“Can you come inside and look at the stuff right now?” Dixie asked. “You’ll be the first one other than Aunt Alice to get the tour of the house, too.”

“I’d love to see what you’ve bought.” Mitzi set her empty can on the table and stood up.

Graham was a little jealous of his own daughters for being able to steal Mitzi from him right when they were getting into a more comfortable place with each other.

Alice reached out and grabbed Mitzi’s wrist. “Next time you take them to the fabric store. I was bored to death.”

“Be glad to,” Mitzi agreed without hesitation. “It’s like taking a trip to heaven for me.”

“Baseball, basketball, or even football is my piece of heaven. Give me anything that bounces or can be thrown, and I’m good. Plaids, florals, patterns, and all that kind of thing—not so much,” Alice said. “I can only stay a little while. There’s a game on television I want to see.”

Dixie grabbed Mitzi’s hand and pulled her into the house, leaving Alice and Graham still on the porch with the rest of the cookies between them.

“So what’s this all about?” Alice asked as soon as they were alone.

One of Graham’s wide shoulders popped up in a shrug. “I’m not sure. Maybe friendship that could work into something more later. Right now, it’s a nice pleasant afternoon with a beautiful woman.”

“Well, good for you. It’s about damn time you moved on with your life,” Alice told him. “And I like Mitzi. She fits in with the family and she loves the girls. I’ve got to get home or I’ll miss all the pregame stuff.”

“When are you going to move on and settle down?” Graham asked. “You’ve still got time to have a couple of kids of your own.”

“Probably never.” She picked up his beer and downed what was left. “I heard Rita came to see you at the shop yesterday. Please tell me . . .” She looked genuinely worried.

He stood up and draped an arm around her shoulders. “You have nothing to worry about, sis. That ship sailed and probably sank in the middle of the ocean a long time ago.”

“The girls told me you said that, but I had to hear it from you. See you later.” She hugged him and left by way of the back door.

Graham followed the buzz of the conversation upstairs. He leaned on the doorjamb to Dixie’s room for several minutes before anyone noticed him.