“He knows they’re in the pen,” Margie said. “He doesn’t go very far away like he used to. He just scratches around in a big circle and every once in a while he hops over and tries to look inside.”

“He’s claimed them already,” Blake said.

“You’ll have to wait until they’re about three months old to let them out,” Flann said. “He’ll want to make sure they know they belong to him when they start free ranging.”

“Once the barn is rebuilt, we can get them in the coop, right?” Blake said.

“That’s the plan.”

“You’re coming on Saturday, aren’t you?” Margie said to Flann. “To the barn raising?”

“As long as I’m not at the hospital.” Flann turned to Abby. “You know about it, don’t you?”

“Presley mentioned it,” Abby said. “It sounds like fun. I’ll be there, but I can’t promise I’ll be much help. I think Carrie is planning on a wedding summit meeting.”

“Oh, man,” Flann moaned. “This is turning into a big show.”

Abby laughed. “Of course! But don’t worry—you can busy yourself with hammering and whatnot.”

“Thank God,” Flann muttered.

“So, Mom,” Blake said, finishing off the last of the grilled zucchini, “I’ve changed my mind about school.”

Abby set her wineglass down carefully, a jolt of fear running through her. If something had happened to make him want to change schools, he would have told her by now, wouldn’t he? “How’s that?”

Blake glanced at Margie. “I’m not going to study creative writing. I’m going to be a vet. Margie and I are going into practice together.”

Flann laughed. “That’s a great idea. Are you both going to do large animals or what?”

“Oh,” Abby said, trying to switch mental gears. Not a problem. Just teenagers being teenagers. “You’ll set up around here?”

“Oh, sure,” Margie said. “I’ll do the large animal work, mostly. Blake will specialize in small animals and domestic pets, but we’ll cross-cover.”

“Where are you planning to go to school?” Flann asked.

“We’re thinking Penn for vet school,” Blake said.

“And what about undergraduate school?” Abby said, running numbers in her head. Blake was smart and liked to study, but even a scholarship wouldn’t cover the cost of eight years of college and vet school.

“That’s to be determined.” Margie smiled at Blake. “But we’re thinking we’ll try for the same place.”

“Or at least close enough to see each other more than on holidays,” Blake qualified. “Maybe Dartmouth or Yale.”

“Okay,” Abby said brightly. God, she needed to start budgeting a little bit differently. “Sounds like there’s going to be a lot of serious studying going on the next year or two.”

“Margie says we might be able to get part-time work or an internship at the vet hospital in Saratoga.”

“You know Doc Valentine pretty well, don’t you, Flann?” Margie asked innocently.

Flann shot her a cautionary look. She and Sydney Valentine had dated for a while in college, but they’d gone their separate ways when Flann went off to medical school and Syd to vet school. Syd was still single, and they’d had one brief weekend reunion a few years back before deciding the passion of youth was not to be recaptured.

“I know her well enough to give her a call and see if there’s anything she could use you two for.”

Margie grinned. “Awesome.”

“Thanks, Flann.” Blake stood. “We’re gonna meet Terry and Phil at Clark’s. I’ll be home later.”

“Uh-huh,” Abby said. “Why don’t you two carry in those dishes, rinse them off, and then you can go. If you’re riding your bikes, you need to be back by dark.”

“We’ll walk,” Blake said. “Then we don’t have to be back—”

“Until ten,” Abby said.

Blake grinned. “Right.”

“I’ll give you a ride home, Margie,” Flann called as the two teens hustled into the house. She glanced at Abby. “That is, if you don’t mind having me around for a few more hours.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Abby said. Earlier that day, she hadn’t wanted to be alone with Flann in the empty house. She’d thought at the time she hadn’t wanted to be tempted, and worse, hadn’t wanted to give in. What a difference the day had made. Flann’s kisses were addictive, but it was more than kisses or the way Flann’s possessive gaze made Abby feel sexy and sensuous and daring. Flann was addictive, with her intensity, her unexpected tenderness, her humor, and her hidden vulnerabilities. Now the idea of a few hours alone with her was anything but worrisome. No way would Blake and Margie return early, and her bedroom had a nice breeze at night…if needed. “Let’s—”

“Let’s sit out front and finish this wine.” Flann picked up the half-empty bottle of Bordeaux and caught their glasses up by the stems in the other hand. “The sun’s about down now, but the moon will be out soon.”

“All right.” Abby led the way to the front porch. What had happened to Flann’s request for more kisses?

They sat side by side in the rockers and slowly sipped the dark, fruity wine as the moon rose beyond the town and the traffic noise faded away to be replaced by the near silence of a sleeping village. Abby’s house was at the far edge of town where Main Street drifted off into countryside, and soon even the lights from the village faded away.

“I used to think the night was empty because it was so quiet, but now I can hear the train whistle in the distance,” Abby said, “and the river lapping over the rocks, and the owls. It’s not empty, it’s alive.”

“Have you heard the coyotes?”

Abby laughed. “The first time I had goose bumps the size of thimbles all over my body. So eerie, yet so beautiful. It was after midnight, and I jumped up and rushed to the window, but I couldn’t see them.”

“Look along the river next time, they’ll be running there. You might catch a glimpse of ghost shadows in the moonlight.”

“You love it here as much as Harper, don’t you?”

Flann studied her wine. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

“I think I could easily come to feel that way too,” Abby said. The clouds drifted across the moon, turning purple as the moonlight shone through, pulling at some place deep inside her, reminding her of how insignificant one life was and how precious each passing moment. “It’s pretty obvious Blake already has.”

