“You’ve never seen it? It came out not long after we graduated from high school,” she answered. “Comedians Ron White, Jeff Foxworthy…”

He picked up the remote. “Oh, I remember that, but I never got around to watching it. I was more into books than television back in those days when it first came out on DVD. Is it guaranteed to make me laugh?”

“If it doesn’t, then you’ve got a heart of stone, and there will be no second date with me.” Stevie already knew that she was going to miss bantering with Cody and having his family around her every day when she got back to a place of her own and had to move away from Sunflower Ranch.

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Stevie’s house always smelled like scented candles. Her mother had especially loved gingerbread, hazelnut, or butter pecan that came in a jar. Ruth had burned one so often that the scent had permeated the walls, and that aroma was what Stevie was used to when she opened the front door. But that day, something nasty like musty old quilts or maybe a wet cat that had been caught out in the rain met her when she entered the place. The carpet was still soaking wet, and the tile in the kitchen had curled up on nearly every corner. She was glad that Cody and Addy had a full morning of appointments because she wanted some alone time with the house before Bobby arrived to give her an estimate on remodeling.

Anything that had been sitting on the floor was definitely ruined. Table legs were swollen, the sofa skirt had soaked up the water and carried it right up to the cushions. The same thing had happened with the dust ruffle on her bed and her mother’s. Both mattresses and box springs had big brown spots on them from the dirty water. The adjustor that had come out on Saturday said there was no use in trying to salvage any of the furniture and had written up a report that said everything in the house was ruined.

“What do I do?” she whispered as she walked through the house and barely kept the tears at bay. “Do I tear this place down and rebuild right here on the same lot? Do I sell it and build somewhere else with more room for a proper vet clinic?”

“Hello! Anybody home?” a strong male voice yelled from the open front door.

Stevie whipped around. Bobby Blalock was a tall, lanky man with a crop of dark hair that was dusted with a sprinkling of gray around the temples, and big brown eyes that looked even larger behind thick glasses.

“I’m Bobby Blalock.” He stuck out his hand. “We talked on the phone yesterday.”

“Stevie O’Dell.” She shook with him. “I’m glad you wore rubber boots. It’s still a mess in here.”