a person."

"You must have lived in a house with a large yard for this guy to run."

"No, that's why I'm so happy to be here. Labs have energy off any scale I've ever seen. I lived in a small apartment. Hershey and I did many laps around the block."

"Why did you buy him? Didn't you realize you didn't have the right place for him to live?"

"But I did! God knew Hersh needed a home-and fast. I walked into the Humane Society to look for a small dog, maybe a terrier. Instead there was Hershey. He'd been there as long as they were going to keep him. He was scheduled to lose his life that night. I couldn't let that happen."

"He's a beautiful dog. Why would someone put him in the pound?"

"The card attached said he destroyed furniture." Deni laughed. "I didn't have much furniture so I wasn't worried about him destroying anything. I bought a kennel and put him inside when I had to leave. He learned to chew only his toys and maybe a shoe or two of mine."

"And now he's here, with a lake for entertainment."

"Isn't God wonderful? He knew Hersh and I needed to move and he provided us with more than I could have imagined."

Deni noticed Shane's face was unreadable. He didn't think it was so great that God had given her the lake house. She decided she would rather eat than argue.

"Let me spread the table cloth or would you rather eat at my new home?" Deni smiled.

"Here is fine." Shane tossed the red and white checked tablecloth to Deni.

The tablecloth was big enough for them to sit on with the food spread between them. Deni sat across from Shane. Folding her hands she said, "I say grace before I eat. Would you like to join me?"

Shane smiled. "Sure."

After Deni's short prayer, Shane handed her a turkey sandwich and a soft drink. "What kind of business do you have?"

"I work with stained glass. It's a small business right now. I have a few clients; but now, thanks to Ann, I have the freedom to pursue it as a career."

"How did you get started?" Shane dug his hand into the potato chip bag.

"When I was little, we went to a church that had stained glass windows. I loved the way the light would stream in from the sun. All those magnificent colors." Deni smiled, remembering the magical feel. "One Sunday, I thought of a picture I would like to make for my bedroom window. I spent hours coloring on white tissue paper. I cut it into hundreds of pieces and then used rubber cement to glue them on."

"What was the picture?"

"A white stallion with an emerald eye. I poked a hole in the eyepiece to let the sun shoot through. So many tiny bit and pieces of paper. It must have taken me hours to make it."

"Why a white horse?"

"I'm not sure. I might have gotten tired of coloring all those small pieces. I remember I had the horse standing on a mountain with wild flowers."

Shane raised his eyebrows. "Very industrious. How old were you?"

"Ten. I've been told I had disappeared into my room and didn't come out until supper time. That's when the window was discovered." Deni shrugged her shoulder. "I also spent hours scraping the rubber cement off the window."

Shane laughed. "So at ten years old you knew you wanted to make stained glass windows?"

"It took me longer than that. I always loved to go to downtown St. Louis and look at the stained windows in the older houses. Finally, I decided to take a class and see if I would be any good at it. I was in high school and found a studio in Clayton that gave lessons."

"You've been in business since high school?" Shane finished with his meal and stretched his long legs to the side of the tablecloth.

"I've worked with glass since then but I haven't been in business that long. I didn't think I could support myself that way. I went to college instead and became a teacher." Deni felt a twinge of guilt. She would have to make a decision soon about her teaching job. She wondered if she could live in the lake house on the weekends during the school year. She would have to ask Mr. Abernathy if that was possible.

"Is something wrong? You look sad."

"No, not really. I'm just going to miss seeing some of the kids I taught." Deni smiled. "So what odd thing did you do as a child?"

Shane looked at her, not saying anything.

"Fair is fair. I told you something; now it's your turn."

"I was just thinking. Trying to remember if I did something that predicted my future as an architect." Shane put his hand to his forehead. "Now let me think."

Deni wrapped her arms around her knees and wiggled her toes. "It shouldn't be this hard."

"When I was eleven, I built a castle using marshmallows and peanut butter."

"A castle. Did you make a moat, too?"

"No, I didn't get to make a moat. I was discovered holding a knife loaded with peanut butter and that was the end of the castle keep."

"What happened?" Deni tried to picture what he looked like as a fifth grader, surrounded by marshmallows. He would have had a white chin from the powder off the marshmallows that he would have consumed, of that she felt certain.

"My mom made me throw it away. She said it would attract bugs. Then I had to buy another bag of marshmallows with my allowance. They were supposed to be for my sister's Girl Scout campfire."

"That's was only fair, I suppose, but didn't your mom want to encourage your creativity?"

"Maybe if I hadn't been building on her prized cherry wood sideboard." Shane grinned. "I tried to explain the allure of the supplies lying there, waiting for my creative genius, but she didn't buy it."

Hershey came running toward them with a stick in his mouth. Deni jumped up, put her hand in the air, palm out. "Stay."

Hershey stopped at the edge of the tablecloth then dropped the stick at Shane's feet and shook. Beads of water sprayed everywhere.

Laughing, Shane wiped water off his face. "Guess that's the end of dinner."

"Sorry." Deni stacked the plates in the wicker basket. Handing the basket to Shane she said, "I need to go back. I need to unpack a few things before tomorrow. It was nice of you to bring dinner by." She smiled her thanks at him.

"Would you like some help?" Shane added, "I mean, do you need to move any boxes somewhere? No unpacking though, I don't like to empty boxes and stand around trying to find a place to put things."

For a moment she considered how it might feel to have Shane's company. She looked into his eyes, about to say yes. His eyes seemed to pull her into him. Once again the feeling of wanting more than friendship crossed her mind. Then she slowly shook her head. "No, I don't need any help. I can do it myself."

"See you soon, then." She watched Shane return the way he'd come, then calling Hershey, she headed for the house.

Back in her bedroom Deni tried to lift a heavy box full of photo albums. Somehow they had ended upstairs and she wanted to put them on the bookshelves downstairs. Unable to do more than scoot the box toward the door she regretted not letting Shane help her. Sitting down on top of the box to rest she thought about the way Shane's hand had felt in hers. It had been so warm, swallowing her own small hand, giving her a sense that the owner could bring her security, maybe even love.

