“What happened?”
“I went to church with the guy who’s going to start on the stone work here next week. The sermon was from Habakkuk. I mean really, who preaches from Habakkuk? But it was all about trusting God in the midst of disaster—and how you can ask all those questions, but you still have to trust.” Deidre shrugged. “It got me thinking.”
“I’m glad.” Claire smiled. “And the closing thing? You’re really thinking about that?”
“Yeah. This place is special. I want to fix it up, but then I want to see it thrive. I want to be here for that. And okay, maybe I don’t know everything I need to know about running a bed and breakfast, but I can learn. I’ll go back to school, if that’s what it takes.”
“Bed and breakfast?” Claire tapped her lip with a finger. “I’m not sure this place screams B and B. But…what about conferences and retreats? And weddings?”
Deidre’s grin faded as Lisette’s scorn echoed in her ears. “You don’t think that’s ridiculous?”
“Nope. Maybe I’m wrong and the space isn’t suited. Give me the tour and we’ll put our heads together. If you’re serious about staying here and closing D-Constructs? I’ll come down and pitch in. The only part I’m struggling with is managing a losing battle.”
“I can’t promise that’s not what this’ll turn into.”
Claire nodded. “I know. But right now, I’d say this has a lot more promise than D-Constructs.”
Deidre’s shoulders slumped. She’d known it. But hearing it out loud was a different story. “Let’s take that tour, then I guess I’m calling Dad.”
“Do you mind if my sister tags along?” Clad in jeans and a t-shirt, a windbreaker tied around her waist, Deidre pulled the door open wider. “Come on in.”
Jeremiah stared at her for a second before stepping in and looking around. “It hasn’t changed much in the last ten years. I was worried the wood on the walls or the floors would get water damage. Anyone could see that old roof needed to go.”
“Yeah. It got me twenty grand off the asking price. And an unhappy seller, but what did he expect? You let a house fall apart, you’re not going to be able to sell it for top dollar. So. My sister?”
“Oh. Yeah, of course. The more the merrier, right?” He tucked his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and leaned, gazing into the formal dining room.
Deidre laughed. “Claire’s gonna be at least fifteen more minutes. You want the nickel tour?”
He grinned, nodding. “I really do. But first let me call Danny and see if he wants to tag along. We could pick him up on our way. He loves to hike the falls.”
She gave him a long, appraising look. Had inviting her sister been a bad idea? It wasn’t like this was a date. Was it? Oh, man. Had Jeremiah wanted it to be? She wasn’t used to decoding signals anymore—had gotten out of the habit after Paul. There probably had been some she missed, but that made it easier to keep everything firmly in the friend zone anyway. Was he interested in her that way? The thought made her warm inside and did quivery things to her middle. And she’d just invited her sister along on their first date. Typical. “Danny?”
Jeremiah covered the bottom of his phone with his hand. “Best friend since high school. He’s great, you’ll like him. Oh, hey man. You still free? Uh-huh. No…no…we’re gonna hike to Jones Run Falls, maybe stretch it to Doyle’s? Her sister’s tagging along…’course. Ok. Pick you up in maybe thirty?”
“He’s in?”
Jeremiah nodded, dug a coin out of his pocket, and tossed it to her. “Let’s have that tour.”
He had a thousand ideas and most of them were good. A lot were the same as what she’d put together in her plan, or close to it with a few tweaks that might be an improvement. She’d made a few notes as they talked and would think about it. He had a good eye and an appreciation for the house that was palpable.
Did he like her because of Peacock Hill?
Deidre shifted and caught Claire’s eye in the back of the extended cab truck.
Claire made an exaggerated face and sighed. “Are we there yet?”
Jeremiah laughed. “Just about. The parking area is up ahead soon. I promise. You two okay back there?”
“Remind me to meet you there, next time I agree to go hiking with you. They didn’t have guys over six feet tall in mind when they designed back seats for trucks.” Danny’s knees pressed into Deidre’s back as he moved.
