by Lisa Moreau
“I’m fine. When he’s tough on me, I know it’s because he’s protecting his daughter.”
They walked into the house to find Hubert sitting in his recliner watching TV.
“Hey, Pop. Anything good on?”
“A documentary on Project Blue Book.”
“I’ve seen that one,” Claire said. “It’s a chronicle of the investigation into UFO-related phenomena in the ’50s and ’60s.”
Hubert peered at Claire hard. “You watch the History Channel?”
“I do. It’s one of my favorites.”
A satisfied look crossed Hubert’s face right before he focused back on the screen.
“You’ll win him over yet,” Ivy whispered in Claire’s ear. “Where’s Mom?” she asked her father.
“Grocery shopping.”
“Well, Claire and I will be in the attic for a while.”
After making their way through the house, Ivy opened the door and eyeballed the stairs. Heights still made her queasy, but at least she didn’t need to sit on her butt to get up the steps. Instead, she held on to the banister and took it slow. Once in the attic, Ivy headed straight for the clocks while Claire nosed around.
“There’s a lot of stuff up here,” Claire said and peered into a crate.
Ivy picked up timepieces and carefully placed them into an empty box.
“What’s this?” Claire asked.
Ivy stopped and looked at the battered book she’d seen her father read hundreds of times. “It’s the history of the county. Aren’t you supposed to be helping me?” She frowned.
“I am,” Claire said but sat on a table, opened the book, and flipped through its pages.
“Helping means you’re over here packing these.”
“Look at this,” Claire said. “Remember when Bruiser told us about how St. Augustine got its name? There’s an entire chapter on those two brothers, Louis and Charles Rousseau.”
“Great. Now how about you get some bubble wrap for those watches over there?” Ivy pointed.
When Claire didn’t respond, Ivy looked over her shoulder to see that all the color had drained from Claire’s face. She stopped what she was doing and went to her side.
“What’s wrong? Did you see a rat?” Ivy nervously scanned the floor.
Claire audibly gulped and pointed to a photo in the book.
Ivy looked at it and said, “Oh, hey. That’s Bruiser.”
Slowly, Claire shook her head. “Look again.”
Ivy leaned down and read the fine print. “Charles Rousseau. But…he looks exactly like Bruiser. They could be twins.”
“Maybe Charles and Bruiser are one and the same,” Claire said, alarmed.
Ivy huffed. “That’s impossible.”
“No one knew who Bruiser was, remember? Not Hubert or my dad. No one.”
“They just didn’t remember him. Their football days were a long time ago. I’ll prove it.”
Ivy surveyed the area and zeroed in on the box she was looking for. She marched across the floor, rummaged through tons of crap, and pulled out her father’s high school annual. Flipping through the pages, she stopped on the team photo that listed their nicknames.
“There’s Tank, Moose, Hitman…”
“But no Bruiser,” Claire said, peering over Ivy’s shoulder.
“Wait a second. Let’s look at the class photos.”
Ivy found the section quickly, glad to see that the nicknames were in quotation marks between their first and last names. She searched through the headshots three times with no luck.
“Maybe St. Augustine sent Bruiser to help us,” Claire said, wide-eyed. “What he said prompted Kurt to call me, and our dads never would have shaken hands if it weren’t for Bruiser getting us all together at the cemetery.”
“This is too bizarre to even think about.” Chill bumps appeared up and down Ivy’s arms. “Let’s just pack the clocks and get out of here.”
They worked in silence until they filled five big boxes. Several clocks were still left, but they’d have to get them at a later date.
“Are you okay?” Claire asked and placed a hand on Ivy’s arm. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“I don’t know why I freaked out about Bruiser. It’s not like I don’t believe in angels. It doesn’t matter if he was a spirit or a nice man. I’m just thankful he helped us.”
“Me, too.” Claire placed a gentle kiss on Ivy’s forehead and wrapped her arms around her.
Ivy rested her chin on Claire’s shoulder and gazed at the stack of antique clocks. If she had learned anything this past year, it was to live in the moment. Still, though, with Claire beside her, Ivy couldn’t help but feel practically giddy about her future.
About the Author
Lisa Moreau is an ultimate romantic and loves creating lighthearted, happily-ever-after romances. She won Golden Crown Literary Society awards for Love on the Red Rocks (Debut Author) and The Butterfly Whisperer (Contemporary Romance Mid-Length). She was a GCLS Contemporary Romance Short-Length finalist for her novel Lovebirds.
Lisa has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Midwestern State University, TX, and has completed an indefinitely large number of creative writing courses at Santa Monica College, CA. She lives in Southern California with her partner.
Lisa can be reached at www.LisaMoreauWriter.com.
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
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Before Now by Joy Argento. The instant Delaney Peyton and Jade Taylor meet, they sense a connection neither can explain. Can they overcome a betrayal that spans the centuries to reignite a love that can’t be broken? (978-1-63555-525-7)
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