She jumped up from the box as if she had she had been sitting on something hot. What is the matter with me? I certainly don't know enough about Shane Anderson to be sitting here thinking about him like that. I have to remember my list if I want to keep from falling for the wrong man again, she chastised herself. She took her nightgown from the hook on the closet door, slid it over her head, brushed her teeth and slid into bed.

* * *

A loud screeching noise hurt her ears. Deni groaned and rolled over to hit the button, but instead her hand hit dead air. Opening one eye, she sought to find the alarm clock. With a start Deni sat straight up in bed, belatedly remembering that she was in her new house.

The joy of waking up for the first time in her new bedroom quickly vanquished all traces of sleepiness. "My new home," she whispered contentedly, pulling her grandmother's quilt around her.

She gazed around the bedroom and couldn't help smiling when she saw her grandmother's rocking chair sitting cozily under the windows. She stretched her arms high over her head. Sunlight peeked around the edges of the ivory window shade. The moss green walls gave her the feeling of being in the trees.

Liz had unpacked Deni's collection of blue glass candleholders, arranging them on the dresser. Deni said a small prayer of thanks for her friend, Liz. She must have known Deni would need to see favorite things when she first awoke, to feel like she was home. How she had found them was anyone's guess. Deni had been so tired the night before that she had not noticed them on the dresser.

Marmalade sprang onto the bed and settled herself in Deni's lap. The cat gave a small meow and began to knead the bunched quilt.

"How did you sleep last night, Marmy?" Deni asked, only to receive purring in response. She couldn't help smiling. She felt contented enough to purr, too. She lifted the cat and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose before sliding out of bed. She picked up the white terry cloth robe from the end of the bed and wrapped it around her. Her bare feet felt smooth and cool on the wide planked oak floor.

Walking over to the windows, Deni raised the shades and looked outside with wonder. The sun filtered through the oak trees, splashing the porch below with patches of white and yellow.

She tried to see the lake through the trees but could only see tiny bits of blue, the kind of blue used on jigsaw puzzles. The slightly fishy smell of the water made her nose tingle with delight.

Deni looked over at Hershey. He slept at the foot of the bed. He hadn't moved and didn't even seem to realize it was morning. She smiled thinking he must have worn himself out playing in the water the night before.

She searched through a box in the bathroom for a towel and face cloth. Finding them, she hung the towel on a rack by the sink, turned on the hot water and soaked the face cloth.

Marmalade meowed softly before jumping up to perch on the edge of the white pedestal sink. She swatted a paw at the stream of water that trickled from the silver faucet.

"Down you go, Marmy. I have to wash the sleep out of my eyes." Deni yawned and stretched again. "I have to move fast this morning. It will take me a while to get to church in St. Louis."

In the kitchen, Deni pushed aside boxes until she found the small white one marked "TEA MAKINGS." This one had what she needed inside because she had packed it herself. She tossed newspapers in the corner on top of the others until she found the teakettle at the bottom.

Once the water was hot, she poured her blackberry tea into one of her mother's hand painted, rose-covered, china cups. She opened a glass-fronted cabinet and reached inside for the wheat bagels left from yesterday. Squeezing the plastic bear, she drizzled the golden honey onto the bagel. This was shaping up to be a perfect morning.

Marmalade circled Deni's ankles brushing them with her soft fur, softly meowing.

"It is early." Deni said as if the cat had spoken to her. "I'll have to find a closer church if this is going to be our home. I can't drive for an hour every week to church. There must be one that's closer."

* * *

In the fellowship hall, Deni stood surrounded by some of the Wednesday night Bible study group. She glanced around, trying to spot Liz. She needed rescuing or she would be sobbing soon. How did she ever think she could leave this church family, especially this group? They had been by her side with prayers, food and even walks with Hershey when Rob broke off their engagement.

"Do you think you could come back once in awhile for a meeting, Deni?" Lori asked her, tears in her eyes.

Deni shook her head no. "I'd like to, but it's such a long drive and at night it would seem farther. Don't you dare cry, Lori. If you start then I'll be crying with you."

"Right. This is supposed to be a happy time for her, Lori," said Alex, Lori's husband, as he put his arm around Deni. "Deni gets to follow her dream. Until the next time."

Deni smiled. "Alex, you're right. I will be back-just not every week. A hug would feel just right."

"Hug time?" Liz asked. " I've been trying to get over here to talk to you, Deni, but I had so much fun in the nursery this morning I had trouble leaving when the Sunday school shift arrived."

"Alex and Lori are trying to make me feel better about leaving."

"I think this would be a good time to take off, now that Liz is here." Lori said.

Deni gave the pair another quick hug. "Thank you both, and whatever you do don't quit praying for me. Maybe at the end of the summer I can have you out for a barbecue."

"Sounds good, I'll volunteer to grill if you like." Alex grinned. "Unless there is another male around who has become territorial by then."

"Not likely, Alex. Consider the job yours." Deni watched them walk away noticing Alex wipe a tear from Lori's cheek and bend down to say something into her ear that made her stand taller. Someday she hoped she would have an Alex in her life, even though the possibility seemed to shrink with every male she dated.

"Deni, are you leaving now or do you have time to talk?" Liz smiled. "Maybe you have something to tell me about last night?"

"Oh that, nothing much. Shane asked me to be the mother of his children." Deni turned and headed for the door. Maybe she could make it to her Jeep before every detail of the evening was extracted from her.

"What?" Liz ran after Deni. "Stop. You can't leave me with that announcement. I need details."

"Got you. That's what you get for sending him out with a picnic dinner, like I couldn't possibly feed myself."

"How romantic. Where were you-at your house or the beach?"

"The beach-and that is all I'm going to tell you." Deni smiled. "At least for now." She opened the Jeep door, letting the built-up heat escape before attempting to climb inside.

"There's more? You have to tell me. I don't do chapter installments with grace. You know that. Please, tell me." Liz leaned against the Jeep and pleaded with a sad face.