“I’m sorry. You can sit up front on the way home. I think I’ve got this as far forward as it can go. And I don’t need the leg room.”
“You’re the only one, D.” Claire crossed her legs. “I’m not sure they had anyone over the age of ten in mind.”
“Hey, now. Be kind to the truck, she’s sensitive. And I think we’d all like her to take us home when we’re done hiking, right?” Jeremiah patted the dashboard and crooned quietly. “It’s okay, girl, they just don’t appreciate you like I do.”
“What is it with men and their cars?” Deidre shook her head. “Honestly, it’s a machine that gets you from point A to point B. Not a person.”
The truck’s engine revved loudly.
“Ha ha. That was you. Machine. Inanimate. Not alive.” Deidre glanced over her shoulder at her sister. “Right, Claire?”
“I’m…going to take the fifth. I don’t want to walk home.”
“Chicken. Danny?”
Danny held up his hands. “My SUV has a name and everything. She’s not as finicky as this gal, but she still deserves respect.”
Jeremiah snickered. “She’s not finicky. She’s prissy. Or do you wash her every week for your own benefit?”
“There is nothing wrong with keeping your ride clean and shiny. You could take some pointers, though I was pleased to see you shoveled the files out of here. Going to finally get some organization to your business?” Danny unhooked his seatbelt the moment Jeremiah cut the engine and pushed open his door. “Oh, yeah. Circulation.”
Deidre rolled her eyes as she hopped down from the passenger seat. “Were you in theater in high school?”
“Sure.” Danny flashed a grin. “But I always got the plucky comic relief roles. Never could hold a candle to Jeremiah.”
He’d acted? She turned, taking in his lean, muscular form. Her mouth went dry. Yeah, he could pull off leading man.
Jeremiah smiled and whistled a few bars from The Music Man as he grabbed a backpack out of the truck bed and slung it over his shoulders. “Ready, troops?”
Danny and Claire both shrugged.
Deidre gave an absent nod, unable to reconcile her picture of Jeremiah as a down-to-earth handyman with the information that he’d had the lead in a musical. Even if it was several years ago that was…not what she would ever have pictured.
“What about you? Ever do any theater?” Jeremiah nudged her with his elbow as they started down the trail. Danny and Claire had fallen in behind them and were working through the standard getting-to-know-you chit chat.
“Just backstage stuff. Building sets and props, that kind of thing. When I had time. I worked a lot as soon as I was old enough. It’s really pretty here.”
He smiled. “Just wait ‘til you see the falls.”
Chapter 10
Jeremiah could barely keep his smile under control. It was a gorgeous spring day and he was on one of his favorite hikes with the woman who’d captured his heart. Heart? Interest. He’d meant interest. They’d made it to the waterfall with relative ease. No one had complained about the pace he set, which was new. Danny could be a bit of a whiner if Jeremiah got into the groove and started going fast. Had he been slower than usual? Maybe. Deidre had interesting commentary and seemed to enjoy stopping to examine groups of mushrooms or lichens, anything that caught her eye.
The music of the water on the rocks was soothing.
“Now we have a decision. We can head back the way we came, or we can keep following the trail and loop around past another set of falls.” Jeremiah tossed a stick into the water and watched as it
floated away.
“What’s the difference?” Claire sagged against a big rock. She didn’t look like she got out into nature much.
“About four miles.” Danny shook his head at Jeremiah. “We ought to just go back the same way. I’m not sure anyone is up for eight miles today, unless you’ve got snacks squirreled away in that backpack?”
He’d meant to bring something. But after he’d grabbed water, his mom had called and by the time he’d gotten off the phone, he’d been running late. “Nope. Sorry.”
“Another time, maybe?” Deidre patted his knee. “I’d be interested in seeing more. It’s lovely out here.”
He nodded, tingles working their way up his leg from the brief contact. “All right. That’s a deal. Ready to head back?”
Danny and Claire took the lead, and were several yards ahead before Jeremiah and Deidre had collected their water bottles and checked for debris. As they started down the trail, Deidre’s foot caught on a rock and she tripped forward. Jeremiah caught her hand to help steady her.
