Finding Love in Payton

by Shelley Galloway

  His body stiffened, as if her candor was disconcerting. "Is it my age?"

  "Partly," she said honestly and with more than a bit of sadness. "But ... it's also Bryan, memories of Neil, and the fact that I haven't done this before." She tried to think of words that could convey her doubts about herself, about her life, about her past, but none was available. It seemed as if her whole jumbled mess of emotions was stuck somewhere in the depths of her mind, twisting up her thoughts. "Please don't be mad."

  "I'm not. I'm not, I promise." He stared at her hard, then shut his eyes before speaking. "I know you don't want me kissing you, but I've been dying to do this since the first moment I saw you," he said softly as he raised his right hand and slowly, as if with great thought, brushed it through her hair.

  The tips of his fingers were slightly rough, and the coarseness reminded her once again just how attractive she found him.

  Doing her best to keep the mood light, she chuckled. "You wanted to feel my hair?"

  "Yeah. It's so shiny and golden." He rolled his eyes in the dim light. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

  If he even knew how she was feeling at the moment Jeremy would say she was acting pretty stupid. Time to call it a night. "Well ... I better go. If I know my parents, they're probably watching me out the front windows."

  "All right. Dinah, let me know what you want to do about us ... or if there is even an us."

  "You'll leave it to me?"

  "To you," he said. "Good night."

  "Good night, Jeremy," she replied, as she made her way up the front walkway and into her house. Feeling suspiciously like she did after a date in high school, wanting to do nothing more than go to her room and replay every moment of her night.

  But somehow she didn't think her parents, who were perched on the edge of her couch expectantly, would let her. Somehow she knew they'd keep her on the couch with them until they got a full report of her evening with Jeremy.

  S o what kind of house are you looking for, Jeremy?" Mary Beth asked as she, her mom, and he pulled out of his parents' driveway and began a house tour a week later.

  He shrugged. "Something in the historic section of town, maybe with some woodwork. Couple of bedrooms."

  Mary Beth scanned the MLS guide. "Number of bathrooms?"

  "At least two."

  "Garage?"

  He knew better than to hope for much. "I'm hoping for at least a single car, or at least a covered carport."

  She wrote that down. "Does it have to be attached?"

  "Nope."

  As Mary Beth flipped through a few more listings, circling a few with a yellow highlighter, she glanced at her mom. "What do you think?"

  Marianne McKinley glanced over at her daughter's highlighted markings, then tapped at two with a long pink nail. "I've got a few ideas, and the ones you circled might appeal to Jeremy. Let's start there. Go ahead and start calling, hon."

  Jeremy leaned back in the backseat and watched the two women work. "I didn't know you knew so much about real estate, Mary Beth."

  "I don't." She smiled, her face full of good humor. "I mean, I don't know it like teaching kindergarten. But I know some from watching Mom all these years. And after my experience with the money pit house, I feel an obligation to all family members to help out."

  Jeremy laughed. Mary Beth had bought a run-down home with more problems than the class of cute kindergarteners she taught. Thank goodness she had met Cameron soon after she moved in. He helped her fix up the house, and they fell in love soon after. "Thanks for helping me out."

  "You're welcome! I'm glad to help. Plus, it's nice to let Cam have some time with Maggie."

  "What do they have planned today?"

  "I think he's probably going to run a few errands then go to your house." She rolled her eyes. "Cam will hang out with your dad, watch football, let your parents fuss over Maggie non-stop, then tell me that he is such a great dad."

  "Isn't he?"

  "Yes," Mary Beth laughed. "He is."

  All that talk of babies made him think of Dinah and Bryan. "Has it been harder than you thought, juggling it all?"

  Mary Beth shook her head. "No. I've really enjoyed it," she admitted. "But then again, I've had a lot of help. And although I give Cameron a hard time, he's never complained about changing diapers, or getting up in the middle of the night, or helping with the laundry. It would be pretty hard to do it by myself."

