Kitabı oku: «To Love Again», sayfa 2

Annie followed shortly with a platter of fluffy pancakes. “This time of year we get a lot of tourists because of the wildflowers, but it’s still mostly weekends right now.”

“I’m not here for flowers.” She stopped. She didn’t intend to tell this stranger anything about why she was here. Annie just smiled.

“Rosewood’s a good place to be.”

“Oh?”

“People are welcoming here.”

Laura reached for the syrup. “I’m just here for a visit.”

“It’s a fine place to visit, too.”

“Is the real estate market doing well here?”

Annie poured some cream into her mug. “I don’t really know. But you could check with Paul Russell down the street.”

Laura choked on her bite of pancake.

As she coughed, Annie patted her on the back and handed her a glass of water. “Sip slowly. The maple syrup is strong. I should have warned you.”

Once she caught her breath, Laura said. “No, it’s lovely, really.” She sipped more water, took some time wiping her mouth with the cotton napkin. “Is he a friend of yours?”

“Paul? Yes. He’s a member of my church.”

“Church?” Laura didn’t mean to spit the word, but Jerry hadn’t included church in their plans. He’d been too busy with barbecues, boating and golf. And between the disillusion with her marriage and the control Jerry held over her, she had drifted far from the days when her grandmother had taken her to church.

Annie must have sensed her discomfort. “How about some orange juice?”

“Thank you.”

Annie poured her a glass. “So, are you here to check out the real estate market?”

“In a way,” Laura hedged. She had been hiding the truth about her abusive marriage for so long it was second nature to keep everything quiet.

“I have a friend, Emma McAllister, whose husband is a contractor. He’s working on a house not far from here. He just built a new home for the owner.” She put the pitcher down. “And they don’t want to sell this one because they want to keep it in the family. Seth’s fixing it up to rent it. If you want to look inside, he’s probably around.”

“Oh, I don’t know….”

“I hope I’m not being pushy. It’s become a habit since I started running the bed-and-breakfast. That, and because I was single so long and rattled around the house alone I tend to treat my guests as friends.” Annie grinned. “Sorry, there I go. But the house really is great—if you want to get an idea of the market here.”

“I could take down the directions, I suppose.” She did have hours to kill and maybe she would show Paul she had initiative and could learn quickly.

“If Seth’s not there, check the back door. It might be unlocked,” Annie said, getting up to find a pen and paper.

“Really? The house is left open?”

“This is Rosewood. We don’t have any crime to speak of.”

But leave an empty house unlocked? Laura couldn’t imagine such a thing. She had lived in the city so long, in the right area, the one Jerry had chosen. Still, security systems were a fact of life.

Intrigued, after breakfast Laura followed the directions Annie had given her. She found the address easily. And sighed as she stared at the two-story folk Victorian, falling immediately in love with the front gable and side wings, corbels, the gothic details, the welcoming porch. The rosebushes that appeared to be as old as the house itself.

A man was sweeping up on the driveway.

“Hi. Are you Seth?”

“No. The boss isn’t here.”

“Oh. I heard I might be able to take a quick look inside.”

He paused, holding the broom still. “Sure. The owners are planning to put it up for rent. I imagine they want people to look at it. The front door’s unlocked.”

“Thanks.” She entered the foyer, then stepped into a large living room with high ceilings and a beautiful fireplace with an intricately carved mantel. Plaster walls, original woodwork, tall arched windows that allowed the light to stream in. It was amazing. The rest of the rooms were just as great. She wasn’t in real estate yet, but this place would have to rent for a small fortune. Well, some lucky family would be happy here.

She checked her watch. Even dawdling, she still had way too much time to kill. She thought about going back to the bed-and-breakfast for a nap, but she didn’t want to wake up disoriented for the meeting. So she decided to check out the town.

The entire place was a step back in time. She wandered around Whitaker Woods, a store full of handmade furniture, each piece a one-of-a-kind design. She peeked into the windows of the costume shop, Try It On, intrigued by the unique designs she hadn’t expected to find in such a small town.

Her phone rang. “Hello.”

“Laura? Paul Russell. I can’t squeeze in a meeting after all.” He sounded tense.

“Oh.” She looked down the street at Distinctive Properties. It was within walking distance.

Before she lost her courage, she headed for his office. “I only need a minute.”

“Another time.”

Paul was still on the phone when she pushed open the door. She took the chair angled in front of his desk.

