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Lilac Time

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Chapter 1

A ray of blinding sunshine cut through the heavy storm clouds, adding a layer of steam to the first day of spring. Ah, sunshine. She’d missed it so much during the long dark winter.

AnnaBeth Sanders turned her face up, ready to enjoy the warmth, to bask in the renewal of promise that was springtime.

Almost immediately, a rumble of thunder shook the ground beneath her feet, and heavy clouds rolled in to obscure the sun, causing her to huff.

Obviously, it was too much to ask for the unseasonably mild weather to last. In Ohio, spring usually came in rough, bounced around a bit with winter, and then landed hard in rainy season.

It had drizzled off and on all day, but she’d briefly hoped for a pretty sunset. No such luck. She looked out at her tiny Chiweenie dog, Ruby, who for the moment seemed undecided on where to do her business. “Hustle up, Buttercup.”

The dog, of course, ignored her to investigate yet another patch of soggy ground. Ruby stretched her leash as far as she possibly could, which meant AnnaBeth was going to have to haul herself up off the porch steps any minute now.

“Your paws are going to be mud covered. For real.” Not that it was a huge issue with a four pound dog. Cleanup was usually a breeze.

Ruby glanced back at her in a dismissive doggy way, then suddenly turned to stare up the street, her posture on alert.

That got AnnaBeth on her feet. “Yup, right on schedule.” True, the sunshine was nice, but the main reason she and Ruby were outside had more to do with her neighbor’s hot nephew. He visited around this time every Tuesday and Thursday, and often on weekends as well.

AnnaBeth had been playing it cool around him for a year, but Ruby, who’d fallen head-over-paws in love with the guy’s five-year old daughter, never hesitated to share her devotion.

Seconds later, Devlin Connely’s familiar SUV came careening toward his elderly uncle’s driveway, which ran alongside her driveway.

AnnaBeth stared. “What in the world?” He wasn’t exactly speeding, but he was definitely going faster than usual.

She and Ruby watched as he shot diagonally into the driveway, jammed the vehicle into park, then launched out of the driver’s seat and scrambled in a fast sprint around to the opposite backseat door.

He fumbled, cursed low, got it opened and fumbled some more, then lifted out his daughter…just in time for Mia to projectile vomit.

For real, it shot through the air…and landed mostly on AnnaBeth’s driveway.

“Whoa.” AnnaBeth wrinkled her nose. The dog strained against her leash, more than ready to visit her friend – and possibly investigate the mess. Gross.

Super-fine Devlin Connely didn’t even seem to see her standing there gawking at him.

All his attention was on his daughter as he jerked off his open flannel shirt and used it wipe the little girl’s mouth. He said in a low, crooning voice, “It’s okay, sweetheart. Take a breath.”

Ambling closer, AnnaBeth asked, “What’s up, other than her stomach?”

Kneeling, gently rubbing the little girl’s back, he said, “Too much ice cream, I suspect.”

“Dad,” Mia complained, and promptly gagged again.

“Yeah, Dad,” AnnaBeth echoed. “No mentioning f-o-o-d to a chick who’s puking.”

Brown eyes, sinfully dark and heavily lashed, glanced up at her. “You’re not helping.”

“Should I help?” She knew Devlin was often overwhelmed, poor guy. As a single father who was also responsible for his aging uncle while holding down a fulltime job and running a household, he juggled a lot.

Pretty much everything AnnaBeth had ever wanted – namely, family who depended on him, who loved him. Devlin might go to bed frazzled, but he never went to bed feeling completely alone in the world.

“Ruby,” Mia whined, reaching out for the dog. The little girl and the littler dog were anxious to cuddle. Nothing new in that. The pooch that used to be AnnaBeth’s had quickly become Mia’s, at least whenever Mia was around. Apparently, a little throw-up wouldn’t change anything.

“Not just yet, honey,” AnnaBeth said. “Ruby seems a little too interested in what your stomach no longer wants. If she starts nibbling, we’ll all be chucking buckets.”

“AnnaBeth,” Devlin complained…until Mia giggled.

Grinning at him, she scooped up Ruby and asked, “What can I do?”

He looked undecided on involving her.

“Dude, I’m just standing here. As you said, I can help.”

“I didn’t exactly say that.” Devlin stroked back Mia’s pale blonde hair. “Better?”

“I don’t know.” Mia held her stomach.

Taking over as she often did, AnnaBeth said, “How about I get dog and kiddo into your uncle’s house while you properly park? Once you’re inside, I’ll hose off this mess – that is, if rain doesn’t wash it away first.” A glance up showed bloated, angry clouds tumbling over each other.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Devlin asked, “You wouldn’t mind?”

“Are you kidding? Mia and I are gal pals, ain’t that right, Squirt?”

For an answer, Mia stepped around the mess and leaned on her leg. “Can I hold Ruby?” she asked in a pitiful voice.

Already the dog squirmed, wanting what Mia wanted. Shame that Chiweenies tended to bond so strongly with one person.

