Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(16)
Something shifted in his eyes and he sat up straighter. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.” He stared down at Emma’s bent head, then across the table to Phoebe, who was beside Kate. “My aunt thinks highly of you.”
“Who’s your aunt?”
“Dixie Carver. She runs the post office.”
“I adore her! Everyone here knows and loves her. I didn’t realize you had family here. Why aren’t you staying with her instead of looking for a place to rent?” Wait, why had she said that? Maybe he’d change his mind, and she really wanted him to take her cottage.
“Her house isn’t big enough, and I was afraid the girls would wear her out.”
Kate saw his point. Dixie worked a full-time job and she wasn’t young anymore.
He took a sip of his coffee. “I called your pastor. He had nothing but great things to say about you. What didn’t he tell me about you? What are some of your bad habits?”
She blinked and grinned. “I have a quick tongue, and I generally speak before I censor myself. You’ll never have to wonder what I really think about anything. I have no patience for whining, and if a kid tells me she’s bored, it’s a good way to be given a cleaning job. I’m a bit of a health nut, and I’m apt to dose you with essential oils if I notice a sniffle.”
“My aunt said you had been sick. Are you sure you’re up to watching two energetic girls?”
Her chest squeezed. There was always gossip in a small town, but she was beginning to think people might continue to talk about her illness forever. “I’m fine now. Most of the time a stem-cell transplant is an actual cure for aplastic anemia. If I can keep up with fifty kids in junior church, I can keep up with two little girls.”
His gaze lingered on her face. “You look the picture of health. How are you in the mornings? Grumpy or cheerful?”
“Disgustingly cheerful.”
“I’ll make sure I down two cups of coffee before you show up then. I don’t like to talk until I’ve got some caffeine in me.”
She chuckled and picked up her fork. “Does that mean I’m hired?”
“I’m going to think about it overnight. I’ll call you in the morning.”
“I’ll be waiting by the phone. I like the girls, and I’d love to spend the rest of the summer with them.” Judging by the way her pulse skipped when her gaze met his, she wasn’t sure how wise it was to be around their uncle every day. The last thing she wanted was to risk her heart on someone who would pick up and leave at the end of the summer.
*
Claire patted the ground around the rosebush she’d just planted and stood. “This will give us some nice color in a few weeks, and it’s probably all we can do today. It’s getting too dark to see.”
The beautiful old house in the woods seemed to preen in the sunset with its newfound glory. The renovation was complete with new siding, roof, and windows as well as a complete gut and remodel inside. This time next week their wedding guests would gather here for a garden wedding before going to the Hotel Tourmaline for the reception.
Luke’s jeans were muddy, and he had a dirt smear on his cheek. “By the time we see buds, I’ll be living here too. Finally.” His slow smile built to a grin as he wiped away a smudge on her chin. “And I’m never letting you go.”
She leaned into his embrace and rested her head on his chest. The reassuring thump of his heartbeat under her ear eased the tension out of her. This was where she belonged. How blessed she was to have found Luke. One more week and they’d be married.
His hand stroked the length of her hair, then settled at her waist. “It can’t come too soon for me. By this time next year we could have a baby.”
She lifted her head and searched his expression. “You’re sure you want to try for a baby this fast? I thought you might just be a little jealous of our time.” She wanted to give him an option to back out of having a baby right off the bat, though she desperately wanted one herself.
“I’ve always wanted a big family. You do, too, right?”
She nodded. “And I’m thirty-one. If we want more than one child, we need to get started.” She stilled and looked away. Poor Kate would never be able to have a baby. How would she feel when Claire got pregnant? Would it make things strange between them? She’d spent too much time in her life away from Kate to want anything to come between them now.
Luke turned as tires crunched on gravel. “Kate’s here.” His hands dropped away from Claire as they turned to greet her.
The little yellow Bug had mud on its tires and fenders. The recent rain had left the drive like a bog. Claire advanced to hug her sister, but her welcoming smile froze when she saw Kate’s frown. “What’s wrong?”
Kate slammed the car door and strode toward her. She wore a cute denim skirt that showed off her legs and a formfitting blue sweater. Her short, curly hairstyle suited her heart-shaped face, so like Claire’s. “I think I blew the interview. You know how I hate for kids to be disrespectful?”
Claire nodded. “I do too.”
“The girls were playing with their iPads at the dinner table, and I took them away without thinking.”
“You didn’t! They aren’t in your charge yet.” Claire took her twin’s arm and guided her up the brick walk to the rocking chairs on the newly built porch. “What did Drake say?” She shot a warning glance at Luke, and he nodded before picking up the yard tools to put them away in the shed behind the house.