  "Yeah, I guess so." Dinah's ease with Bryan flashed through his mind again. She made parenting look so easy, she was so patient. Did she ever have harried days?

  Marianne stopped in front of a white clapboard home with an almost nonexistent front walkway. "This place needs some help in the front, but I heard the backyard is heavenly," she stated. "And it's empty, so we didn't have to wait to schedule a showing. Let's go take a look."

  Jeremy wandered through the house after Marianne, listening to the pros and cons of the house with half an ear. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he knew he wasn't going to buy anything based on the dimensions of a specific room.

  He knew he was looking for something that made him feel good, something that felt like home.

  This one didn't.

  He told Marianne so, and with a shrug she locked up the door and took him to another house.

  And another. And four others after that. Some were already lived in, two others were vacant, and had been for some time.

  "I'm sorry," he said as they walked down a stone walkway back to Marianne's car. "I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, but I know it's not one of these."

  She looked surprised by his apology. "I didn't think you'd find a house today, Jeremy. I had a feeling that you want might take a little time. Good things always do." She turned to her daughter. "What do you want to do?"

  Mary Beth scanned her MLS list one more time. "How about we go to this last house on Maple, then get a cup of coffee at the Mill and plan our next meeting?"

  "Sounds good to me," Jeremy said.

  Marianne glanced at the address again, then pulled away from the curb toward Maple. "Someone saw you out walking with Dinah Cate the other night," the older lady said as she weaved in and out of the light traffic.

  "We were out walking," he said, wondering what it was going to lead up to. He glanced at Mary Beth quickly, but she didn't seem to be aware of where her mother was headed.

  "I've always liked that girl. Do you know her, Mary?"

  "A little bit. I actually knew her husband pretty well. We were in a few of the same classes in school."

  "Which ones?"

  "French. And a chemistry class, too, I think. Neil was a nice guy. Always had his eye on Dinah."

  "I thought they didn't date until college?"

  "I don't think they did. Dinah didn't date much in high school, and Neil was kind of wild, dated a lot of girls, kind of the more adventurous type. I think he just sort of watched Dinah from afar."

  "It's too bad he passed away."

  "Yes, it is. She had quite a time of it for a while there, raising that baby, dealing with lawyers and insurance people. Cameron actually handled a lot of the estate."

  "I didn't know that."

  "You know Cam ... he'd never say a thing about it. That's why he's such a good lawyer."

  Jeremy slumped back against the leather upholstery. "I guess so." He didn't know what to think, other than Dinah had a whole history that had played out while he was in college. Somehow that made their differences feel more marked.

  He tried to recall if he had known her back when she was still in high school, but he couldn't place her, beyond a pretty girl with a cute figure who was a friend of Joanne's. For the first time he wondered if maybe everyone else was right; maybe he was too young for her.

  Perhaps she needed someone who had known her circle of friends, or Neil's, or had helped her during the time when she was putting herself together? Someone who saw her as a woman just off the brink of a difficult time in her life?

  Not some guy who o
nly saw her as adorable and accomplished.

  "Now this place has possibilities," Marianne said, staring at the house in front of them.

  Jeremy glanced out his window and whistled low. The place was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was stone, not wood, and had enough angles and turrets that it looked like someone's dream house gone wrong.

  But it was attractive in its own way. The rich brown stones were aged and worn, giving the house a homey, rich feeling all its own. The roof looked to be in good repair, and the windows were arched and framed with quality wood, painted brown.

  It sat on an oversized lot filled with trees, all types of trees, pear and maple, ash and pine. Each looked to be in good health, and surrounded the house like a picture frame.

  "This looks like it's out of a fairy tale," Mary Beth said, in awe. "I can't believe I've never noticed it before."

  "It's been in a gentleman's family for years and years," Marianne said, glancing at a pile of notes in her day planner. "If I'm not mistaken, this house has some history to it, as well. I think some people brewed moonshine in it during Prohibition."

  Jeremy got out of car, immediately charmed. "Is it vacant now?"