Deni relented. "It was a nice dinner. We talked about how we chose our professions and then I went home. See there wasn't much more to tell you."

"Just wait, maybe there will be more soon." Liz winked. "You never know what God has planned, do you?"

"No, but I can see you planning, Liz, and I don't think that is what He meant about being His instrument." Deni put on her stern face. "Leave it alone, Liz. I'm fine the way my life is now."

Liz grinned at Deni. "Understood. But if you aren't interested in Shane would you mind if I became interested?"

Shaken by Liz's question, Deni stuttered. "I…I hadn't, I guess it would…"

"Stop!" Liz laughed. "No, you aren't interested, are you? It was a test and you flunked."

"So I flunked. Maybe I'll give him a chance. It's not likely he'll manage to meet the list requirements, though."

"That list has to go, Deni. It's just a protection device to keep you out of relationships."

"Maybe it is Liz, but it's what I need to do." Deni slid onto the warm seat, turned on the engine and switched on the air conditioning. "I'll call you later this week-okay?"

"Wednesday. I'll be home doing the laundry so I won't miss your call."

"'Til Wednesday then." Deni closed her door and drove off, forcing herself not to look back at her old, comfortable life.

On the drive home she reflected on Pastor Brant's sermon. She wondered if it had been written for her. "I can do all things through Him, who strengthens me," had been her chosen verse for a long time.

Pastor Brant had given her a name of a church in her new town, St. Matthew's. Next Sunday I'm going to the new church, she decided. I will make it my new home. I will. The thought of going there next Sunday brought a sudden, unexpected lump to her throat. A tear trickled down her face; she felt as if she had cut all ties with her previous life. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea-starting over. She knew she would have to trust God, but it was hard sometimes.

Deni stopped the jeep in front of the boat shop. This time she hoped Chad would be easier to talk to. At least now she understood he was tired of working for nothing. Maybe he would work for her as Shane had said-if she could offer him enough money.

Deni noticed an orange and black 'Closed' sign hanging from a chain inside the shop door. Sighing she pulled a grocery receipt from her purse and searched for a pen to write down the phone number of the shop.

Pulling out of the parking lot, she mentally started a list of jobs she needed Chad to do as money became available. The front steps first, then re-hang the shutter and fix the leaky bathroom faucet. She could paint the house herself. But she would need his help with the garage. "I just hope Chad's not as unpleasant as the first time we met," she thought.

* * *

Chad pulled his rusted pick up truck close to Deni's back door. He turned the key off and waited for a few seconds until the knocking engine quieted.

"Dad says the horses aren't ready to stop running yet." Doug laughed. "Shane, do you think there are horses in the engine?"

Shane rubbed Doug's chin with his thumb. "You bet. When you start driving you'll be able to find those horses, too."

"Too soon to talk about that, Shane." Chad unbuckled his son's seat belt. "Doug is thinking about a two-wheeler and that's a giant step without tossing him horses."

"Dad, when can I get a two-wheeler? Jared has one already."

"Soon, Doug. See what you've started, Shane?"

"The boy just wants to be like his friends." Shane climbed out of the truck. "I don't see Deni's Jeep. Maybe she parked it in the garage."

"Doug and I'll wait here." Chad leaned up against the front of the truck, patting the hood for Doug to stand next to him.

Shane knocked on the back door. The windowpane shook, making the cream café curtains move. "Need to fix this window. The pane is loose," he yelled to Chad.

Inside the house, Hershey went into a barking frenzy.

"Dad! There's a dog in there! Can I play with him?"

"Maybe later, if it's friendly." Chad smiled at his son.

Shane peeked through the widow. In the dim light he could see boxes spread out on the floor, some of them open. He wondered how much unpacking Deni had managed the night before. From the looks of the kitchen she didn't get far.

Shane walked back to the truck. "She must not be home, Chad. She may not have heard me knocking, but I would think she would want to know why the dog is barking. Let's hang around for a bit and see if she comes back."

"We should leave, come back later." Chad nervously shifted his feet while looking down the drive, then at his son. Doug had pulled a small car from his jeans pocket and dropped to his knees on the driveway. He was busily driving on a make-believe road.

"Gotta push those horses, brrummm." Doug's lips vibrated with engine noises.

"We'll go in a minute. Just look around and try to get an idea of what you want to charge her to fix it up." Shane looked at the growth of weeds. It hurt him to see it grown up that way. Ann had always had an array of flowers planted, different ones every year. She told him once she liked to announce a new spring with different colors. He could still see her dressed in her pink-and-white-striped apron to protect her clothes while she weeded. Seemed like she had always been in the garden weeding and collecting flowers in an old, funny-shaped basket.

"I wonder if Deni will replant this garden, bring it back to what it used to be?"

Chad glared at Shane. "I don't get it. I thought you wanted her to leave; now you're talking flowers? Why do you want me to help her fix up the place? It'll make it harder to get her out of here if the roof doesn't leak."

"I do want her to leave. She has to leave." Shane hesitated, trying to find the right words to explain. "Maybe, if there's too much work, too much money involved…"

"She'll head back to where she belongs." Chad nodded his head toward Doug and motioned to Shane to walk over to the house. "So the plan is for me to charge her a lot and maybe take my time getting the work done."

"No." Shane shook his head. That wasn't what he wanted, was it? "Just be fair. I don't want to get the house dishonestly. There has to be another way to get her to move. Maybe she won't like living out here by herself after a few weeks."

"Looks like she's going to need new shutters. It would take a lot of work to redo them." Chad backed up to look at the roof. "Could use a new roof, too."

Shane sat on the porch steps. "Chad, do you remember when we were kids? We'd sit here dreaming about the resort we were going to own."

"Sure, you were going to design the resort. I was going to build it. You were going to design a boat dock, too." Chad frowned. "That was going to be mine. I planned to rent slips to boat owners by the month. Maybe get a few speed boats and skis to rent to the resort." Chad's eyes narrowed. "Thought we were going to get to do it this time."