“I told you I didn’t have time to meet,” he said after he hung up.

“That’s why I came to you.” She gripped her purse.

He frowned. “You just show up here, after I told you I’m too busy?”

Every nerve she possessed crowded into her throat. “We need to talk.”

“I told you. Flipping property isn’t easy. You have to be able to hold steady when you’ve bought a property, poured a ton of renovation money into it. Navigating between investors and sellers…It takes commitment, guts.” He held up his hands as though to say he knew she didn’t have either.

“I have both,” she lied. If she’d had any real courage, she would have left Jerry years ago. But she couldn’t tell Paul that.

“And it takes expertise.”

Laura leaned forward. “Which you can teach me.”

“I’ve already told you—”

“Please don’t reject this out of hand.” Laura bit her lip, wondering how much of the truth she should tell him, guessing he wouldn’t believe much. “I know you think you owe it to Jerry to run the firm as you see fit, but don’t you owe it to him to listen to me, as well? To consider what I can offer? Half the profits will benefit his children.”

She wasn’t convincing him. She could see that.

“You’re forgetting a pretty important technicality.”

She blinked in confusion.

“Even if I agreed to teach you, you live in Houston.”

“But you and Jerry made that work.”

“Because Jerry knew what he was doing. He acquired properties in the Houston area, supervised those renovations. I locate the investors, make sure the money’s in place. And I buy homes in this area for flipping, as well. I can’t teach you how to find and then buy the right properties, not from here.”

She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Her grip on the purse tightened. Not from here. Unless she did something more drastic than she had planned. Fortunately, she’d had an idea.

Chapter Two

Two days later Laura arrived back in Houston, flushed with anticipation and fear. She had rented the incredible house on Elm Street in Rosewood. To her amazement, it had been surprisingly affordable, far below what she would have had to pay in Houston for something a fraction as nice. Now she had to lease out her own home and tell the children…and her in-laws. At the thought, she nearly turned the car around in the opposite direction. But it had to be done.

“Okay, guys, we need to talk,” she said to the kids as soon as she let herself in. “No, stay—please,” she added to Donna. “I need your support.”

Donna settled back down on the sofa, turning off the TV. Laura had already phoned her on the return trip, cluing her in on her unexpected plans.

Kirsten sighed as she collapsed into the cavernous chair that had been her father’s favorite. Again it struck Laura how much her daughter resembled him.

Gregg snuggled next to Laura, still young enough to be excited by his mother’s return. She smoothed the dark hair on his forehead. He had always taken after her in more than just appearance. They shared the same temperament.

“Since your father died, a lot of things have changed. And we have to make a new life for ourselves. For that to happen, I need to learn about your dad’s work. And the only way I can learn is for us to move to where his partner lives.”

“Move?” Kirsten jumped up, all her casual disdain gone. “We can’t move. All my friends are here.”

“You’ll make new friends—”

“I don’t want new friends.” Kirsten’s voice was shrill. “Nana and Grandpa won’t let you do this.”

Laura knew her declaration of independence wouldn’t be met with enthusiasm. She also knew that she would have to stick firm, not show her fear. “It’s not their decision. You’ll be able to visit them, but we have to stick together as a family, make this work for all of us.”

“Moving to some hick town won’t work!” Tears streamed down Kirsten’s face.

Laura got up to comfort her daughter, but Kirsten backed away. “You can’t make me go!” She galloped up the stairs, slamming her door behind her. The sound echoed through the quiet house.

Donna’s expression was sympathetic, but Laura’s heart sank. She looked down at her son. “What about you, pal?”

Gregg hunched his skinny shoulders. “S’okay, I guess. Do I still get to play peewee ball?”

She hugged him. Hard. “I’m sure you will. Rosewood has the very best stuff for kids. It’s one of the things that decided me. It’s really safe—kids ride their bikes to school and their moms don’t worry. And they have all kinds of great things for you to do.”

He screwed his face into lines of thought. “Where are we going to live?”

Laura described the house, the nearby park. “And your room has a killer view of the whole street.”

“Cool.”

She hugged him again, wishing the transition could be as easy for her daughter. But Kirsten would have to adjust. They all would.

Gregg wriggled free. “I’m gonna go start packing.”

“Okay, sweetie. We’ll get some boxes later today. Maybe just go through your toys for a start. See if there are some you’d like to put in the donation box.”

After he had trooped upstairs, Donna whistled. “This is fast, Laura.”

