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“Oh, goodness no. Leah has been a godsend. My Luke has been improving steadily. He still goes to see a counselor on a weekly basis, mind you, but the improvement in him mostly has to do with Leah.”

Tori was genuinely glad to hear it. “That’s great. They make a great couple.”

“Yes, they do,” Mrs. Hamilton said, studying her. “So do Allison and Taylor. Now to find you a Mr. Wonderful.”

What was it about parents and their relentless desire to match people up? “Don’t suggest Eric. He’s infatuated with Mindy, the woman who owns the coffee shop.”

“I heard,” Mrs. Hamilton said. “He’s got a job offer to move. I think to either Helena or Billings, I forget. Anyway, if he takes it, I’m not sure how it will affect those two.”

Her heart broke for Mindy. “I wonder if he’s told her yet. I don’t want to break the news if he hasn’t.”

“I certainly hope so.” Mrs. Hamilton picked up the watering can and began to water the plants again. “Did you know, my nephew, Alex, is moving to Laurel Creek? He’s divorced. Tobias invited him to come out to the ranch, get a fresh start.”

“No, no, no,” Tori held up her hands as if stopping traffic. “Don’t even think about saying anything to this Alex about me. I am not interested in dating any Hamilton.”

Mrs. Hamilton laughed. “Tobias ruined you.”

Before heading backto Laurel Creek, Tori went shopping and then treated herself to an expensive meal. The day turned out quite lovely. If she were to be honest, it was a great distraction from what awaited at Laurel Creek.

There was the restaurant to deal with. Marco had spoken to her about becoming a partner and was more than prepared to help more with the business aspect. She needed to hire another server or two as they had discussed expanding to the empty space next door.

With the money from the partnership, Tori could pay for her portion of the expansion and then treat herself to a trip to Hawaii.

Things were moving in a good direction businesswise. As far as her personal life, that was a different story. She decided to join a dating website and start dating. It was time to live. As far as Tobias, she could possibly speak to him about keeping their distance.

Nah, it was probably just best to ignore him until he got the hint.

A song came on the car radio and she cranked the volume up. As she sang with the song, a weight lifted from her shoulders. It was time to take control of the future, not worry about the things she couldn’t control.

She was single, had good friends and a thriving business. The only thing missing was a dog. Her lips curved as she headed to the local shelter, which was actually a small ranch on the outskirts of Laurel Creek, where a couple fostered animals.