That person was now Mia.

Oh, when Mia wasn’t around, Ruby tolerated AnnaBeth just fine. But the second she spotted Mia, the dog switched alliances in a blink. “Once I get you settled, okay? You’ll need to change clothes and rinse your mouth and all that stuff we girls do so we aren’t too gross.”

“Am I gross?”

“Just a tiny bit.” AnnaBeth put her hand to the middle of Mia’s narrow shoulders and started her for the front door, but then paused. “Hey, is the house unlocked?”

“Shit, no.” Digging out his keys, Devlin jogged past them, bounded up the porch steps, and unlocked the door. He yelled in, “Uncle Sony, AnnaBeth is coming in with Mia.”

No answer, which wasn’t surprising since Uncle Sony often forgot his hearing aids.

Mia said, “Well, shit,” which made AnnaBeth’s eyes open wide as she choked down a laugh.

Devlin was not amused. “Mia,” he chastised. “You know better.”

In reply, the little girl wrapped her arms around her stomach and groaned, “Oh, I’m sick.”

Of course Devlin softened. Typical dad reaction.

With a snort, AnnaBeth said, “You little actress. It’s not nice to tease your dad. You can see he’s out of sorts.”

Devlin started to dispute that, but then Uncle Sony appeared in the hall wearing only baggy boxers, a long-sleeved T-shirt, white crew socks and slippers. He looked startled to find them all standing there, then shot a ferocious look at Devlin. “You coulda warned me we had company.”

Aggrieved, Devlin started forward, but AnnaBeth put a hand on his chest. Such a nice chest. Okay, so she might have copped a little feel under the guise of reassuring him. A girl had to get her thrills where she could.

“I’ve got this,” she promised. “Seriously. Go park, and take a breath while you’re at it.” To dissuade him from arguing, she stepped forward with Mia’s hand in her own. “Uncle Sony, if you’ll excuse us,” she shouted so he could hear. “Mia tossed up her cookies. I’m going to use the upstairs bathroom to clean her up. We’ll be back in five, so grab some britches, okay?”

Sony saluted her, pivoted around on his slippers, and headed to his first floor bedroom.

She heard Devlin say, “I’ll be right back,” and then the front door closed.

Good thing their houses had identical layouts. “Can you walk, Squirt? I don’t know if I can carry you and Ruby both.”

“I could carry Ruby.”

“No can do,” she said. “You have a few chunks on you, which means Ruby will get chunks on her. We already agreed that’s icky, right?”

Mia cracked another grin. “Grandma gives me everything I want cuz I’m special.”

“Special indeed, but I’m still carrying Ruby – for now.”

Another grin. “I like you, AnnaBeth.”

Her heart did a somersault. “I like you too, Squirt.” More than you know.

“You don’t give me everything.” Holding the bannister, she proceeded slowly up the stairs, left foot up, right foot up. Her short legs made it more time consuming. “Dad won’t either. He says he loves me too much to give me everything.”

“Your dad is a wise, wise man.”

“He says I get sick at Grandma’s because she gives me too much.”

“Oh?” AnnaBeth didn’t mean to pry, but what else could she say to that? She knew Devlin and Mia well, Uncle Sony, too, but she’d never met the grandma.

“He told Grandma only two cookies, but she gave me five.”

Five? One more step up. “I thought it was ice cream?”

“Yeah.” Another step. “After the cookies.”

Good grief. At this rate, they’d still be in the middle of the stairs when Devlin returned. “Did you eat lunch?”

“Grandma said I didn’t have to.”

Sounded like Grandma went overboard on indulging her. “Which grandma is this?”

“Grandma Olsen. Grandma Connely lives in Flor’da, but we visit. I like it most when we go there cuz then I can play on the beach.”

So it was the maternal grandma loading Mia up on sweets. Since Mia’s mama had passed away three years ago in a pile up on the interstate, maybe Grandma Olsen was misplacing her grief by spoiling her only granddaughter.

That thought made AnnaBeth sad for all of them – and more determined to lend Devlin a hand. With sudden inspiration, she said, “Okay, Slowpoke, I’ll race ya to the bathroom.”

And just like that, Mia took off, bounding up the steps while AnnaBeth pretended to labor beside her. Once they reached the top though, Mia looked a little green again.

“Come on, sweetie. We’ll get you cleaned up and then you can settle on the couch and maybe watch a cartoon.”

“With Ruby?”

“Sure. Ruby would love that.” In the bathroom, AnnaBeth closed the door, set the dog on her feet, and whisked off Mia’s jacket and shirt, dropping both into the bathtub that Sony didn’t use anymore. Not only did the elder struggle with the stairs, but if he sat in a tub, he might not be able to get back out.

Devlin had helped to get his uncle set up downstairs over a year ago, not long after AnnaBeth had moved in. Now, on the days when Devlin couldn’t visit, she made a point of checking on Sony in case he needed anything. Her number was saved in his contacts, as well as held on his fridge with a magnet.