“I know. And I didn’t plan on it. To be honest, when the idea hit me, I was scared to death. Then I found out that I could afford this great house—oh, Donna, you’ll love it. And the town is safe, the kind of place you want to raise kids in. And I liked the people, well, Annie and Ethan Warren, the ones who run the bed-and-breakfast. He’s a schoolteacher, and she runs the inn.” Laura paused for breath. “You know how bad it’s been—how terrible things were with Jerry. Now I’ve got another chance…” She stood, pacing toward the large window that looked out on the fashionable street. “Does that sound as awful out loud as when I think it?”

“Not for anyone who really knew Jerry. I don’t know how you stuck it out this long with him. If he hadn’t gotten sick…Well, I know you wouldn’t have wished that for him, but I don’t think you’d have escaped any other way.” Donna hesitated. “I’m guessing Kirsten’s reaction will seem mild compared to her grandparents’.”

Laura sat down, then glanced toward the staircase. “I imagine she’s already on the phone, telling her grandmother.” She leaned her head back on the top of the sofa, picturing how furious they would be. Hit hard by the loss of their son, they drifted between grief and anger.

“They can’t keep you here,” Donna said wistfully.

“I’m going to miss you. But it’s not that far. You can visit—bring your laptop. You’ll like Rosewood, I know it. And the house has an extra bedroom with your name on it.”

“I am mobile,” Donna admitted.

Laura smiled. “I don’t know what I would have done without you all these years. With Jerry…”

“You don’t have to say it. I know. Maybe you’re right. Rosewood’s atmosphere might be great for my work.”

“Not to mention there could be new single men for you to meet.”

Donna laughed. “If I can’t find the right one in a city of more than four million, what chance do I have in a teeny town?”

“Different priorities?”

“Does that mean you’ve spotted someone there?” Donna looked intrigued. “Paul Russell?”

Laura shook her head. “Hardly. Not only am I a brand-new widow…but Paul? He can barely stand to speak to me. I’m not sure why, either. He seemed to have made his mind up about me before he ever met me.”

“Something Jerry said?”

Laura thought of Paul’s disapproving expression. “Maybe. But I don’t think Jerry would have said anything negative. You know how he was about appearances.”

“Maybe Paul’s just an odd duck, then.”

“Maybe.” But Laura hadn’t thought so. Well, until he had been so set against her joining the firm. “Donna, will you stay for dinner? My in-laws will probably make an appearance and I need the moral support.”

“Sure. I’m a glutton for punishment.” Donna rose, picking up glasses as she walked toward the kitchen.

“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”

“I put some chicken out to thaw. How ’bout if I work on dinner while you take a few minutes for yourself—maybe grab a shower.”

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“It’s fun for me to cook for more than one.”

Grateful, Laura hugged her friend. “I won’t be long.”

“Take as long as you want.”

Upstairs, Laura shed her traveling clothes and luxuriated in a long, hot shower. She washed her hair, willing the pounding water to erase her worries. Pulling on a thick, ankle-length terry robe, she combed her hair. Donna was right. A hot shower had been just what she needed.

Humming, she skipped down the stairs, pausing at the landing that curved down to the final four steps. Her in-laws stood in the foyer. Donna, clearly uncomfortable, glanced up at her.

Wishing she’d taken the time to get dressed, Laura knotted the sash to her robe. She felt vulnerable, at a disadvantage. “Hello, Edward, Meredith.”

Her father-in-law managed a small smile, but Meredith began crying.

Laura felt the pit of her stomach drop. “Let’s go into the living room.”

Trailing them, Laura knew she had to get this over with, but it didn’t lessen her trepidation. She’d always wanted a closer relationship with her in-laws, but Edward traveled so much for work and Meredith had never encouraged a deeper connection. Despite the fact that they had never been close, she had always hoped Meredith would become a true mother figure, especially since she really didn’t have one of her own. But the woman was entrenched in a social life that hadn’t included her daughter-in-law. Laura knew they both thought Jerry had married beneath himself.

Meredith had barely taken a seat when she began her tirade, waving her lace handkerchief like a flag. “Laura, what are you thinking?”

Laura started to answer. “I—”

“You’re not thinking of the children, just yourself. Jerry did everything he could to keep this family together.” She sniffed into the rumpled square of cotton. “Now, the moment he’s gone, you want to rip it to pieces.”