  Marianne McKinley nodded. "Yep. Mr. Burton decided to go live in a retirement community, and his nephew just cleaned it out and put it on the market last week. And, he cleared out about twenty trees," she added. "That's why you never noticed the place, Mary Beth. It used to be practically hidden from the road."

  "I like the fence," Mary Beth said, pointing towards the split rail fence stained dark brown in the back yard. Years ago someone must have planted vines along it, because it was half covered with honeysuckle vines.

  "I do too," Jeremy said.

  Marianne unlocked the door and led them inside, and each oohed and ahhed over each meticulously kept room. The floors were wooden, the woodwork white. The only flaws were the seriously outdated kitchen and one bathroom.

  But Jeremy knew he'd found his home. "How much is it going for?"

  Marianne named the price. Jeremy stared at her in surprise. It was priced even more competitively than the others he'd seen. "Why so low?"

  She shrugged. "I don't think the nephew wants anything to do with it. He's more of a tract house kind of guy.

  "What do you think?" he asked Mary Beth.

  "I love it," she stated, not even missing a beat. "I love how charming it is ... and there's room to add a bath off of the back, as well as places to remodel the kitchen. But I wouldn't change a thing about the front of the place, Jeremy. It's just beautiful."

  "It was built in 1910, and has been remodeled three times," Marianne said, then proceeded to go into detail about the dates of plumbing and electrical renovations.

  But Jeremy wasn't listening; instead, his mind kept drifting to the pretty backyard, and how perfect it would be for a toddler to play in.

  He thought of how nice the front room would be with wall-to-wall bookshelves and two overstuffed chairs, how the side street was within walking distance to downtown yet off the main streets.

  "I like it, too," he said. "A lot."

  They walked around a few minutes more, then drove to a coffee shop named the Payton Mill and sat in front of the large picture window. "It's got possibilities, Jeremy."

  "It does. Do you think it's going to go fast?"

  Marianne shrugged. "I hate to predict these things, but honestly ... maybe."

  Mary Beth laughed. "I guess it will all depend on how long you want to think about it. And how long you want to live at home," she said softly, with just enough edge that Jeremy had to laugh.

  Like him, he knew Mary Beth loved her parents dearly ... but would never want to live with them for any length of time.

  "There is that," he said, mentally calculating how much money he'd managed to save over the passed two years. He'd made very good money waiting tables at an exclusive restaurant outside of Columbus, and even managed to add to it by working as a tutor while he was student teaching. It wasn't a large amount by anyone's standards ... but it was just enough to pay the down payment on a very small home.

  Jeremy was just about to try and figure out how much he could earn over the summer when he noticed Dinah walking up the sidewalk with Bryan. She had on crisp white shorts and a tan T-shirt, gold earrings in her ears, and black sunglasses. She looked slim and chic. Young and vibrant ... anything but a toddler's mom. As she approached, she set Bryan on the ground and let him lumber in front of her.

  And then finally they were in the Mill, as well.

  "Look who's here," Marianne said with a smile. "Hey there, Bryan! I like your overalls."

  "Say thank you," Dinah said to Bryan before smil ing at Mrs. McKinley. "Hey there, Marianne. How are you?"

  "I'm fine. Just sitting here with Mary Beth and Jeremy Reece ... I believe you know each other?"

  Jeremy watched as her easy smile became stilted, all in the time it took her to meet his gaze. "Hey."

  "We've been house hunting. What are y'all up to today?"

  "We've gone on a little bike ride, and now we're getting set to go to the store for a while."

  "Won't you join us?"

  Dinah glanced at Jeremy. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes," he said, unable to do anything but stare at her.

  Her cheeks turned rosy. "Well, then, let me just go order some drinks and I'll be right there."

  "We'll take Bryan, Di," Mary Beth said, already scooping up the toddler and talking to him.

  Jeremy's heart felt like he'd just run two miles. There were so many thoughts running through his head, he didn't know what to think. All he did know was that it was pretty uncomfortable sitting with Dinah and Bryan with his sister-in-law there. And Mrs. McKinley, who was friends with Dinah's mom and his.