Shane watched Doug playing in the dirt, remembering two small boys who had made promises to each other long ago. "Maybe we still can-in three months. If she leaves, we can tear down the house and garage. We'll dig the foundation once spring gets here. We probably wouldn't be able to open until the middle of summer, though." He squinted, trying to peer through the thickened trees. "We use to be able to see the lake from these steps."

Chad ground the dirt with his foot. "We will again," he mumbled. "If I have anything to do with it."

"What?"

"Nothing," Chad said. "Come on, Doug, let's look at the back of the house."

Shane looked at his friend and shrugged. If Chad wanted to be mysterious, then that's what Chad would be.

* * *

Deni pulled her jeep behind an unfamiliar brown pickup truck. She could hear Hershey's agitated barking when she opened the jeep door. Careful not to catch her long skirt, she pulled it off the seat before slamming the door. She could see Shane. And was that the man from the boat shop? Shane's friend, Chad, was standing in the yard looking up at her roof-and whose little boy was that?

"Hi, Shane. What are you doing here?"

"Last night you said you wanted to hire Chad to do some work so I thought I'd bring him over and reintroduce you." Shane scratched his chin. "Does this happen to you a lot, having to be reintroduced to people?"

"Only since I moved here; in fact, it just seems to be the people in this town that seem to have trouble being nice the first time." Deni stuck out her hand to Chad.

"Hi, Shane told me that you might be willing to work for me. Help me get the house back together, the way it should be. I can't pay you all at once."

Chad folded his arms across his chest.

Her hand hung in the air. Trying to cover his moment of hesitation, Deni ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'd be interested. I'll have to come by in the evenings. Sometimes I'll be able to work on Thursdays, maybe some Saturday evenings. That's the only time I'm available. I'll have to bring my son along, too. Doug, get up and say hi to Miss-?"

"-Sparks. Hi Doug. How old are you?"

"Five. Can I play with your dog?"

"Yes, you can. Hershey likes little boys and so do I. What is your favorite kind of cookie?"

"Chocolate chip. But I eat the chips out of the bag if there aren't any cookies. Dad said it's just as good as eating a real cookie."

"Then I'll make sure I have real cookies and a bag just to eat when you come to help your dad."

"Okay."

Chad looked over his shoulder at Shane. "How much longer is this going to take? I need to get Doug to his grandmother's."

Deni felt her face turning red with anger. Maybe this wasn't a good idea to have him work for her. It seemed obvious he was only doing it because Shane asked him. Please, Father, control my tongue. "Chad, if you don't want to do this, I'm sure I can find someone else."

"No, I don't mind. I can use the extra cash."

"Good, I'm glad you'll do it." Deni smiled at Chad, hoping to get one in return. "Why don't you take your son, Chad? I'll make up a list of what needs to be done. In fact, I've already started it. Then maybe you could drop by later and we'll go over it."

"It'll take about an hour. See you later, Shane, Deni. Doug, time to go to your grandmother's."

Once they were in the truck, Chad slammed his truck door; the engine sputtered, then caught, sending black smoke from the tailpipe.

Deni waited until Chad drove off before turning to Shane. "I thought you said he was friendly. You say he's your best friend?" She struggled not to add more.

"He's had a rough time since his wife, Mandy, died. He'll come around; give him some time."

Deni hesitated before asking. "How did she die?"

"Cancer," Shane answered tersely. "She died about six months ago. Since then Chad's been working at the boathouse for his father."

"I'm sorry. I hope the pain eases soon for him. What did he do before he started working for his father?"

"He was a general contractor. He lost his business not long after Mandy was diagnosed. He never finished any jobs; he just stayed home with her." Shane motioned to the door. "Aren't you going to let the dog out?"

Deni fumbled for the key chain she had stuck in her skirt pocket. She pulled it out along with the church bulletin. The keys fell to the ground.

Shane reached down to pick them up. He read the inscription on the silver heart, "…a time to dance, Ecc. 3:4. What does that mean?"

"It's personal." Deni held out her hand for the key ring. As Shane handed them back to her, his hand covered hers and he allowed his fingers to trail over her outstretched palm.

Deni jerked her hand away as if it had touched a hot wire. "Thanks." Flustered by her reaction, she tried to ram the key into the door. "I need to let Hershey out before he tears down the door." Twisting the knob with one hand and the key with the other, she managed to get the door open.

Hershey pushed himself past Deni and took off toward the lake.

Deni smiled, watching Hershey run. She was glad she moved here. Hershey needed a place to stretch those legs.

Deni took the key out of the lock. She held it up to show Shane its bent shape. "I think I need to add new locks to the list of things I need. My list keeps getting longer. I just hope I have enough money to get all the work finished properly."

"Guess you could always go back to St. Louis and teach if you run out of money." Shane said. "You might not like living here in a few months anyway. When the snow gets here, you can't get to town for days."

"I have a Jeep, remember?" Deni snapped. "Don't worry about me. I'll love it here." She went inside and slammed the door. For a man who was considerate enough to treat her to dinner on her first night in a strange place, he was obviously very intent on seeing her leave.

Crumpled notebook paper crowded one corner of Deni's tiny desk. A teacup boasting bright reds and yellows perched on its matching saucer. A small plate decorated with toast crumbs rested nearby.

Deni leaned back in the ladder-back chair and ran her fingers through her hair. With a sigh she reached for the letter she had just finished. She read it, then grabbed the top of the paper and ripped it from the notebook. Scrunching the loose paper into a ball, she tossed it on top of the growing pile of discarded letters. Frustrated, she started writing again.

"Dear Mr. Townsend, I regret that I must return my teaching contract unsigned."

She paused, wondering how to go on with the letter. She tapped her ink pen on the desktop and looked out the window. A small breeze rifled the trees. The flower bed was still full of weeds. The gravel she had ordered for the driveway still hadn't been delivered.

It wasn't until she'd talked to Mr. Abernathy that she discovered living in the lake house only on weekends would forfeit her right to the house.

