Chapter 1

"I doubt Uncle Haymitch will even last a year," Prim murmured, nodding toward their uncle who sat with his head in his hands in the waiting area of the funeral home. "Especially if he starts drinking again."

"It's a wonder he stopped," Katniss said.

"He told me he quit when Aunt Effie was diagnosed. But now that she's gone, well who knows."

Poor Uncle Haymitch. Widowed after forty-five years of marriage. No children to take care of him.

Katniss and her sister Prim were his only living relatives. But the sisters lived in Panem City, on the other side of the state.

"We can't leave him by himself," Katniss said. "Do you think he'd be willing to sell the house and move closer to us?"

"We can ask. But I doubt it. He's been living here forever."

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They talked to him the evening after the funeral. He refused their suggestion outright.

"I'm not moving away from Dandelion, not with Effie buried in the cemetery."

"What are we going to do?" Katniss whispered in the darkened guest room. She and her sister had had many bedtime conversations in this very room when they visited their aunt and uncle for a month every summer during their growing up years. It was still decorated exactly the same, too. Frilly white lace curtains, twin beds covered with pink chenille bedspreads, and a small mahogany dresser.

"There's nothing we can do," Prim answered. "We can't force him to move, and we certainly can't uproot our own lives."

Katniss punched at the lumpy pillow that must have been thirty years old, trying to get comfortable. It was true that Prim couldn't uproot her life. Other people were involved, like her husband Rory and the surgeons in the medical practice in which she worked.

But Katniss couldn't say the same because she didn't have any person that kept her tied to Panem City. And unlike her sister, her corporate job as Seneca Crane's administrative assistant wasn't a career; it was just a way to pay the bills.

In fact, her schedule would open up next month when she finished the night class she was taking at the local university. She'd returned to school last fall. But it would be years before she earned a degree.

"He's seventy years old. What if something happens?"

"Katniss, you better not be thinking about quitting your job to move here and take care of Uncle Haymitch."

"What?"

"I'm serious. You turned forty last week. It's high time you started living for yourself and not for everyone else. You gave up on college to take care of Mom and me after Dad died. You gave up on a future with Darius to make Mom's last days easier.

"Now you're finally doing something to improve yourself by going back to school. Don't throw it all away to take care of an old man who gave up on himself years ago."

"Is that what you think of my life? That I've wasted it?"

"I'm sorry if it came out that way. But I'm tired of seeing you sacrifice for everyone else. You've made a lifestyle out of caretaking. Don't you think it bothers me to see my sister end up alone. All you need is a cat or two."

"You don't have to go on. I get the message."

"Good. Let's get some sleep. Before we leave tomorrow, I'll make some calls. There's got to be some local agency for seniors that could help Uncle Haymitch, maybe bring him meals and send in someone to keep his house clean."

It wasn't long before her sister was snoring. But Katniss couldn't sleep. Prim's words stung. Katniss had been happy to take care of her family when they needed help. But maybe it was a mistake because now she was forty and had nothing to show for it.

She hadn't had a boyfriend or even a date for that matter in over five years, ever since Darius had taken that job on the other side of the country. He'd wanted her to join him, but her mother had been diagnosed with cancer and was beginning treatment. Katniss couldn't abandon her. She'd later heard that Darius had married. He probably had some kids by now.

And weirdly enough, she had been thinking about getting a cat for companionship.

Still she couldn't help but worry about Uncle Haymitch. Could he make it alone without Aunt Effie by his side?

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While Prim made phone calls the next morning, Katniss decided to go a step further and talk to some of the neighbors.

Her aunt and her uncle had lived in their house almost as long as they'd been married. They'd been friends with their neighbors when they were younger, but over the years those people had moved away.

Clearly they didn't interact with anyone who lived there now as none of the neighbors had even attended Aunt Effie's funeral.

Katniss walked over to the house next door. It was small and box-like, the same as her uncle's, and was painted a warm apricot color. The lawn was freshly mowed, although a few yellow dandelions had already sprung up in the middle of the grass. No one answered when she knocked.

The owner must be at work.