  No telling what was going to get back to his parents. Yeah, right. Everything was sure to get back to his parents!

  "Jeremy," Marianne said, as if on cue.

  "Yes?"

  "I just want you to know that I think it's great that you and Dinah met each other. You both have such amicable personalities."

  He glanced at her in surprise. For once, Marianne looked completely serious, earnest. "Each of you needs someone who's bright and sunny. Steady. You would do well together."

  "You don't think the age difference matters?"

  "Sure it does," she said with some surprise. "But doesn't everything? I've yet to come across a couple who have nothing to overcome. P'all's differences just happen to be easy to spot."

  He was prevented from saying anything by Dinah's approach. She held a cup of juice in one hand and a mug of steaming hot coffee in the other.

  "Tell me about the houses," she said with a grin. To Marianne, she said, "Jeremy told me earlier that he was looking for a place with character."

  "I'd dare say he found it," Mary Beth said, handing Bryan over to Dinah as she sat down. "Jeremy found the greatest place over on Maple." She went on to describe it, her mother adding details here and there.

  Jeremy kept quiet, choosing to give his attention to Bryan. The little boy didn't seem to mind being stared at, at all. In fact, the boy seemed to like him just fine. He made a note to himself to bring Bryan a box of animal crackers next time he stopped by Dinah's bookstore.

  He'd just held out his arms to Bryan when the Mill's door opened and Joanne flew in. "Well, look who stopped by," he muttered. Now he knew for certain that everything that happened was going to get back to his parents ... as a minute by minute replay.

  If Joanne was taken aback at the sight of Jeremy holding Bryan, she didn't show it. As soon as she entered the coffee shop she waved to them, walked toward their table, and pulled up a chair after a round of hello's.

  "You, my brother, are surrounded by women," she teased, reaching out to rub Bryan's ankle.

  "Thank goodness for Bryan here, or I'd have to leave," he joked.

  "Don't worry, Jeremy, if it wasn't for Bryan, we would have kicked you out long ago and ventured into girl talk," Mary Be
th quipped before turning her attention to Joanne. "What's going on?"

  "I just brought Stratton some lunch. He's working late today and couldn't leave," Joanne explained. "And, I have quite a bit of work to do for the reenactment."

  "I started the costumes yesterday," Dinah said. "I should have the first soldier's uniform ready for a fitting in about a week."

  Joanne turned all business. "Great. Get with Jeremy to do that."

  "Jeremy?"

  "Me?"

  Joanne glanced at the pair of them like she couldn't believe they could be so dense. "Well, yes. One of the costumes is for Jeremy. You'll be able to make sure he's all set, right?"

  Jeremy caught Dinah's eye once again, and he could have sworn she blushed. "Sure," she said.

  Joanne smiled.

  Suddenly, being around Dinah, in the company of his sister and sister-in-law, and her mother, was more than he wanted to deal with. There was too much between him and Dinah that hadn't been resolved, the least of which was him asking her out and her telling him no.

  With one last reassuring pat to Bryan, he stood up. "I'm going to go ahead and take off," he announced. "Thanks, Mrs. McKinley, for taking me around. You, too, Mary Beth."

  All four women looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure you want to leave?"

  "Oh, yeah," he said. "I think it's best."

  "See you tomorrow at Mom and Dad's?" Joanne asked.

  "Yep. I'll be there." Against his will, he glanced at Dinah. She was staring at him with soft brown eyes. Like she actually cared he was leaving.

  Well, that was something, he guessed. "Let me know about the fitting, Dinah."

  "I will," she said softly, reminding him of their walk in the dim light.

  His collar felt tight and it wasn't even buttoned. It was really time to take off. "Bye," he said, then got out of the Mill as quickly as he could and walked away.

  He walked through the parking lot, only to realize that he had no car. Grumbling, he wandered down the block toward the country club. Maybe he could put in a few extra hours and beg Priscilla or Payton to give him a ride home later.