She felt as though she was on a seesaw. Stay or leave. Go back to the familiar or take the challenge of being in business on her own. Enjoy the excitement of working with leaded glass or be frightened of being the boss.

She'd avoided seesaws after the first time she'd been coaxed onto one by a friend. Joe Roomey had jumped off the seesaw, leaving her unbalanced and sending her crashing through the air. The fall to the ground had terrified her, brought memories rushing to her heart and mind, memories she didn't want. Up and down. Now it seemed she was back on that seesaw waiting for someone to drop her again, only this time it would be worse than landing on hard ground.

Sending the contract back unsigned would mean she would have to give up most of her income. The trust she had from her parents wouldn't be available for another year. Not that she would ever use that money. She'd take the worst job she could imagine before using once cent of that money.

Deni picked up her Bible and searched in the concordance for a passage on trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 sounded like it might be what she needed. She flipped through the chapters until she found the passage. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."

She closed the book gently and set it on the desktop. She waited for a moment, letting the sounds of the day filter through her being. Then, sitting straighter in her chair, she picked up her pen and finished the letter.

"God has presented me with an opportunity to follow my dream. I have always taught my students to follow their hearts. I feel at this time that I must take my own advice. I am returning my contract to you, unsigned." She folded the letter in thirds and stuffed it with the contract in an envelope. Holding it in her hand, she couldn't bring herself to seal it. The toast sat like lead balls in her stomach.

Deni allowed one more moment of regret. She wouldn't be walking into a classroom this fall. There wouldn't be a freshly cleaned board, chalk dust smell or the nervous smiles of new students. She wouldn't see any of the students she had taught last year and worse yet, she might never know how they were doing in the sixth grade.

Stop it, she told herself. If I really want to see them, I can. I can drive back for a visit. Maybe I can even do a workshop with the kids, using colored plastic instead of glass.

With a leap of faith she sealed the envelope and stamped it. She had officially cut all ties, all possible income. Now all she had to do was make her business grow enough to support herself; she wouldn't ask for more than that. The possibilities were endless and daunting at the same time. She would be entirely on her own.

At the door, Deni slipped on her tennis shoes. She stepped out into the hot muggy day. Having made up her mind to return the contract, she wanted no opportunity to change it. She climbed into her Jeep and drove to the post office.

Deni's jeans were wet and bleached out. Her knees were numb from kneeling on the kitchen floor. She had a red toothbrush in her right hand and a spray bottle with bleach in her left. Sighing, she sprayed the moldy grout between the light-blue ceramic tiles. She gazed across the floor at the expanse of blue tiles and groaned. Her back ached. "Not even halfway yet."

At the quiet knock on the screen door, Deni looked up, surprised to see Chad and Doug. She stood, walked to the door and opened it wide.

"Hi Chad-Doug. Are you here to work?" Deni nervously waited for him to say he was quitting or that he wanted more money. To her surprise, he smiled at her.

"'Morning. I had the morning off. Thought I'd work on those shutters-nail them back onto the house, since you don't want to replace them. Doug is going to help me, if that's okay." Chad stood there holding a brown paper bag.

"That would be great. No more banging in the wind." Deni looked at the bag. "Do I owe you for nails or something?"

Chad looked confused for a moment, then smiled. "This is our lunch. I was wondering if I could put it in your fridge?"

"We're having peanut butter on crackers and chips." Doug piped in. "We have sodas, too."

Laughing at Doug's excitement, Deni took their lunch from Chad. "It'll be here when you're ready for it." She glanced at the wet floor; never mind that she would have to walk across it to get to the fridge. It wasn't worth mentioning. Not when Chad seemed to be changing his attitude toward her. He seemed happy this morning, he was even whistling as he walked away from the house. Maybe she had been wrong about him. Maybe he was just moody or overworked.

Hours later, Deni stood, stretched and tossed the rag and toothbrush into the bucket. Bright white outlines shone around the tiles. "That is a job I hope I never have to repeat before I die."

Thirsty, she reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. She climbed stiffly over the boxes she had stacked in the door opening to keep Hershey off the wet floor. Collapsing into the blue and white chair, she said to the grinning dog, "I just want to sit and un-kink my bones, Hersh."

The loud hammering had stopped. Silence surrounded her like a warm blanket. She closed her eyes. She must have nodded off for only a little while when Hershey nudged her arm hard with a wet nose. Then he ran, nails clicking on the hardwood floor, to the door and yelped.

"All right boy, we'll walk down to get the mail." Shaking off the fogged-in feeling of sleep, she dragged herself from the chair.

Deni took the leash off the front doorknob where it had been hanging. Hershey spun in circles and pranced about the room.

"Hershey, you have to sit or I won't be able to get this on you!" Deni laughed. "We aren't going on a long walk, you goose. Just to the end of the drive. Now, sit."

Hershey sat, then let his front legs slide on the wooden floor until he was lying flat. As soon as Deni hooked the leash to the collar he sprang up, pulling Deni toward the door.

Outside she didn't see Chad or Doug anywhere. The ladder was still propped against the house. Four of the shutters now hung straight and sturdy again. She thought the two of them must have taken their lunch out of the house while she was sleeping and were probably eating it on the beach.

Walking down the drive, Deni watched the changing patterns the dancing leaves made on the driveway. The gold of the sun filtered through the dense trees, reminding her of a fairy tale land. "Ah, if only there were a true prince on his way to find me." She sighed, then added, "One who meets everything on my list."

A squirrel darted across the driveway. Hershey strained on his leash, pulling Deni toward the woods after it.

"Hershey, heel," Deni yelled, pulling sharply at the leash.

Hershey slowed until he was next to Deni's side.

"Good dog." Deni patted him on the head. "No squirrel chasing today. It's too hot."

At the mailbox Deni stood going through assorted 'dear occupant' mail. A car horn beeped. She looked up to see Shane's car slowing to a stop in front of her. Her heart beat faster at seeing him again. Immediately she cautioned herself. This man wanted her gone.

