The Lawman's Convenient Bride. Christine Rimmer

slid a glance at his dad. Bill Yancy, always so sad and lonely and serious, was smiling, too.

      What would it be like, to have a mom who made his dad smile, to have a little brother who called him Tet? Seth realized that he wanted a chance to find out.

      As soon as Darlene and Seth’s dad were married, Bill legally adopted Nick. Seth finally had a normal, happy, loving family. The years that followed were good ones. The best.

      But eventually there was Chicago and the next big moment, the one that added up to the death of his dreams. After Chicago, Seth had come home. He’d taken a job with the sheriff’s office.

      But really, he’d only been going through the motions of living. And he only felt emptier with each new loss. Five years ago they lost Darlene to breast cancer. And then his dad, sad and silent and lonely all over again, had pulled up stakes and moved to Florida.

      Seth had tried to stay positive. Two years ago, he’d run for sheriff and won. He’d tried to be proud of that, of serving his community and doing a good job of it.

      But losing Nicky last November had been the final straw. Since Nicky died, Seth had greeted every empty day with bleak determination to get through it and on to the next one.

      Until today.

      Until he held Nicky’s baby, and it came to him sharply that while Nicky might be lost, this tiny, living part of him carried on.

      * * *

      When Seth returned to the main room, the nurse was busy at the sink near the window. The doctor was gone. Jody looked up from Marybeth and into his eyes. “Thanks. For the ride. For being here.”

      “Nothing to thank me for. I’m right where I want to be.”

      Jody started to say something.