“Thanks.” She smiled up at him.
He squeezed her hand and was about to let go when her fingers threaded through his. The grin that split his face was probably goofy, but he didn’t care.
Jeremiah climbed down the ladder and pulled off his gloves. How the Pattersons got so many leaves in their gutters over the winter continued to mystify him. He was here every fall after their trees had dropped their leaves, and that should be enough. But, like clockwork, Mrs. Patterson was calling to complain about spring rain overflowing and pouring down the sides of their house. And there was certainly enough blocking the channel to the downspouts that it was worth getting up there.
“All finished?” Mrs. Patterson appeared on the front stoop with a tall glass of pale yellow liquid in her hands. “I brought you some lemonade. It’s store bought, mind, so you won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t like it.”
He took a long drink, fighting a wince at the tart yet overly sweet liquid. How did that happen? “It’s refreshing, thanks. You should be all set now until the fall, but call me if it happens again.”
“Oh, now, I’m sure it’ll be just fine. Always is after you visit. Saw you with that northern girl at church again on Sunday. You serious?”
Jeremiah nearly choked on the swallow of lemonade. “No, ma’am. Deidre’s new in town, I’m just being neighborly.”
“Mmhmm. Don’t think I’m so old that I don’t know what that means. You be sure to make it official before you start living up at that big house with her. And none of that, oh what is it I’m always seeing on the Facebook? Netflix and chill, that’s it. I know all about that, too. I made my nephew Matt explain it.”
Poor Matt. “Sometimes it just means staying in and watching a movie, Mrs. Patterson.”
She scoffed. “Jeremiah Crawford. Sin like that’s been around since Adam and Eve. Mr. Patterson used to try and get me to go watch the sunset with him. But I knew just what he was after, same as any smart girl today. So just you be a gentleman. Though…I don’t wonder if you couldn’t do better than a snorter. Heard her laugh at something that other gal who was with her said, turned right into a pig snort. Sad state of affairs if a lady can’t be bothered to keep her emotions under control.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, ma’am. That was probably her sister, Claire, who was down for a visit.”
“I know that. I asked around. I didn’t figure any of the women around here would make someone snort. Though perhaps she’s just predisposed. What’d you say her name was? The northern gal?”
“Deidre. Deidre McIntyre.”
Mrs. Patterson nodded. “Well, if she’s doing justice to that big place up the hill, she can’t be all bad. You make sure you get your mark on it too, though. No sense in having your wife make all the decisions on your home.”
Wife? “You’re getting a little ahead of…”
“Pshaw. I saw how you looked at her, boy. Same look that greets me every morning in the eyes of my own man. You’re sweet on her. She might not know it yet.” She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Maybe you don’t even know it yet. Doesn’t change what is. Now, how much do I owe you?”
Jeremiah took another long swallow of lemonade, draining the glass but doing nothing to moisten the desert in his mouth. “Same as the fall, forty even.”
Mrs. Patterson held out a check, already filled in. Why did she ask, when she knew the answer?
He took the check and offered her the empty cup. “Thanks. Let me know if you need anything else done.”
“You going to be doing lawns again this year?”
He nodded. It wasn’t high on his list of things he wanted to do, but basic maintenance and repairs didn’t pay the bills year round, and a good lawn care season kept a healthy balance in his bank account during the dry spells. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Sign us on up. Mr. Patterson’s getting too old to be out here in the summer heat.”
“I’ll mail you a contract. Thanks, Mrs. Patterson.”
She smiled and patted his hand. “You’re a good boy, Jeremiah.”
He grinned as he headed for his truck. Mrs. Patterson could make him feel like a misbehaving teenager at the drop of a hat, but she could bolster his confidence just as easily.
He plugged his cell into the charger as he started up his truck. Just one more stop to make before his jobs for the day were done. As Mondays went, it wasn’t horrible. If only he could think of a reason to casually swing by Peacock Hill and ask Deidre to dinner.