She wet a wash cloth under the faucet with warm water and when she turned to face Mia, the girl had skinned down to cute little flowered panties. Nonplussed, AnnaBeth asked, “Was it on your pants too?”

“Yup.” Mia sat down on the floor so Ruby could get closer. “It was everywhere, even on my shoes. But now Ruby can cuddle with me, huh?”

“Yes, and look how happy it makes her.” The dog crawled onto Mia’s lap and stared at her adoringly. Seeing them both so happy made it almost worth losing her pet.

Kneeling down, AnnaBeth gently wiped the girl’s face and neck, and then cleaned a little sticky stuff out of her hair. “Do you have any other clothes here?”

“Yup. In my room I use.”

A knock sounded on the door, and Devlin asked, “Everything okay?”

“AnnaBeth’s giving me a bath.”

The door immediately cracked open and Devlin peeked in with confusion – until he saw them on the floor.

“No bath,” AnnaBeth explained. “Just some cleanup. I’ll rinse out the clothes and put them in Sony’s laundry.”

“I can do it.” He held out a plastic cup of water. “You want to rinse, Mia?”

“Yup.” Instead she guzzled down the water and handed the cup to AnnaBeth.

“Good enough.” After setting it on the sink behind her, she wiped Mia’s mouth once more. “Better?”

“Yeah.” Mia put a loud smooch to Ruby’s head.

AnnaBeth looked up at Devlin – something she wouldn’t mind doing for a day, a month… The rest of her life. “The squirt says she has clothes here?”

He held out a sweatshirt and sweatpants. “Already got them.”

“Wow, way to be proactive.” After accepting the clothes, she again shooed him away. “Make sure your uncle found his pants, too.”

There was a beat of silence before he said, “I took care of it.” Folding his arms, he leaned in the doorway and surveyed her as she rinsed the rag, wrung it out, and returned to Mia. “I’m not incompetent, you know.”

“Ha! Definitely not.” AnnaBeth snorted for good measure. “I’ve known you an entire year, and it’s like you’re a superhero, dealing with anything and everything that comes your way.”

Mia looked back and forth between them.

Yeah, she felt it too. There was an extra zing in their conversation, beyond their usual teasing. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on her part. “You should get a bag for her clothes. They’re pretty messy.”

Smug, he pulled a plastic grocery bag from his back pocket. “You’re awfully comfortable giving me orders.”

“Yeah, well, I do that sometimes.” It was one of her biggest flaws, and God knew she had many. She cleaned Mia’s small hands, saying, “You have such cute fingers, kiddo.”

Devlin gave her a funny frown, not one of disapproval but more like puzzled awareness or something. “She does, doesn’t she? Cute toes, too.”

“Very cute toes.” Without thinking about it, AnnaBeth lifted one tiny foot and sniffed it. Ruby tried to lick her face when she did, which was the dog’s protective defense. She considered Mia her own, but since she wasn’t a biter, she licked. “Oh good, no puke smell.” Wrinkling her nose, AnnaBeth said, “A little sweaty though.”

Mia snickered while cuddling Ruby back to her chest.

Trying to ignore the fact that six feet, two inches of sexy male stood behind her, AnnaBeth sighed. “You know, Ruby used to be my dog. She was totally into me, and she’s so small I could take her everywhere. We were like this.” She held up two crossed fingers. “Then you and your cute fingers and toes showed up and Ruby jumped ship.”

“Did I steal her?” Mia asked, not sounding the least bit sorry.

“You stole her heart, that’s for sure. She loves you. Watch this.” AnnaBeth leaned in, as if to kiss Mia’s head, and Ruby snuffled kisses all over her face again. “That’s how she proclaims you as her own. No one else is allowed to smooch on you.”

Laughing, Mia said, “Dad, you try!”

“All right.” Lowering himself to his haunches, he said to AnnaBeth, “I’m not going to get my nose bitten, am I?”

“Ruby would never,” she replied in mock affront. “She’s a licker, not a biter.”

“Hmm.” He gave her a quick, heated look that completely took her off guard.

“I mean, that is…”

With a half-smile, he turned to kiss his daughter.

Ruby attacked his face with licks until he pulled back with a comical grimace. Mia cracked up, falling back against the side of the tub while Ruby scampered around in excitement.

Quickly standing, Devlin lifted the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe his face – and left AnnaBeth agog. “Holy hotness, Batman.”

He paused, quirked a brow, and had the audacity to ask, “What?”

I saw your happy trail, up close and personal, that’s what. She didn’t say it, luckily, but as heat rushed through her, she did quip, “A man shouldn’t go about flashing a woman like that. What if I’d swallowed my tongue?”

“You’ve seen me without my shirt before, when I cut my uncle’s grass.”

“From across the yard, not…” She flapped her hand between them. “Two feet away.”

He looked right at her and replied, “You could get even. I wouldn’t mind.”

End of Excerpt