Laura hated conflict, but she didn’t have any choice. Again, she wished she and Meredith had the sort of relationship that encouraged confidences. She would like to pour out the whole story—tell her about the real Jerry, who emerged behind closed doors. But what purpose could it serve now? To hurt his parents, turn them against her? Their only child, they had idolized him. “You don’t understand, Meredith. I’m doing what I think is best for my family.”

“By taking them from their home, everything they know? From us? Hardly, Laura. You’re being selfish.”

The words hurt. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but I have to do what I believe is right. And Rosewood’s not that far. You can visit—”

Edward leaned forward. “Laura, why don’t you consider taking up something to get your mind off Jerry’s passing? You could go to school or…”

With what? Her allowance was too small for that. “I appreciate the suggestion, Edward. But we need a new start. And we can’t get it here.” Laura caught sight of Kirsten hovering in the doorway.

“You seem to have forgotten that the children are part of our family, too.” Meredith’s thin lips tightened.

Laura hated this tension. It seemed her entire life had been nothing but fighting. She wanted so much for it to stop. “And the kids can visit you.”

“I want to stay here with them!” Kirsten nearly shrieked the words.

Meredith held her arms out to her granddaughter and Kirsten rushed into them. “See what you’re doing to her!”

“She’ll adjust. It won’t be easy. I know that.” She reached for her courage. “But my mind’s made up.”

“Then expect a fight, my dear.” Meredith rubbed Kirsten’s back. “This isn’t over.”

The hard knot in Laura’s stomach grew even harder. Why couldn’t her in-laws see that she was fighting to save her family? That she wished she didn’t have to uproot them? But they hadn’t seen anything wrong in the way their son had dictated his will, easily accepting Paul as the executor.

In the end, there wasn’t anything Meredith could do about the children.

Laura contacted a Realtor who was thrilled to get a listing in the exclusive area and immediately leased out her home to an executive and his family. She committed the house for a year. By then she would know if she could succeed or if she would have to come back.

Without the funds for professional movers, Laura had to downscale. Calling it an estate rather than a garage sale, she culled through the pieces. Even with the rent from the house, it would be tight at first. Kirsten was horrified and locked herself in her room, but Gregg helped her tag the furniture.

Laura hadn’t planned on selling any of the children’s things anyway, not that she could get her daughter to listen. She thought of the baby grand piano and the other pieces Jerry had given to his parents. She certainly could have used the money.

Laura pitched some of Jerry’s shirts in a box for the Salvation Army. They’d collected a lot of things over the duration of their marriage, but Laura wasn’t attached to them. If it hadn’t been for the kids, she would have liked to forget all of that time. So most of the art and collectibles were going on the block, as well. They had been Jerry’s taste anyway, too contemporary for the turn-of-the-century house they were moving to.

Once the plans were in motion, Laura lost no time having the sale, then packing up the house. She hired the cheapest movers she could find.

Farewells with Meredith and Edward were filled with tears and hugs for the children. They were stiff with her, showing their displeasure. Kirsten huffed as she got in the car, her entire face a pout. Despite her own uncertainty, Laura didn’t cave. Instead she headed west out of the city. This time her anticipation edged ahead of her fear.

“This old house?” Kirsten asked in disgust when they pulled into the driveway.

Laura hung on to her patience. It had been a long drive, which her daughter had made feel even longer by sulking the entire way. It was also late in the day and they were all tired.

“Cool roof,” Gregg offered, bouncing out of the car. “Big, old yard! Are there swings?”

Grateful for her youngest’s attitude, Laura followed. She had barely turned the key in the lock when she spotted the moving truck arriving.

Soon the driver and his helper were unloading the furniture.

“Excuse me, some of these cartons should be upstairs,” Laura said, when they’d finished taking the beds and chests up.

“Not in the contract,” one of the men replied as he deposited her kitchen table in the middle of the living room.

Laura sighed. She had chosen the cheapest movers she could find. She and the kids could carry the boxes upstairs. Since she had packed them herself she hadn’t collected big ones anyway. “All right. Could you assemble the beds next? That way I can get them ready before…”

The man was shaking his head. “Not in the contract.”

Laura gaped at him. She couldn’t help it.

The man shrugged and headed back to the truck.

Maybe she should have paid just a little more.

“Mom!” Gregg ran inside. “There’s a lady here.”

Laura poked her head around the kitchen door. Annie had been trying to follow Gregg, but he was already hopping back through the maze of boxes to watch the movers.

“I’m here.”