But after knocking at several doors, it seemed all of her uncle's neighbors were out. Disappointed, she crossed the street to try the two-story clapboard house - the fanciest one on the block. She climbed the steps to the wrap-around porch and walked up to the polished wooden door.

As a child Katniss had always fantasized about living in this house with its cozy, old-fashioned charm. What would it be like?

To her surprise, the door opened before she could even knock.

"Can I help you?" A tiny, elderly woman, old enough to be Uncle Haymitch's mother, stood in the doorway.

"I'm Katniss Everdeen. My uncle, Haymitch Abernathy, lives across the street. His wife Effie died a few days ago."

"Effie died?" The woman's face fell. "I had no idea. Why don't you come in and tell me all about it. I'm Mags Brown, by the way."

Mags opened the door wider and Katniss followed her in, noticing the shiny hardwood floors and antique furniture. The interior looked like something from a magazine.

"I only came home last week," Mags said. "I've been staying at my nephew's house."

While they drank tea at the kitchen table, Katniss explained the reason for her errand.

"I'd be happy to keep an eye on your uncle, but the thing is I won't be around for long. I'm leaving in a couple of days to go on a cruise, and afterwards I'll be staying in Ireland for a few months to visit my late husband's dear cousins.

"You might want to talk to Peeta Mellark, though, and ask for his help. He's a good person. He shoveled the snow from a lot of our driveways last December."

"Peeta Mellark? Who's he?"

"Why he lives right next door to your uncle in that peach-colored house."

"I knocked at his door. I guess he's not home."

"He owns a bakery, and I believe he leaves for work before sunrise. Leave a note on his door and let him know about Haymitch. I'm sure he'll be happy to help out."

Thankful for the information, Katniss left Mags' house, and returned to Peeta's, leaving a note that explained the situation. At the bottom she put her name and phone number in case of emergency; then she tucked the note under the knocker on his front door.

She returned to her uncle's house to learn that Prim had been equally successful, arranging for meal deliveries and a cleaning lady.

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"You didn't need to do all this," Uncle Haymitch said, as the sisters packed their suitcases to return home. "I can take care of myself just fine."

"It's already done Uncle Haymitch." Katniss zipped her bag shut.

The two sisters discussed the situation on the car ride back to Panem City.

"I'll call regularly and check up on him," Katniss said. "I can also come back and visit this summer. I have a lot of vacation time saved up."

Prim frowned. "No Katniss. Use your vacation for yourself. Go to a tropical resort. Maybe you'll meet someone."

Katniss snorted. "Men my age aren't looking for forty-year-old women. You and I both know they want women twenty years younger than them. Someone who can give them children. I'm too old Prim."

"So you're too old to have kids. Not all men want them. Besides you look great for your age."

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At 9 p.m. that evening, Katniss' cell phone rang. The number looked unfamiliar, but the area code indicated that the call came from the Dandelion. A momentary panic rose within her. Had something happened to Uncle Haymitch?

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm Peeta Mellark. You left a note on my door with your phone number."

The man's voice was warm and friendly. Immediately Katniss formed a mental picture of him in her head. Tall. Handsome. Wavy hair. A ready smile.

"I'm sorry to be calling so late, but I just got home from work."

Was Mags right that he'd been at work since sun up? What a long day.

"I'm sorry to hear that Effie died. I hadn't seen either of them for a quite a while. But then I work long hours.

"I'll be happy to check in with your uncle every couple of days to be sure he's all right."

Every couple of days?

That was far more than Katniss had expected.

"That would be wonderful Mr. Mellark."

"Call me Peeta."

"Thank you so much Peeta. My sister Prim and I are worried about him. Prim arranged for meals to be delivered and for a cleaning woman to come in. I also talked to Mags Brown who lives in that big house across the street. She's the one who told me to leave a note on your door."

"Mags is a nice lady, but she's travels a lot. She's hardly ever home."

"Well, thanks for helping out. My sister and I appreciate it."

"It's no problem."

The call ended and Katniss was relieved that everything was going so smoothly. As she fell asleep that night she wondered about Peeta Mellark. He sounded so kind.

When she returned to work, she met with her boss, Seneca Crane to ask for a week of vacation at the beginning of July.

