“Sorry about that,” Dixie apologized. “So we thought we’d make a shirt for the Fourth of July out of red-and-white stripes.” She held up a length of the fabric. “And then we’d put a ruffle around the bottom of the star material. We even thought we’d really be twins that night and dress alike. What do you think?”

Mitzi picked up a pattern. “Using this one?”

Tabby nodded. “It’s only got a few seams.”

Mitzi loved spending a little time with the girls and talking fabrics and patterns, but she would have rather stayed in the kitchen and visited with Graham longer. He’d said he had a crush on her. That was a big enough deal to tell Paula and Jody about, but she didn’t want to jinx it. She wanted to hold it tightly in her heart and enjoy the thought for days, rather than hours.

“So what do you think?” Dixie asked.

Mitzi almost asked About what? before she remembered the pattern in her hand. “This one would be good to start with. If you have any questions, just holler at me. Right now, though, I should be going. Paula and Jody will be home soon, and I’ve got plans with them this evening,” Mitzi said.

“I’ll walk you out,” Graham said. “And if you two start up that tiff after I’m gone, be sure there’s not blood involved.”

“Daddy!” Dixie and Tabby said at the same time.

“Okay, then, if there’s blood, clean it up before bedtime,” he said.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she said, “You’re really good with them.”

“So are you.” He traced her jawline with his fingertip, his touch sending shivers down her backbone.

She reached up and touched his face in a similar way. Time stood still, and the only sound was the beating of her heart. His eyelids fluttered shut and she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. One of his hands gently traveled down her arm while the other one cradled the back of her head. His touch created a ball of heat in the pit of her stomach, and it grew even larger, warming her from the inside out when his lips met hers in a fiery kiss that rocked her world. Her arms snaked up around his neck, and he pulled her closer to his body.

When it ended, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time. I’ll walk you home.”

“It’s only a block. You don’t have to do that,” she said.

“A gentleman always walks his date to the door.” He grinned as he laced his fingers in hers.