Shane lowered his window. "I was just thinking about you. I was wondering if you've gotten everything unpacked."

"It will probably disappoint you, but most of the boxes are empty." Deni laughed. "I'm still trying to find things, though. I seem to have unpacked things in odd places. I found the catsup bottle in the linen closet yesterday."

"You'll probably find several things in the wrong place for awhile." Shane smiled at her. "Maybe you would like to go to dinner."

Deni had to admit that she was surprised. She found herself nodding. "That would be heaven. I've been in the kitchen all morning scrubbing the grout in the floor to get rid of the mildew, and I didn't relish the idea of making dinner." Deni wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I was planning on a bagel or a can of spaghetti."

"I suppose you could come up to my place tonight. My mom keeps me supplied with lasagna. I can take some out of the freezer." Shane said.

The cool wind rushing from Shane's opened car window couldn't put out the flame in Deni's face. "There goes my impulsiveness again. I'm sorry. I thought you were asking me to dinner tonight."

"Easy mistake. It's not a problem. I can thaw and reheat a pretty decent lasagna. Besides if you come to my house, I can show you the model of the resort that I've put together."

Deni pulled herself up to her full height of five foot three inches. She hissed his name. "Shane."

"Hold on! I just want to show you what I had planned for when you leave. If you leave."

"I told you, I'm not leaving." She smiled, angelically. "I would like to see the model of what you're going to build on your property. What time should I be there?" Deni looked at her grungy clothes. The smell of bleach was somewhat overwhelming. "I hope not too soon. I need to do some major cleaning up."

"About six?" Shane leaned out the window to pet Hershey. "Bring Hershey with you if you want."

"How long does it take to get to your house?" Deni looked down the long stretch of asphalt. "Is it easy to see from the road?"

"Why don't you walk the beach? You can't miss my house; it's the first one you come to. Shouldn't take you more than ten minutes. The lower beach is flat all the way there. You could drive it in minutes, but the walk is nice."

"I'd rather walk it, especially since I'm bringing Hershey along. He's much too active in the Jeep. Should I bring something?"

"I have everything we need. Unless you want dessert?" He smiled mischievously.

Deni's breath caught at his little boy smile. She quickly ran through the meager ingredients she had in her pantry. "I think I can rustle up something for dessert. But I should get started if I'm going to make it to dinner on time."

"Dessert, a real one?" Shane's face spread into a devastating smile. "I can't wait. See ya."

Deni watched Shane's black Jag disappear around the corner. "Well, Hershey, I wonder if Shane qualifies as a prince for saving me from cooking tonight? He certainly looks like one." She frowned. "But his car is the wrong color for a modern day prince; it should be silver or white but not black."

At the end of the driveway Hershey bounded toward his new friend, Doug.

Chad was gathering his tools.

"Done for the day? The house doesn't look haunted now that the shutters are hanging straight again." Deni watched Doug pick up a stick and throw it for Hershey.

"I thought I'd take Doug to rent a video game for the afternoon so I can get some chores finished around my house." Chad tossed a hammer into the top of his metal toolbox. "Doug likes your dog."

"And my dog likes your son. Hersh likes to play stick but I can't play as long as Doug can. Doug is good for Hershey; I want him to be comfortable around small children."

"Doug seems to be the only child hanging around here." Chad said.

"For now, but soon I hope to teach a class of little ones."

"To work with glass? Doesn't sound safe to me."

"It is safe, if they are taught in small groups. You know, if it's okay with you, I think I'd like to practice with Doug on a small night-light. I think it would be an easy project for children his age. I'll soon find out if Doug thinks it's too hard or to simple."

"I guess he can, if he wants to." Chad fished his keys from his pocket. "Doug, time to go; tell the dog you'll see him later."

"Dad, can we get a dog like Hershey?" Doug yelled, tossing the stick one more time for the lab to run after.

"Someday. Maybe. Now let's go."

Deni watched Doug pet Hershey one more time, then run to the truck as if to make up for the few seconds he'd stolen to say good-bye to the dog.

Through the open truck window Doug yelled over the noisy truck. "I'll be back soon, Hershey."

Deni smiled and thought how sweet and expressive Doug was. How unlike his father's terse, clipped response to everything.

In the kitchen Deni poured the angel food mix into the cake pan. She put it in the oven to bake while she ran upstairs to take a quick shower.

The smell of lavender and mint body wash refreshed Deni's tired mind as she showered. Washing her hair, she wondered what Shane's house looked like. If the car he drove was any indication, it would be decorated with chrome and glass, what she and Liz called the 'no touch, no comfort' look.

And walking the beachfront sounded enticing. She hadn't had time to explore much of the shoreline. Her time had been filled with unpacking and trying to get the house in order so she could begin working on her studio. She had to start making her living soon.

The shower off, she stepped out onto the navy blue-woven rug. Wrapped in a blue and cream striped bath sheet she ran back downstairs to take the cake out of the oven.

She glanced at the clock. "Thirty minutes. I should be able to make it." She plopped the sweet-smelling cake upside down on a tall glass to cool.

Back upstairs, in front of her dresser, Deni finger combed her towel-dried waves behind her ears. "Now, what to wear? Casual or dressy?" She rummaged through her closet then pulled out an ankle-length navy linen skirt. She found her red silk shirt and slid it over her shoulders.

Standing in front of the oval dressing mirror, she took several deep breaths. "It's only dinner." She frowned. "Right, only dinner with a terrific looking guy that wants you to move." Picking up a dark blue bottle of lavender oil, she rubbed some onto each wrist and a tiny bit on the back of her neck.

Marmalade purred from the bed.

"Do you think this stuff really makes you relax, Marmy?" Marmalade rolled over and stretched as if the smell made her melt into the bed. Deni reached over and rubbed the cat's soft tummy. She laughed when Marmalade wrapped her front paws around her hand as she tried to remove it. "Let go, kitty."

Deni opened her grandmother's rosewood jewelry box to get her gold chain necklace. Her eyes fell on the folded list she had made sometime ago. The one for the perfect date. Forgetting about getting her necklace she unfolded the pale pink paper and read.