"You just took a vacation," he growled.

"I need to check up on my uncle to see how he's doing," she defended herself. It was none of Seneca's business what she did on her time off.

"I'll have to think about it. I'll let you know later."

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The next month passed quickly because Katniss' schedule was full. Work, and class two nights a week. Plus all the reading and studying she needed to do to prepare for her final.

It would have been easy to forget about Uncle Haymitch, if it hadn't been for Peeta Mellark. Every other evening, promptly at 8 p.m., Peeta called Katniss to tell her how Uncle Haymitch was doing.

The details he provided about her uncle were informative, but that was only the appetizer to their conversation. The real meat lay in their exchange of personal information.

Peeta was such an engaging conversationalist that Katniss found herself revealing more than she normally would to a stranger she'd never even met. She told him about the petty occurrences of her job and the difficulties of earning a degree in midlife. In turn, he told her about his bakery and how he'd recently joined a gym.

After the call ended, Katniss went over the conversation in her mind, pondering every revelation Peeta provided to try to paint a picture of him. She'd recently learned that they were both forty. Still so many pieces were missing.

What did Peeta look like? If he went to the gym he must be fit, so she added six-pack abs to the physical description she was concocting of him. But she still didn't know the answer to the most important question - was he single?

One Saturday afternoon she called him – the first time she'd ever initiated a conversation between the pair. She wanted to tell him that she'd be arriving for a visit on July 1st. Seneca had grudgingly given his approval the previous day.

Peeta greeted her warmly, and sounded pleased at the news that they'd finally get a chance to meet in person. In the background Katniss heard a young child speaking. "I want more lemonade."

Her heart twisted. Peeta had a child. She'd been flirting with a married man over the phone.

"Can you hold for a moment?" he asked. Dead silence followed.

I am so stupid.

"Sorry about that," he said, when he returned.

"Did I call at a bad time? I don't want to interrupt time with your family." She tried to keep her voice neutral, but it came out snippy at the end.

He chuckled and Katniss almost hung up. Did he have any idea that she'd been daydreaming about him for weeks now? How much she looked forward to his regular calls? Was it just flirtatious banter to him? A way to entertain himself? Where in the hell was his wife while all this was going on? Reading bedtime stories to their child?

Her emotions churned. Anger. Embarrassment. Sadness.

"You're not interrupting," Peeta explained. "My brother unexpectedly dropped off his youngest son for me to watch."

Oh. Thank goodness. The child wasn't his.

Eager to smooth things over, she babbled. "So you're an uncle?"

"Yeah, I am. An old bachelor uncle."

Katniss let out an involuntary giggle.

He's single.

"How nice of you to give your brother and his wife a break by babysitting. Do you see your nephew often?"

"This one I do, his other boys not as much."

"How many boys does your brother have?"

"Four."

"Wow, that's a big family. Your brother and his wife must love children."

"Well, this is going to sound sleazy, but Rye's never been married. The boys have different mothers."

Shocked, Katniss wasn't sure how to continue the conversation. It was sleazy, but Peeta had sounded appropriately embarrassed because his voice dropped at the end. Still it wouldn't be right to call his brother a pig; maybe she should end the conversation, instead.

"Oh. Well, I need to go now. I just wanted to let you know I'll arrive July 1st."

"Maybe we can do something together while you're here."

A date? He was asking her on a date?

"Yes, that would be great. Good-bye then. I need to call my uncle and let him know he's got a guest coming."

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Katniss arrived in Dandelion late in the day, exhausted and sweaty. She'd driven straight through, with only a couple of stops at fast food places to use the bathroom and purchase ice-tea. All she wanted was to shower and take a nap.

She pulled her car to the curb in front of her uncle's house, glancing at Peeta's house as she removed her bag from the trunk.

Was he home? She hurried to her Uncle's front door before he could catch sight of her looking disheveled from the long drive.

Turning the key in the lock, she called out. "I'm here Uncle Haymitch."

"In the kitchen," he shouted.

She stepped inside, set her bag on the floor and shut the door behind her. The place looked tidy; the cleaning lady was doing a good job.