Settled in his recliner, Jeremiah clicked on the TV. Not that there was likely to be anything worth watching. But…he was too restless to read, and though there was always paperwork for the business…that didn’t appeal either. He eyed his phone. Maybe he’d give Deidre a call. But why? He didn’t have anything to say and they weren’t quite at the ‘just wanted to hear your voice’ stage of their relationship. Even if that’s exactly where he was. Text. He’d text. Then, if she was busy, she could ignore it and get back to him later.
“Happy Monday. How was your day?”
Jeremiah frowned. It was innocuous. Was it lame? But what else was he going to start with? He hit send and set his phone aside to change the channel. Cooking shows were not his thing.
After a few minutes, his phone buzzed.
“OK. Do u have any time l8r this week? I’ve hot thongs I want to show u.”
He snickered and tapped back a reply.
“Um. Might need to translate that?”
“Got. Things. Hang on.”
His phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Seriously. Don’t text me.” Deidre laughed. “Next time, I’m just calling. I keep thinking I’ll get the hang of it and quit embarrassing myself.”
“You can turn off autocorrect.”
“Tried that, it was even worse. I think I’m just not meant to join this century. Anyway, the question stands. Do you have time to swing by this week? I have some things I’d like to show you and see if you have ideas.”
“I always have ideas.” Lately, the ideas he’d been having where Deidre was concerned fell into a more romantic category than she probably expected. Although, she’d been the one to curl her fingers in his. Jeremiah flipped through his mental schedule. “Wednesday after two?”
“Sure.” Deidre took a deep breath, like she was about to speak, but said nothing. Was she still there? “Do you maybe want to stay for dinner?”
His heart leapt. “Yeah, I’d like that. Can I bring something?”
“Want to grab dessert?”
“I can do that.”
“Great.” She cleared her throat. “Then I guess I’ll see you then.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
He grinned. “Good night.”
Jeremiah hoisted himself onto his mother’s kitchen counter and dipped a finger into the batter she was mixing. She smacked his hand and he laughed.
“If you don’t behave, I won’t send this ca
ke home with you and then what will you take on your date tomorrow night?”
“I could stop at the grocery store and pick something up. But it wouldn’t be nearly as good.” He snuck another finger swipe from the bowl. “Besides, weren’t you the one reminding me about your desire for grandchildren lately?”
“So?”
“So, this can be your contribution to the cause.”
She shook her head and folded beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture. “If you need your grandma’s sponge cake to win her heart, I’m not sure she’s the one for you.”
“Let’s just say I’m covering all the bases. Besides, it’s not like it can hurt, right?”
Jeremiah’s dad sauntered into the kitchen, sniffing. “Do I smell chocolate cake?”
“It’s not even in the pan yet. And it’s not for you, anyway. I’m making it for Jeremiah to woo Deidre with.”
“Deidre? The girl who was over for Sunday dinner two weeks ago? I liked her.” He patted Jeremiah’s arm. “Why don’t you bring her back here for dinner?”
“You just want the cake.” Jeremiah grinned.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, I’ll make a little cupcake for you, honey. Leave the boy alone. No one wants to go to their parents’ house on a date.”
“What do you mean? I took you to my parents’ house all the time when we were dating. You said you loved it.”
“No. I said I loved you. It’s an important distinction and you’re lucky I was willing to make it.”
“Hmph. I don’t recall you complaining when Mom gave you all her recipes.”
Jeremiah’s mom smiled. “That’s because you have trouble remembering what you ate for breakfast most days.”
“Son, let me give you a piece of advice: stay single.”
Jeremiah laughed. “Whatever. You’d be lost without Mom. Plus, you got me out of the bargain.”
“True enough. You mowing lawns again this summer?”
“Yes, sir. You signing up?”
His dad nodded. “Your mother says I’m too old to be doing my own lawn work. Guess if I have to pay someone it might as well be you, though your rates went up when you got out of high school.”
Love at First Laugh: Eight Romantic Novellas Filled with Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After Page 35
