Love Starts with Elle(31)

“Guess not.” She smiled. Her best feature. And her hair. Very shiny hair.

“What are you up to?” It dawned on him she’d passed through the kitchen where he’d let a few days worth of dishes pile up in the sink. He told himself he didn’t have time to clean up, he had a book to write, a kid to raise. But at the moment, he was a tad embarrassed about it.

“Waiting for Julianne to drop off Rio.” She entered the rest of the way, sitting on the edge of a low rocking chair. “How long have you been going to Beaufort Community?”

“Few weeks. Your dad called and invited me.”

“My daddy? Big guy with hats? When did you meet him?”

“He came by looking for you once.”

“Ah, right, on Doomsday. Yeah, well”—she brushed at her shorts—“good for him to invite you to church.”

“How are you these days? Any china-smashing urges?”

She set the rocker in motion. “No, but this morning it occurred to me having a relationship with God requires more than showing up Sunday, singing loudly, amening the preaching, volunteering for Harvest Festival, and joining the Christmas choir.” She grimaced, giving Heath a theatrical thumbs-up. “Look at me, God. No hands.”

He laughed. She seemed to have fun being honest with herself.

“I was in a bit of a God desert myself.”

“Your wife died, Heath.”

“No reason to box out God.” He scooted his laptop aside. “Why is it when things go wrong, we run from Him instead of to Him?”

She rested her head on the back of the rocker that once belonged to Aunt Rose. “If I knew, I’d be writing the book and living on Fripp Island off the royalties.”

He breathed out a short laugh. “Well, the first one who finds out, tell the other, okay?”

“Deal.”

“Elle, you here?”

She angled back, gazing toward the kitchen door. “Jules, in the living room.” She peeked at Heath. “Rio wondered if Tracey-Love could play.”

“Absolutely. She’s in her room.” Heath clapped his hands against his legs and stood, calling down the hall. “TL, want to go with Miss Elle and Rio?’

A second later, the girl popped into the room, settling against her daddy, staring at Elle. Heath smoothed her hair, so coarse under his palm. “What do you say?”

Tracey-Love melted a little piece of him every time she fastened her blue gaze with his. “C-can you come t-too?”

Heath checked with Elle. “What did you have in mind? Can an old dad tag along?”

“I have nothing in mind. Come if you dare.”

He dared all right, even though Nate waited for pages. He’d spent most of last night and today researching and outlining his book. But he’d be crazy to pass up a morning with his new friend. Especially with her delicate features and spunky wit.

“You talked me into it. TL, get your shoes.”

A day out would help his muse uncover the rest of Chet McCord’s story. In the back of his mind, a female protagonist had started to speak. There. Call today research. Heath figured he needed to spend a day with a woman to get the groundwork for his character. Maybe instead of being the next Grisham, he could be the next Nicholas Sparks.

He wondered how guilty he’d feel over Nate’s coronary. A relationship story? Love story? Gasp, choke, call 911.

Heath walked out the back door with Julianne and Elle, talking about the whatevers of the day like the weather and price of gas as Rio and Tracey-Love ran-skipped hand in hand to the van.

“Hey, girls, let’s drive in my car.” Elle waved them over. “We’ll put the top down.”

Okay, seemed like fun. They watched wide-eyed as the top motored open. Heath helped Elle buckle them into the backseat, then slipped into the passenger side. “Where to on this lovely day?”

The crisp lowcountry morning was already warm as the sun rose, burning away the last of the predawn dew. Elle slipped on her sunglasses and turned the key. “Seems like a day for boating to me.”

“I’m in,” Heath said, turning to the girls. “Boating?”

Tracey-Love joined in with Rio’s, “Yeah,” though she’d never boated in her little life. This was good for her—new experiences, new memories.

Driving through Lady’s Island neighborhoods toward Elle’s parents’ home where her daddy docked a small boat, Heath surfed the wind with his hand. The girls chattered as the wind whipped their hair about, but Elle drove in silence.

Let her be; she’s working through more than a busted relationship.

Slowing, she turned into a wide, paved driveway and maneuvered a thin dirt road around to the back of her parents’ house, a sprawling two-story with a wraparound porch, thick green lawn, and a deepwater dock.

Elle parked in the shade and led them to the dock.

“Heath, put these on the girls, please.” She tossed over life jackets. On the boat, she checked the gas and other security thingies, Heath guessed, while he fixed up the girls and himself.

Finally, she motioned for them to climb aboard. “Girls, you stay seated once I get you in the boat, okay?” They nodded dutifully, grinning from ear to ear. “I don’t want to feed the fish little-girl toes.”

Tracey-Love’s eyes widened, and she shot a fearful gaze at Heath.