Standing back, Beth waited and watched. Her aunt was a talented artist. Her work was highly sought after and hung in galleries all across the country. What fascinated Beth was the prices she got for a few squiggly lines. It was between those lines where Sunshine’s talent came to life. In that space was intricate artwork, cleverly hidden at first glance. It often took Beth several minutes to see the full picture.

This current project displayed rows upon rows of blooming poppies, their color vibrant against a backdrop of what appeared to be random strokes of red paint. She stared at it for several minutes until she saw it. A school of fish. Unbelievable. Beth couldn’t help being mesmerized.

Her aunt released a deep breath as if she’d been holding it in and then relaxed, stepping back to consider her work, and nearly tripped over Beth.

“Beth, how long have you been here?” she asked, setting down her paintbrush.

“Not long.”

Sunshine apparently followed Beth’s eyes and cocked her head to one side. “You like?”

“It’s brilliant.” As far as Beth was concerned, there was no other word for it.

Sunshine tossed back her head and laughed, the sound bubbling up from her like champagne fizz. Beth loved hearing her aunt’s laugher. It had a magical quality that never ceased to amuse her. Just listening to it made her want to laugh too. She resisted the urge to close her eyes and store it in her memory bank for times when she was low and struggled with worry or frustration.

“You say that every time, you know?”

“Because it’s true.”

Sunshine walked over to the tiny refrigerator, similar to the one in Beth’s college dorm room, opened it, and took out a bottle of water. Handing one to Beth, she grabbed another for herself. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Beth felt a little silly turning to her aunt for advice. “I have a question for you.”

“Fire away.” Stretching out her arm, Sunshine saluted her with the water bottle.

“A friend asked me to dinner tomorrow night and …”

“Male or female?”

“Female, but it’s a setup. She wants me to meet a friend of her husband’s, though technically he’s her friend too, I guess.” Beth felt a little funny talking about this, but the fact remained she was a novice when it came to men and relationships. She’d dated some in high school and college but had never been in a serious relationship.

“And the problem is?”

Beth leaned against the edge of the table, unsure how to explain. “To hear Nichole tell it, my dinner date is a bit coarse, what my mother would term uncivilized.”

“You’ve mentioned Nichole before, haven’t you?”

Beth took a sip of water and nodded. “Yes, she was one of the first teachers to welcome me at the high school. She’s great. I have her stepdaughter in one of my classes.”

“So the problem is …?”

“Sunshine”—Beth sighed—“I can only imagine what my mother would say if she heard I’d agreed to have dinner with a mechanic.”

Sunshine set her water bottle aside and cupped Beth’s face with both hands, staring deeply into her eyes. “My dear girl, that is your problem in a nutshell. You are living your life to please your mother. This guy—”

“His name is Sam.”

“Sam could be the most wonderful man you’re ever likely to meet. You haven’t even met him and you’re already judging him, deciding he isn’t worth knowing because he wouldn’t get your mother’s approval! My dear girl, take a chance.” She lowered her hands and gave an expressive sigh. “I knew a Sam once, and fell instantly in love with him. He was an artist, unconventional, crazy talented, married, but I didn’t learn that until it was too late and he’d stolen my heart.”

“Oh no.” Beth had never heard her aunt talk about anyone named Sam. But then there’d always been men in and out of Sunshine’s life. No one man seemed to last for long. It was as if her aunt was looking for something elusive that continually escaped her.

“I have no complaints. When we were together it was glorious: a time I treasure. We were equals, in tune with each other. All we talked about were art and wine.” A wistful look and a smile stole over her, as if she was caught up in the memory of her love affair.

“Is he the reason you never married?” Beth hadn’t dared to ask the question before.

“Because of Sam?” She shook her head. “Not at all. He was a passing fancy, nothing more. It was a good thing he was married; otherwise, we would have grown to hate each other—our personalities were far too similar. But while it lasted … it was heaven.”

“Do you really think I should agree to this blind date?”

“Beth, my beautiful, beautiful child, of course you should. Let go of your inhibitions, live free, fall in love; make the most of this opportunity. Who knows, this Sam could end up being the man of your dreams.”

Beth managed to suppress a giggle. “I doubt it.” Even Nichole seemed uncertain that she was doing the right thing.

“Why not? You’ll never know unless you try. Be positive, throw away your doubts, and pretend you’re meeting a prince.”

From the meager description Nichole had given her, Sam sounded nothing like royalty. Still, her aunt was right. She needed to give him a shot. No harm, no foul.

Beth kissed her aunt’s cheek and left wearing a smile. Fact was, she couldn’t ever remember leaving Sunshine without smiling.

As soon as she was home, Beth sent Nichole a text.

Count me in.

Not more than a minute passed when she got a return text.

Great. See you at six.

Beth knew it was a mistake to feel the least bit optimistic about this blind date. She’d heard about these kinds of setups from her friends often enough to know they rarely worked out.

Even with all her doubts, she spent Saturday morning filled with happy anticipation, a sense of excitement. She had two piano students in the morning, which left her afternoon free.

When the time came to get ready, it took her nearly an hour to decide what to wear. She didn’t want to appear too formal in a dress or skirt, nor would she be comfortable dressed casually in jeans and a sweater.

Before long she had nearly her entire closet laid across the top of her bed. In the end, five minutes before she was scheduled to leave, she decided on black leggings and a white linen top. Instead of heels she wore ballet flats. Giving herself one final inspection, she drew in a deep breath, gazed at herself in the full-length mirror in her hallway, and decided this was about as good as it got. The look was a little like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, although she wasn’t nearly as beautiful.

As she left her apartment complex, Sunshine’s words rang in her head.

This Sam could end up being the man of your dreams.

Beth was ready to meet that special someone.

So very ready.

Chapter 2

Sam

“Nichole wants to invite you to dinner.”

Sam looked up from the engine he was tinkering with in the driveway of his house. He grabbed the pink rag that was tucked in his back pocket and wiped his hands clean while he mulled this over. He’d eaten with Rocco and Nichole any number of times, but never with a specific invitation. Most times he was at the house around dinnertime and Nichole threw an extra plate on the table. No biggie. This sounded suspicious.

“What’s up?” Sam asked skeptically.

“Dinner,” Rocco said, shrugging off the question.

“Why are you asking me like this? There’s a catch, isn’t there?”

“No catch.”

Okay, he’d play along. “When?”

“You available tonight?” Rocco asked.

The handwriting on the wall was coming into focus and he didn’t like what he saw. “Short notice, isn’t it?”

“You got any other plans?”

A beer in front of the Seahawks preseason game was about as social as he intended to get this Saturday night.

“Didn’t think so.” Rocco didn’t wait for an answer. He walked around to the other side of his truck.

“You need to come,” six-year-old Owen insisted.