“So, did y’all catch anything, Jerry?” Lindy asked.

“No, ma’am,” he said, “but Mr. Ethan said we’re going to get some Popsicles anyway.”

Her gaze moved from Jerry to Ethan, and he saw a hint of appreciation in her eyes that went straight to his heart.

“Yeah, sometimes those fish do play hide-and-seek,” she said, “but I’m hoping they won’t play so well the next time.”

“Me, too,” Jerry said, nibbling the end of his Popsicle.

“I got you a peach one,” Ethan said.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said. “But thank you.”

Jerry glanced at Ethan, and then watched Lindy as she tried hers. “Do you like it, Miss Lindy?”

She nodded. “I like this,” she said, giving him a tender smile. “I like this very much.”

Ethan watched her, eating his Popsicle and sitting beside his future son, and he knew she wasn’t just talking about the Popsicle. She, like Ethan, enjoyed the feeling of sitting on the porch with a little boy, spending time together on a beautiful early summer day.

And he found himself suddenly wondering if what she liked so much about this moment included him.