“Hi! I just saw the truck. Welcome!”

“Thanks.”

Annie looked around at the haphazard cartons. “Wow.”

Laura hated to admit again how blunder-headed she was. “I picked a discount moving company,” she finally said.

“Ah. Well, I love a bargain. It’s like finding treasure.”

Laura straightened a box that was tilted precariously to one side. “I’m afraid it’s going to take a complete treasure hunt to find anything here.”

“That’s not something you have to worry about tonight. You’ll be my guests.”

She didn’t have the money for rooms at the bed-and-breakfast. “I hadn’t planned—”

Annie dodged to one side as the movers carried in a chest of drawers. “As my guests. Ethan and I insist. It’s our welcome gift to you and the children.”

“We can’t—”

“Yes, you can. I know the argument. The bed-and-breakfast is a business. But it’s not our only income. Remember, Ethan is a teacher. And we know where our sheets and towels are,” she added with a laugh.

“That does sound like heaven.” The kids would be exhausted by the time the movers left. And the thought of Annie’s inviting beds… “But isn’t this your busy season, with the wildflowers?”

“It’s Thursday. My weekenders don’t start checking in until tomorrow.”

“Well…”

“And you’ll have dinner with us.”

Laura opened her mouth to protest, but Annie waved her off. “What? You’ll take the kids for burgers instead? I don’t think so.”

Laura was so grateful for her kindness, she felt the sting of tears.

Annie gave her a reassuring hug. “You’re home now. And that’s what friends are for.”

It had been so long since Laura had been able to let friends into her life. She hadn’t been able to confide the terrible state of her marriage to anyone other than Donna. She had been too ashamed. Instinctively Jerry hadn’t liked Donna, so she hadn’t been comfortable coming around when he was home. Swallowing, Laura nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. We’ll see you when you’re done here.”

Kirsten stood at the bottom of the stairs as Annie introduced herself on the way out. “I’ll see you and your family for dinner later, Kirsten.”

“Okay.” She looked back at her mother.

“She invited us to spend the night at her bed-and-breakfast. We get to sleep on beds that are already put together.”

Kirsten didn’t look impressed.

It took another hour for the movers to unload the rest of their things. By then Laura was exhausted and ready to round up the kids.

Annie and Ethan were so welcoming that even Kirsten was subdued. They led the family back to the large kitchen rather than the dining room.

“It’s where we eat,” Annie explained. “We think it’s cozier.”

A pot of chicken and dumplings simmered on the stove and the big round table was set for five with dishes that looked as though they had been in the house since it was built.

Ethan, a cheerful, quick-witted man with a noticeable sense of fun, pulled out chairs for Laura and Kirsten. “And, you, young man, how about sitting next to me?”

Pleased to be singled out, Gregg hopped onto the spindle-back chair. “Okay.”

After they were seated, Ethan and Annie bowed their heads. It took Laura a moment to react, then she gestured to her children to follow suit. Her throat tightened as she heard Ethan ask the Lord to watch over her and the children as they settled into their new home.

Then Annie began to dish up the fragrant stew while Ethan questioned the kids about their schools in the city, explaining that he was a teacher.

“You have to make kids do homework and take tests?” Kirsten asked him with a hint of accusation.

“Yes, but I also direct plays, plan the field trips. Most of the kids love drama.”

Kirsten sipped her milk, but didn’t reply.

“Do you teach any other subjects?” Laura asked, sending Kirsten a reproving look.

“English. I try to make that fun for the kids, too. We act out Shakespeare—makes it easier for everyone to understand.” He held out his bowl and Annie filled it with steaming chicken and dumplings. “I know it’s not everybody’s favorite, but I think most of us can get something out of his works.”

“If they understand them?” Laura prompted.

“Exactly.”

She looked down at her full bowl. “This smells delicious.”

“My grandmother’s recipe,” Annie told her. “She and my grandfather raised me here.”

Laura wondered about Annie’s parents as she glanced at the old portraits on the walls. “It’s a great house…better, it’s a great home.”

Annie grinned, meeting her husband’s eyes. “Thank you.”

He clasped her hand and lifted it to his lips. “My Annie has the touch.”

Laura felt a spurt of envy. Maybe it was the exhaustion that was just now setting in, but she felt very close to the edge of tears.

Annie reached over and patted her arm. “It’s a big adjustment moving to a strange town, even one as inviting as Rosewood.”

