“Me am!” her toddler replied.

Sadie tried to cover her smile as Dr. Dan (and his dog!) got into his black SUV and drove away. She practically jogged to Renee’s front door and rang the bell three times in her excitement.

“Did you forget—” Renee stopped short on those words when she realized it was Sadie and Lincoln standing on her doorstep and not her new, hot boyfriend. “Oh! Hi you two.”

She was wearing a thigh-grazing robe, and her hair was in a tousled updo of sorts. She and Dr. Hanlon had definitely not been meeting for business purposes.

“Oh. Em. Gee. Did you and Dr. Dan just…” She looked at Lincoln, wondering what was the most appropriate term to use here. “Do it?”

Renee blushed a deep crimson before launching into defensive mode.

“Dan was just, um, dropping off some forms,” she stammered. “You know, for the practice.”

“At eight o’clock in the morning? With his dog?” Sadie frowned. “Seriously though, why was his dog here?”

“Doggie! I want doggie!” Lincoln cheered.

Yeah, yeah. You and your grandma both.

“He brought Moe along on his errands.” Renee clasped her hands together, trying to convey an air of formality. “Would you two like some breakfast? I whipped up some Greek yogurt pancakes this morning.”

“Gotta love the fancy morning-after food.” Sadie smirked.

“Oh, fine.” She exhaled, as the two followed her into her kitchen. Renee handed Lincoln his beloved mixing bowls and a wooden spoon to rap against them. “We had the most incredible night. He invited me to his sailboat for a lobster dinner. We sat under the stars and watched meteors.”

Sadie whistled. “Now that’s what I call a first date. It was the first one, right?”

Renee smiled and nodded. “Yes. And then he drove me home, and one thing led to another.”

“Got it.” She grinned. “That’s awesome, Renee. That man’s a total catch, and I’ve always wondered when a guy was going to come along to sweep you off your feet.”

“You have?” Renee paused, a forked pancake suspended midair.

Sadie nodded. “Everyone has. You’re beautiful. And you’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. You’ve basically been Cranberry Cove’s most eligible bachelorette for as long as I can remember.”

Renee snorted. “Oh, please. You don’t mean that.”

“I do. Anyway, I promise I’ve come here with something useful to say, not to barge in on your booty call bliss.”

“Sadie!” Renee laughed, setting a small plate in front of Sadie and a second for Lincoln to snack on.

“Please, sit down.” She motioned to the other side of the table, and Renee took a seat. She pushed the binder toward her. “Lincoln and I were being nosy yesterday and poking around the Old Red Mill. Essie ended up being there and gave us a tour. It’s amazing, really.”

“Yeah? How’s it look on the inside?”