inhaled a calming breath and moved toward his nieces, who he’d adopted when his younger brother died six months ago. “How you two can help me is to make sure the black Lab has water in his bowl out back.”
The girls hopped down from their chairs at the counter and raced for the door to the backyard. Katie tried to go first through the entrance, but Madison quickly maneuvered herself into the lead. Only eighteen months separated them in age, but Madison was determined to make sure her younger sister remembered she was the oldest.
Before Liam began cleaning up, he needed to check that they weren’t creating another mess outside, or they might never make the meeting for single fathers and their children started by the church his brother and nieces attended. He walked to the large window in the breakfast nook that afforded him a good view of his fenced-in yard. The black Lab came up to Madison and Katie, his tail wagging. His nieces lavished attention on the lost dog with no tags they’d found three days ago at the nearby park.
As far as his nieces were concerned, Buddy, their name for the dog, was theirs to keep. Reluctantly they’d agreed to help Liam put up posters about the lost Lab before he’d gone on his twenty-four-hour shift at the fire station yesterday morning. Liam had tried to explain to them that Buddy’s owner was probably looking for him.
Buffalo had more than twenty thousand people but with a small-town feel to it. Residents looked out for each other. However, Madison and Katie were sure they were going to get to keep Buddy. Just another problem in the myriad issues he had been dealing with the past six months.
As Madison took the water bowl over to the outside faucet and filled it, Liam sighed and headed for the mess that needed to be cleaned up before he started dinner. How could two little girls manage to cover the whole counter on one side of a big kitchen with various ingredients in such a short time?
When his brother had died in that work-site accident, Liam’s life had changed completely. Sure, he was still a firefighter. But everything else was different—new town, new family, new friends, new problems. When Gareth had asked him to be Madison and Katie’s guardian if anything happened to him, he’d readily agreed, never thinking anything would.
Liam grabbed a wet washcloth and began wiping up the sugar-flour-milk mixture. When he peeked into the bowl, on closer inspection, he found a partially cracked egg in the middle of the concoction. He took the bowl to the sink and dumped it in the side with the garbage disposal.
Chimes rang in the air. The doorbell. Liam quickly checked on Madison and Katie then headed for the entry hall. When he opened the door, a petite woman with long blond hair framing an attractive face stood on the porch with a poster about the lost dog in her hand.
“Can I help you?” he asked, drawn to her dark brown eyes with their long, black lashes.
She smiled, and his attention zeroed in on her mouth and a dimple near its left side. “I hope so. I saw this on my way home from work, and I’m sure this is my dog. He’s been missing for three days.”
“Come in. I think I can help you. I’m Liam McGregory.” He pushed the screen door open, and she stepped inside.
“I’m Sarah Blackburn.”
She held out her hand, and Liam shook it. Her hair—a cascade of curls—instantly reminded him of his ex-wife. He stepped back, thankful she looked nothing like Terri.
He’d started to tell the woman about the dog they’d found, when the sound of the back door opening followed by running feet and a couple of deep barks announced his nieces as well as the black Lab heading this way.
Liam turned toward the hallway that led to the back of the house. The dog appeared and made a beeline straight for the woman next to him.
The black Lab lunged for her, propped his front paws on her shoulders and licked her. She had the biggest grin on her face.
“I thought I lost you.” Sarah Blackburn hugged the Lab.
Madison halted by the entrance to the hallway. “Uncle Liam, we didn’t mean to let him inside. He barged past Katie before we could catch him.”
“I tried. Buddy is super fast.” Katie, followed by Madison, moved to Liam.
He glanced at his nieces, who flanked him, staring at the woman hugging the dog. Tiny lines grooved their foreheads as they assessed what was going on. “I’m assuming from your welcome, he’s your dog,” he said, bracing himself for a protest from Madison and Katie.
The lady peered at him and nodded. “I didn’t think I was going to find him. The few times he’s gotten out of the backyard, he’s always been on the porch when I came home from work.”
Liam braved a glance toward his nieces. Katie’s mouth hung open, while Madison’s eyes glistened. “Girls, this is Ms. Blackburn, and the dog we found is...” He peered back at the woman.
“His name is Gabe. I live down the street on the next block,” she said, gesturing in that direction. Then with her hand stroking the Lab, she calmed him and knelt next to him so she was more on the level with his nieces. “Have you two been taking care of him for me?”
Katie crossed her arms over her chest.
Liam prepared for her outburst, but instead Madison stepped forward and patted the Lab on the head. “Yes, we have. Are you sure he’s your dog?”
“Here, let me show you.” Sarah walked a few paces away and swung around to face Madison next to the dog. “Gabe, come.”
The Lab walked to her.
“Sit,” she said, and when he did, she ran him through some commands, which he performed.
“He knows tricks. We didn’t know that.” Madison crossed to them. “Can I try one?”
“Sure.”
“Bud—Gabe, shake my hand.” The dog held his paw up, and Madison shook it, grinning from ear to ear. “Cool.”
“His name is Buddy.” Katie stamped her foot, her lower lip sticking out.
Liam moved to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Honey, we don’t want to confuse Gabe with another name.”
“Buddy is friendly with everyone. We don’t know for sure you’re his owner.”
“Katie, you knew this was a possibility. I talked to you about it.” When he’d trained in Dallas to be a firefighter, he’d never received a course in dealing with a six-year-old losing something she had quickly bonded with, especially on top of losing her father six months ago.
“I tell you what. You all can walk with me to my house, and I’ll show you a photo of Gabe and me. Will that prove to you I’m his owner?” Sarah asked in a calm, patient voice, as though she knew exactly what Katie was going through.
“I think that’s a great suggestion, Ms. Blackburn.” Liam caught the woman’s gaze and, for a brief few seconds, a connection sprang up between them.
“Please, I’m Sarah. You have saved me hours of worrying about Gabe.” She stuffed her hand into the large pocket of her light jacket and pulled out a leash. “I brought this to take him home with, but I see he managed to slip out of his collar again. It had all his