“Yes,” Laura said, her voice thick. She cleared her throat.

After smoothing the napkin in her lap, Annie picked up her spoon. “The chicken and dumplings are guaranteed to fix whatever ails you.”

“Annie made apple and cherry pie,” Ethan told the children, rubbing his hands together. “Which do you like?”

“Cherry,” Gregg answered immediately.

Kirsten shrugged.

“You’ll have to try both then.” This engaging man seemed the perfect complement to his kind, energetic wife. “Laura, you picked a fine house.”

“We like it.” Kirsten glared at her, but Gregg just kept eating his dumplings. “Have you lived in Rosewood long?”

“Grew up here.” Ethan chuckled. “Thought I might have to leave to find a wife, then I met Annie.”

“Luckily for me,” Annie murmured.

“And we decided we wanted to make her family home ours.” Ethan added a few hefty spoonfuls of sugar to his tea.

Laura dipped her spoon into the gravylike broth. “Are your furnishings original?”

“Most of them. Annie can tell you which ones belonged to her grandparents.”

Annie passed a small dish of pickles that appeared to be homemade. “I had to add more beds, a few other things—but most everything was here. I did some rearranging, too.”

“It seems more like a family home than a bed-and-breakfast.” It was something that had struck Laura immediately.

Annie beamed. “Super! That’s exactly what I’ve tried to achieve.”

Ethan winked at his wife. “And we hope to fill it with children in time.”

Annie blushed, a pretty pinkening of her pale skin. Ethan put his hand over hers. Yes, they were a lovely couple. Laura swallowed her longing, her sense of regret. Why couldn’t she have met a man like Ethan? But then, on the surface, Jerry had seemed perfect, too.

Ethan had a way with kids that even Kirsten had a hard time deflecting. After dinner, he herded them both into the parlor by the kitchen to play games while Annie took Laura upstairs to show her their accommodations. Their generosity was overwhelming.

And in the morning Annie insisted on feeding them a hot breakfast before they took off to their own house. The kids dawdled but Laura was anxious to get started unpacking.

When she finally unlocked the door of her new home, it was daunting to see the mound of boxes. But she and the kids had been there less than an hour when she heard the doorbell.

“Mom!” Gregg hollered.

She set down the bed frame, still clueless how to put it together. “Coming.” Walking down the stairs she could hear the buzz of voices. Had her son allowed strangers into the house?

She was relieved to recognize Annie among some other women. “Hi.”

“Laura, I’ve rounded up recruits. Cindy, Leah, Katherine, Grace and Emma.”

Laura’s hand flew to her chest. “I don’t know what to say.”

Redheaded Cindy grinned. “Hello will do just fine. Then divvy us up however you want.”

Overwhelmed, Laura wasn’t at all certain how to ask them to help.

“I’m especially helpful in the kitchen,” Katherine suggested. “If that would all right. I could start sorting dishes, pots and pans.”

“Oh, yes,” Laura replied, relieved.

“And I’m good at toting boxes,” Grace added.

“They’re labeled,” Laura said. “With the rooms they belong in. I’m afraid they’re all in a huge pile right now, no rhyme or reason.”

“I can help with the boxes,” Emma pointed out. “Rhyme’s my specialty.”

“And I can help Katherine in the kitchen,” Leah offered.

“So, I can be your helper,” Cindy said. “What were you doing when we got here?”

“Trying to put together a bed,” Laura confessed, holding up a tiny screwdriver, the only one she’d been able to find.

“Ah.” Cindy fished in her pocket for her cell phone. “When all else fails…”

Annie took Laura by the elbow and guided her out to the front porch. “You okay?”

Laura shoved her hands in her pockets. “Yes. Why?”

“I want to help, but I don’t want to pressure you.”

“It’s not that…it’s…” Laura looked out at the quiet street, the old houses that spoke of generations of families living and loving in the same place. “I haven’t been accustomed to anything like this…it will take some getting used to. But I like it.”

“Whew.” Annie let out her breath.

“Didn’t you tell me this was going to be your busy day?”

“Yes, but not for a while. I have time to help.” Together they headed into the house.

Even though Laura wasn’t accustomed to the sound of women’s voices around her, the occasional laughter, she found she liked it immensely. Like a piece that had been missing, the chatter and occasional laughter fit perfectly.

After about a half hour of progress, she heard the low rumble of a man’s voice, accompanied by the tread of boots going up the stairs, then the distinct thud of tools.