should tell him that both of his children had captured her heart. She had talked to them a few times about the puppies since they started coming over. Amelia was solemn, mature for her age, taking her responsibility to care for the animals so seriously. She had even done research about puppies apparently, because she had talked to Sam about some of the ways to wean puppies from their mothers.
“One name for a mother dog is a dam,” she had informed her the other day. “Did you know that?”
“I did not,” Sam had answered, grateful Amelia hadn’t called Betsey a bitch.
Thomas did his part to care for the puppies, as well, though she could tell he mostly just loved dogs. Something told her the boy had a mischievous streak just waiting to come out.
She wanted children of her own.
The desire wasn’t new, but as she headed toward thirty, the yearning seemed to have increased. It would hit her when she saw one of her friends holding their new babies or when she would spot a toddler at the park while she was walking Betsey. She would even feel it when mothers would come with their teenage daughters to the store, whether the girls were sweetly enthusiastic and happy to be there or sullen and reluctant to be seen shopping with their mothers.
What sort of mother would Samantha be? It was a question that sometimes kept her up at night. Had her own mother’s negative influence scarred her forever?
She would hate, more than anything, if she turned into Linda, letting her unhappiness with life’s inevitable disappointments sour everything around her.
She didn’t have to become her mother. She was a seamstress who knew that simply because you might have been given a pattern, you didn’t have to follow it.
People broke free of the bad examples from their childhood all the time. If others could do it, she could, too.
She could be a good and loving parent, like Ian appeared to be toward Amelia and Thomas. She turned her attention back to him, embarrassed that she had let her thoughts wander.
“If you have trouble finding the trailhead, just ask anyone. Someone nearby can show you. I’m sure you will have a wonderful time. They’ll both enjoy it. You have a very pretty view over the lake from there. Waterfall on one side, a spectacular view on the other. It makes for a great combination.”
“Like bangers and mash,” he said with a smile.
“And salmon and bears.”
His smile deepened and she couldn’t help returning it. For an instant, his gaze flickered to her mouth ever so briefly and then quickly away.
She felt her cheeks heat. Was he remembering that kiss as she was?
“I’ve just had a brilliant idea,” he said suddenly. “Would you like to go with us?”
She stared, taken completely by surprise at the idea. “You...want me to go hiking with you?”
“And the children,” he hurried to answer. “It wouldn’t be a date or anything, I assure you.”
As he said the words, she thought she saw color rise on his rugged features.
“I never thought otherwise,” she said just as quickly. They were quite the pair, the two of them, both dancing around this attraction neither seemed willing to acknowledge.
“I simply thought it would be nice to have someone local along, someone knowledgeable about the trail system, so we don’t wander off into the wilderness somewhere.”
She had to laugh at that. “I’m afraid if you’re looking for an expert, you will have to find someone else. I’ve lived here my entire life, just a few blocks from the trailhead, yet I’ve only been to Bridal Veil Falls a handful of times.”
When she had hiked that trail, it had usually been with friends. Certainly not her mother. Despite living in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Linda wasn’t big on outdoor activities. She gardened a little but mostly had preferred to be sitting at home with a book or watching television.
Maybe if her father had lived longer, he might have taken her on more of the trails around the lake. He had been a deep lover of nature, both the pristine mountain setting around Lake Haven and the Redemption Mountains and the wildlife who lived all around them.
“No matter,” Ian said now. “We don’t really need an expert. We can always use a trail map to guide our way. I’m sure the children would still enjoy having you. Maybe we could take a picnic lunch on Sunday.”
Oh, that sounded lovely. She could imagine sitting