"You look like hell," he greeted her when she entered the kitchen.

"I've been on the road all day."

Her t-shirt and cargo shorts were damp, clinging to her body. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back into a pony-tail.

Trust Uncle Haymitch for such a brusque greeting. Had he started drinking again? His face looked thinner than when she'd visited six weeks earlier. Still the whites of his eyes looked clear, not bloodshot.

"Are you eating those meals that are being delivered?" she questioned.

"I cancelled that service after the first week."

"Are you cooking for yourself then?"

"No, the boy's been bringing over food. He eats dinner with me most nights."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What boy?"

"Mellark from next door."

Peeta? He'd never mentioned eating dinner with her uncle.

"You look thinner to me."

"It's the food he brings. It's all rabbit stuff, vegetables and such. Chicken without the skin. He owns a bakery for crying out loud and he's never once brought over a pie or a cake.

"He probably wants to eat healthy and stay fit."

Haymitch burst out laughing. "Yeah, right."

"Well, I'll let him know that he doesn't need to bring over any meals to you while I'm here. I'll do all your cooking."

"Will you make some of Effie's recipes? I miss her lasagna so much."

"I will. Let me take a shower and I'll order us a pizza for dinner. I'm too tired to cook right now."

While she showered she wondered if Peeta would make an appearance this evening. She had never told Uncle Haymitch that Peeta was calling her regularly to update her on his activities.

"How do you spend your time?" she asked him over dinner.

"Trying to keep those damn geese out of my garden.

"Then stop feeding them, Uncle Haymitch. Maybe they'll go away."

"But Effie loved them so. She'd sit in the yard for hours observing them, making up stories about them. She had dreams of writing a children's book about those geese someday."

"You miss her a lot."

His eyes filled with tears. "I do. She drove me crazy most of the time, but I don't know how to go on without her."

Katniss didn't know what to say to comfort her uncle. Maybe it was good that Peeta had been visiting him everyday. Clearly Uncle Haymitch was still in a lot of pain.

She waited until 10 a.m. the next morning to knock on Peeta's front door. It was Sunday; the only day she knew he regularly took off work. He must be home. A black SUV sat in the driveway, while an older recreational vehicle was parked at the curb in front of the house.

She'd been daydreaming about him for so long, she couldn't wait to finally put a face to the man who'd captured her heart over the telephone. Should she hug him? Would it be too forward to kiss his cheek?

With only two knocks, the door to Peeta's house flung open. Katniss gasped as she took in the sight in front of her. Bare chested and wearing only tight boxers, Peeta had to be at least six feet tall. His wavy, collar-length, hair was dirty blond with a few strands of gray peeking out on one side. His eyes were pale blue and his face was artfully unshaven.

He looks exactly how I imagined him.

Unconsciously Katniss licked her lips. Forget about cheek kisses. She was going straight for his lips.

Peeta gave her a seductive grin. "Can I help you?"

His voice sounded different in person – lower and sexier.

"Peeta, it's me Katniss. I'm so glad we can finally meet."

A confused look came over his face. "You think I'm Peeta." He started to laugh.

Katniss flushed. "I'm sorry. I've never…"

But already the man who was clearly not Peeta had turned and yelled, "Hey Peet there's some woman here for you."

From inside the house, Katniss could hear Peeta's voice call out. "For crying out loud Rye I told you not to answer my door. Are you even dressed?"

Ah, so this is Rye, the baby daddy machine. Well, judging from his god-like appearance it's no wonder so many women have fallen for his charms.

Stomp, stomp, stomp. The sound of heavy footfalls got closer. "This is Peeta," Rye said, stepping away."

He stood in front of her grinning. "Katniss."

Her eyes grew big. The man with the warm, friendly voice that she'd shared so much of her life with and spent time fantasizing about looked nothing like she'd expected. It was if the Pillsbury Doughboy had taken on human form, dressed in a baggy t-shirt and loose jeans. His crew cut made his face look even rounder.

Katniss mustered up a grin in return, focusing on his lively blue eyes and the deep dimples on the side of each cheek.

She put out her hand to shake his.