"The perfect man. I will not date and/or consider marrying anyone that: 1. Does not have faith in Jesus Christ as a personal Savior. 2. Does not like dogs, cats and children. 3. Has been married before, unless there is a believable reason why his marriage didn't work. 4. Isn't supportive of my art. 5. Doesn't like cotton candy."

Number five was added after Rob had taken her to a circus, she had been angry with him when she wrote it down. She had spotted the cotton candy stand right away. Pink was her favorite. Rob had refused to buy her any. So she had bought her own. Rob wouldn't even eat a tiny piece of the fluffy stuff, claiming it to be too sticky and a worthless treat. She had told him he was un-American and didn't know how to have fun.

Frowning, she shoved the list back into the box. Maybe she should add and other caveat. Never date a man who wants your property.

* * *

The sun was low in the sky, hidden in shades of fuchsia, scarlet and variegated blues when Deni arrived at her destination. She stood on the beach looking at Shane's house, the cake basket in her hand swinging from its handle.

A cupola cast a soft ivory light over the gray-blue shingles. Three white steps led to three French doors. Two windows topped each door and a triangle shaped window crowned the entire thing. She could see honey oak wood walls glowing through the glass. For a second she felt like she had come home; then Shane came to the door. Framed in the light and glass she was acutely aware of his beautifully proportioned body.

"Right on time. Ah, angel food cake, one of my favorites." Shane took the basket out of her hand and led her inside. "Dinner is just about ready to come out of the oven. You didn't bring Hershey?"

"No, I knew he'd play in the lake and be a mess when I got here." Deni followed Shane into the kitchen, surprised to see that it was barren of any chrome and glass. It had the warmth of an old country kitchen, right down to a rocking chair in the corner. "Did you build your house?"

"Sort of. I found two barns that I liked, had them dismantled and put them together in a different way." He pulled the lasagna out of the oven. "I have pictures of before and after if you want to see them, after dinner."

"Barns? I'm impressed. Were they real barns? With stalls?"

Shane laughed. "Yes, real barns with milking stations and troughs for the pigs."

"You are good at what you do."

Shane grinned, obviously pleased with her praise. "Thanks. Grab the salad out of the fridge, would you? And follow me." Shane led the way to the dining room.

Deni felt as though they had walked outside instead of into a different room. Two of the walls were glass; one looked onto the lake, the other into the woods. Tiny ships inserted into glass bottles lined shelves along one wall. She set the salad on the table and picked up one of the bottles. "I've always wondered how they get those ships through that tiny opening in the bottle."

"Someday I'll show you. My grandfather made most of those." Shane poured ice water from an unusually shaped green ceramic pitcher.

"Where did you get that?" Deni ran her hand over the slightly bumpy surface. "It reminds me of a pickle."

"Local artist at the high school. They had a show and this one looked so…"

"Unique?"

"Yes, the student selling it looked like she'd rather be at the dentist's office than selling art work. I've been told it's a requirement for the freshman art class to participate in a show."

At the table Deni waited, hands folded in her lap. She raised her eyes to find Shane watching her.

"Would you like me to say grace?" he asked.

Her heart beat fast just for a second, remembering the first item on her date list, then she nodded. "Please."

Shane bowed his head. Deni watched him for a moment, then did the same as he began. "Father, thank You for this meal You alone have provided. Thank You for new friendships. In Jesus' name. Amen."

"Amen," she repeated, touched by his words. Maybe-

Shane jumped up, scattering her thoughts like spilled seeds.

"The bread! I left it in the oven." He bolted to the kitchen, then came back caring a basket of rolls, his right arm draped with a white dishcloth. "Would you care for a roll?" he said, presenting her with the woven wicker basket.

Deni looked at him with amused wonder. "Are you always this proper?"

"I've had excellent training." Shane sat in his chair. "I come from a large family of sisters. How about you? Brothers and sisters?"

"No siblings. My parents killed in an airplane crash. I was brought up by my grandmother." Deni recited in a singsong voice.

"Sounds like you've had to say that a lot," Shane said, his eyes echoing her pain.

"It seemed every time there was a reason for parents to come to school, I had to explain why Grandmother was there instead." Deni shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really remember them. I was three. They crashed at Kennedy International Airport. One hundred and thirteen people were killed that day." Shane put his fork down and reached for her hand. Holding it gently he said, "I'm sorry, that must have been a frightening time for you. Where were they going?"

"My dad had a business trip. Grandmother said Dad talked Mom into going with him." Ready to change the subject, Deni picked up her plate and glass. "I'll put these in the kitchen."

Shane followed her with his dishes. "Set these on the counter and I'll do them later. Would you like to see my resort now?"

"Sure, I'd like to see what you think would look better than my little house." In a defensive gesture, Deni folded her arms across her chest.

Shane led the way to his office and turned on the lights. A spot light shone on a small desk that held a model made of tiny plastic bricks. The model sat on a board, covered with tiny trees and blue paint for the lake. There was even a minuscule sailboat anchored by the island.

Deni sighed. "A Victorian house. I've always wanted to live in one of those. I wanted an attic to play in when I was little."

Shane smiled. "You sound so wistful."

"Um. I am. I want a home of my own with lots of kids someday. This is very much like the house of my dreams."

"So you understand why I want your property?"

Deni turned and looked at Shane. "Maybe another piece of property will come up for sale."

"You don't understand. I can't afford to buy the property. If you would just leave the lake house, I won't have to buy it. It will be mine." Shane's face looked like it was made of cold marble.

Chills ran through Deni; she didn't like his tone of voice. "It's getting late. I think it's time to go home. We've been over this argument before. I'm not leaving the lake house. Thank you for dinner." Deni walked quickly back through the house.

"Wait, let me walk you home," said Shane, gently touching her elbow. "You didn't bring a flashlight with you."