Flann laughed. “Margie’s pretty persuasive.”

“Margie is an incredibly kind and generous and extraordinarily intelligent young woman.”

“She’s all of that.” Flann stretched and sighed. “I haven’t spent this much time just sitting outside in a long time.”

“You don’t belong in an apartment,” Abby said. “You belong in a place with a porch and some land to walk around on and—”

“A picket fence, a dog, and a few kids?” Flann said slowly.

“I don’t know about the last part.” Abby’s heart beat faster. “What do you think?”

“I would’ve said no way not that long ago. Now I’m not so sure.”

“Any reason?”

Flann smiled at her in the moonlight, the bold planes of her face highlighted in silver. “I can think of one or two.”

“I thought you said you wanted to kiss me earlier,” Abby said softly.

Flann put her wineglass on the floor and leaned over, brushing a kiss gently across Abby’s mouth, a tender, wistful kiss that had every bit as much power as her demanding, possessive kisses had earlier. Abby found herself holding her breath, waiting for the spell to break, but even when Flann eased back, the wonder remained.

Voice just a little shaky, Abby said, “I don’t know about you, but I think this is a dangerous game we’re playing.”

“No, it isn’t,” Flann said. “It’s no game at all.”

“What if I said I wanted more than kisses,” Abby said, feeling reckless and not caring. She wanted kisses and more, and wondered why Flann had stopped.

“I’d say that could definitely be dangerous.” Flann smiled. “And there’s no rush.”

Abby frowned. When had she become the one who wanted more, right now? Since when did Flann want slow? “I—”

The front gate banged open and Margie and Blake ambled up the walk, talking in animated tones about something someone had said about a concert. Abby steadied her breath, tried to still the pounding of her heart.

Flann rose. “Thanks for inviting me to dinner. I enjoyed it more than I can say.”

Abby stood too, conscious of Blake and Margie on the walk a few feet away. “It was wonderful. Thank you for the day.”

“Good night,” Flann murmured.

“Good night.”

Flann was already down the steps and slung an arm around Margie’s shoulders. “Come on, we’ll get your bike in the back of the Jeep, and I’ll take you home.”

Margie called, “See you at the barn raising.”

“I’ll call you,” Blake said.

Abby waited until Flann drove away, leaning on the porch post and thinking about all the things she hadn’t realized she wanted until now. She picked up the empty wine bottle and Flann’s empty glass, found hers, and swallowed the last few drops.

“I saw the two of you kissing, out by the grill,” Blake said quietly.

“Did it bother you?” Abby laughed softly. “More than the usual embarrassment when you come face-to-face with the fact that your parent has a romantic life?”

Blake snorted. “I think that was more than romance.”

“Don’t be a smart-ass.”

“No, it didn’t bother me. I like Flann a lot. I guess you do too.”

“I do like her. I’m glad you feel the same.” Abby hesitated. “What about you and Margie? Are you…romantically interested too?”

Even in the dim moonlight, Blake’s chagrin was clear. “No, Mom. Jeez. We’re friends.”

“Well, okay. I was just wondering. I can tell you’re really close friends, and I’m glad about that. I just wasn’t sure if it was…more.”

“I’m not ready to have a girlfriend,” Blake said. “Or a boyfriend, or whatever.”

“Right,” Abby said, “or whatever.” She slid her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. “Whenever you want to talk about it, let me know.”

“Same goes,” Blake said.

Abby gave him a little push toward the house. “Smart-ass.”

But she was very glad that Blake liked Flann. Very, very glad.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The homestead was dark when Flann pulled down the drive a little before ten thirty to drop Margie home. She smiled to herself. Early to bed, early to rise…et cetera, et cetera. Her mother would be up at four as she had been Flann’s whole life, even though she didn’t have a houseful to get off to school with only Margie living at home now. The kitchen would still smell like fresh coffee, bacon, and hot biscuits, and the table would still be set and waiting for whoever showed up. Sometimes she or Harper would roll in with the sun after a late-night call. Her father would be up shortly after her mother if he hadn’t been out all night working, and then they’d all be out of the house again by six for early morning rounds.

The routine was a constant she’d come to think would never change, but as she looked back over the last few years, she realized life had been slowly changing for a long time. Carson was the first to leave when she’d married Bill while still in college. Harper moved into the caretaker’s house when she and Flann returned from residency to start practice at the Rivers, but that had seemed almost like she still lived at home. Harper was gone now, having pretty much vacated the little house to live with Presley in their new home.

Flann hadn’t spent a night sitting on the back porch with Harper and her father, talking about cases, in weeks. Margie was getting ready to drive soon, and it wouldn’t be long before she’d be off to college. While Flann had been focused on avoiding any kind of personal ties, everyone else had been making their own lives. Oh, she could always come home—they all could and would, she knew that in her heart. But her life wasn’t here anymore—it was somewhere else, waiting for her to be brave enough to grab it. The idea no longer seemed impossible.

“I’ll see you at the game tomorrow night,” Flann said as she helped Margie get her bike out of the back of the Jeep.

“You playing?”

“Not a whole game yet,” Flann said. “I’m giving my leg a rest.”

“You’ll be there, though, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Flann ruffled her hair. She wanted to tell her to hold on to these summer nights, to imprint them in her bones, because the time would come when the memories would remind her of what really mattered the most.

“Okay, that’s good.”

Margie looked younger in the moonlight, younger and innocent and maybe just a little worried. Margie rarely if ever looked uncertain, and warning bells went off. “Is everything going okay with you?”