What the Heart Wants (What the Heart Wants, #1)(20)

Lolly touched one of the masses of curls. “Yeah. I change my hair around a lot.”

“Take a seat. I’ve poured you some orange juice, and breakfast will be ready in a minute. Hope you like French toast.”

Lolly’s face clouded. “I’ve never tried it. Aunt Maxie and I always have Cheerios at home.” She took a seat at the big table.

Laurel was glad the old table was getting some use. It had been here since Kinkaid House was built, but it was yet another item that would be up for sale if she didn’t get a buyer for the house soon. She’d never need anything that large for herself, and oak tables were scoring good prices these days.

Wielding a spatula, she lifted the eggy toast onto a serving plate and brought it to the table. Lolly eyed the concoction suspiciously. “It’s sort of soggy.”

“You eat it with a fork. Try it.” Sitting down next to her with her own plate, Laurel demonstrated the technique.

Lolly, still looking doubtful, cut the toast and speared a small piece. She glanced at her hostess for encouragement, then grimaced as she lifted it into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

Her expression cleared. “Gosh, it’s good!”

Laurel laughed, enjoying Lolly’s surprise.

What a sweetheart—she’d been willing to try her cooking just to please her.

After cleaning up the remains of breakfast, they moved to the den again, where Lolly made a tour of the room, peering at all the photographs and reading aloud the inscriptions on all the plaques and trophies.

“This looks like the oldest picture,” she said, pointing to a dingy tintype in the bookshelf. “He’s the guy at the head of the stairs, isn’t he?”

Laurel nodded. “You have a good eye. That’s Erasmus Kinkaid again, when he first came to Texas.”

“Cool. He must have really been something.”

Laurel laughed. “Gramma always referred to him as ‘that rascal,’ and I don’t think she meant it lovingly.”

Lolly’s eyes widened with interest. Obviously she liked rascals. Jase must really have his hands full.

Lolly reached for a picture of Erasmus and his two sons. “What about your grandfather? Was he a rascal too?”

“A little bit, or at least a sharp businessman. He diversified the family holdings, and we made it through the Great Depression so well that he could fund a major renovation on the house in the 1930s and another one in the 1960s.” That one had cost almost a million dollars. Mama had planned on putting in central air and renovating the kitchen three years ago, until suddenly there was no money for anything.

“And your father? I know he was a pastor, but did he also make investments?”

Laurel managed to keep her smile in place. “Daddy wasn’t interested in investments, and Mama didn’t see it as her place to get involved.”

Daddy thought money grew on trees, and Mama was oblivious.

Lolly replaced the picture of Erasmus and looked at a large photograph of Laurel and her parents on the shelf above them. “What sort of family did your dad come from? Was his father a preacher? Did it run in the family?”

Laurel shook her head. “I don’t know. Daddy was raised in the Methodist Home in Waco. His father gave him up when he was about ten, and I got the feeling his life was a lot better at the orphanage than it had been with his parents.”

Daddy had speculated once that her musical talent came from his mother, but never elaborated. She’d known from the look on his face that the subject was closed.

“Poor guy,” Lolly said, sitting down on the overstuffed leather chair across from Laurel. Her eyes moved around the room in assessment.

“Why are you leaving all this? There’s a FOR SALE sign in your yard.”

“The upkeep on a house this large is more than I can handle by myself.” It was the same pat answer she’d given the real estate agent and what she would tell any prospective buyers.

“But do you, like, want to leave?”

Laurel paused a minute because she wasn’t sure of the answer herself. She wanted to leave Bosque Bend, yes, but did she really want to leave Kinkaid House? Jase’s daughter deserved an honest answer. “I don’t know. All of my life is here, which can be very comforting, but it’s also very confining. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as a caretaker.”

“Where will you go?”

Laurel shrugged. “Probably south, to the Rio Grande Valley.”

“You could come to Dallas and live with us.”

Laurel laughed to cover the heat wave which swept through her. “You’d better check with your father before you make that kind of offer.”

Lolly’s head tilted to one side, as if sizing up the situation. “Aunt Maxie said he loved you. She said he used to talk about you all the time.”

“Lolly, you really shouldn’t tell me things like that. They’re personal.” Her brain cautioned her not to be an idiot, to chalk anything Maxie might have said up to a few passing remarks, but the tentacles of her heart embraced Lolly’s every golden word.

As if on cue, the phone rang. It was Jase. Laurel handed the phone to Lolly.

“Hi, Dad.” Lolly smiled winningly into the phone. “I’m okay. Sorry I ran off like that.” There was a pause, and her face began crumple as she held back tears. “I love you too, Daddy.”