Deni stopped reluctantly. She thought about walking the beach in the dark, tripping over driftwood. She could hurt herself and lie there for hours, maybe even die. That would mean Shane would get the house. "I didn't even think to leave a light on at the house when I left." Having Shane with her at least she'd get home safely. She sighed in defeat. "It would be nice to walk with someone."

On the beach Deni chastised herself for wanting to walk close to Shane. He smelled good. There, she'd admitted it, at least to herself. He smelled better than good. She edged a little closer.

"Look there's a boat out by the island." Shane surprised Deni by putting his arm around her shoulders and turning her toward the water. "I love to watch the boats, even at night with their blinking red and green lights. It's harder to tell how big they are or if they are fishing boats or just out for a pleasure ride."

Relaxing into Shane's shoulder she tried to concentrate on the boat. "What do you suppose they're doing?"

"I imagine those are pirates, waiting for some unlucky boat to come across their path."

Deni laughed. "I think it's a mom and pop. The kids have moved out and they are searching for a romantic moment."

"Nope, pirates. Has to be pirates. More fun that way."

Deni pulled away from Shane. He couldn't be the right one, not if he couldn't even imagine a romantic scene. Anyway, he didn't want her around, so why was he putting his arm around her?

They walked along the beach, not speaking; the only sound in the night was the lapping water. A half moon shone from its lofty perch, its beams dancing softly on the water's edge.

As they approached Deni's house, bright lights from every window split the darkness into many layered shadows.

Standing at the bottom of the back porch Deni twisted a curl with her finger. "I know I didn't leave any lights on."

"Are you sure?" Shane asked.

Deni shot him a nervous look. "It's probably nothing. Maybe I did leave them on. Sometimes I get distracted."

"Enough to leave all the lights on?"

Deni shook her head no.

Shane said forcefully, "I'm coming in with you to check out the house. I want to make sure you're safe."

"You don't need to do that. I'll be fine." She stepped into the kitchen. She stopped her body as hard as Lot's wife. Shane bumped into her.

"Snakes!" She felt Shane's hand, massive and strong, spin her out of the way. Three black snakes wiggled across the newly cleaned kitchen floor.

Shane reached out and caught the closest one. "Just black snakes; they won't hurt you. I wonder how they got into your kitchen? I'll get them out. Why don't you wait on the porch?"

Deni stumbled to the front porch. Leaning against the peeling banister and she prayed. Father is this a sign from you? Am I making the wrong decision about staying here? I really do want to stay.

Shane and Hershey came around the front. "I let him out of the bathroom. Why do you keep him in there?"

"The bathroom? I didn't put him in there. That's odd. Are the snakes gone?" She shivered at the thought of them slithering across her floor.

"Yes, they're gone." Shane stared at her, then offered, "Look. You don't belong in this old place. Why don't you let me take this house? I can make you a stockholder in the resort. That will give you some money eventually."

"No." Deni said quietly. "I can't leave. I sent back my teaching contract. I have no where to go, no where to live." She shivered thinking about starting over again, going back to where she would see Rob every day. Her dream dead, no longer a possibility.

"Are you cold?" Shane pulled her into his embrace. "You look like my little sister Grace when she's scared, all wide eyed like a deer with goose bumps. She says a hug always helps."

Deni sunk into his warm chest. She felt the tension melt away. He smelled like soft leather, warm hay and sunshine. With his chest and arms molded around her, she felt safe from all harm. Regretfully she pulled away. "Grace is right. Thanks for coming to my rescue, Shane."

"Playing on my soft side? No place to go, huh? You've closed every door?" he said softly, gently caressing her cheek.

Deni barely tilted her lips into a smile. "It's true. I don't have any place of my own to run to. That's why I want this house. I want to open that back door and know that it's mine, that I belong here."

Shane stood quietly for a moment, then rested his hand on her shoulder. "I think I understand. Have Chad check tomorrow to see if he can figure out how the snakes got inside. I looked through the house, nothing seems to be disturbed. It's odd that all the lights were on. And that the dog was in the bathroom. Someone may have broken in. We could call the police if you want."

"No, we don't have to do that. What would I report? You said there wasn't anything wrong inside." Deni stood on the porch steps, not quite ready to go into the house alone. "I'd feel terrible if they drove out here just to tell me I left on the lights. Would you like to come in for a while?"

"Next time. I've some work to finish." Shane brushed past her and then turned at the bottom of the stairs. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I'm going to damp mop the floor. Try to erase the image of those slithering snakes. Then maybe I'll be able to sleep." She started toward the kitchen door. "Shane?" She waited for him to turn. "Good night."

"Deni, wait." Shane rushed up the steps. "I know there isn't anyone in the house, but," he reached down and grabbed her hand, "I'd like to show you. We'll check the closets together."

Deni could feel the tears beginning to burn her eyes. Swallowing hard first, she said softly, "Would you please?"

Holding tightly onto Shane's hand, Deni let herself be led room by room.

Exhausted from the evening, Deni crawled between the soft cotton sheets and said her evening prayers. Marmalade curled up on the pillow next to her head. Hershey settled himself at the end of the bed.

Eyes closed, she could imagine the warmth of Shane's arms soaking into her body, the roughness of his shirt on her cheek. She lay still, remembering how soothing the deep sound of Shane's voice had been when he held her close. She wondered if he would feel the same to her if they were married for thirty years. Stop that nonsense, she chastised herself. You're being a first class fool to fall for him.

Asleep, she dreamed of Shane riding across a moonlit beach on a white stained-glass horse, Hershey by his side. He pulled the horse to a stop, turned to her and smiled his devastating smile. But the image shattered, the glass horse splintering into a thousand sun-glint pieces as Shane tumbled to the sand. The lead outline twisted into huge black snakes, twining themselves around Shane and Hershey and pulling them into the sand.

In seconds they were gone.

Deni woke with a start, frozen in confused fear, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. Hershey whined and she pulled the dog gratefully to her chest. He was all right. It was just a dream. But though the dog gave her comfort, it was Shane she wanted with her, Shane's arms she ached to feel wrapped around her.

In them she felt safe.

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