was
reeling. He could get Izzie registered in school and actually get
started on their new life.
“ I suppose,
but…
“ Then that’s what we’ll
do.” Glancing at his watch, he mentally calculated how much time
was left in the day to get to Louisville, gather what they’d need
for a day or two, and get back here tonight. No time like the
present to get started on his new life. He was deep in thought when
he realized Gracie was talking to him again.
“ ...but I wouldn’t feel
comfortable knowing that you were moving in with the place still
dirty. And where would Izzie sleep? Of course, I suppose she could
stay in my spare room if you wanted, and you—”
Her eyes grew wide and she snapped her mouth
shut.
“ We have sleeping bags,”
he told her.
“ Oh.” She paused. “But I’m
not sure how comfortable those hard-wood floors…”
“ We’ll be
fine.”
“ Are you sure you want to
move tonight? I mean…”
Carson held up a hand. “Wait.” Flipping open
his checkbook, he took a minute to write out a check, carefully
tore it from the book, and handed it to her. “Here is the deposit
and the first month’s rent. Now the place is officially mine,
right? I’m moving in later tonight. If you want the cleaning
service to come first thing in the morning, that will be fine.
Until then, Izzie and I can fend for ourselves.” He glanced to the
child. “Actually, we’re used to a little dust, aren’t we Iz?”
Izzie nodded furiously. “Actually, sometimes
we’re used to a lot of dust.”
“ Enough, Iz.” Carson
chucked. “Ms. Hart might kick us out on our ears if she thinks
we’re not good tenants.”
Izzie clamped her mouth shut and made a
funny face. Carson had to laugh out loud. Looking to Gracie, he
also noticed she was smiling, intent on Izzie’s antics. He took in
that smile for a moment and let himself wonder just a little bit
more about Gracie Hart. What was her story? He couldn’t quite put
his finger on it.
Finger. Hm. Why didn’t she have a ring
on the third finger of her left hand? Then he mentally chastised
himself for noticing.
“ Well, I’ll let you in on
a little secret, Izzie,” she said as she leaned a little closer to
the girl, interrupting his thoughts. “Sometimes I have a little too
much dust in my house, too.”
Izzie giggled, her big eyes animated.
“Betcha don’t have as much as us! One time, me and Dad wrote our
entire whole names in the dust on the bookshelves and it stayed
that way for weeks!”
“ Izzie!”
“ Well, it did!”
“ Did not.”
“ Did so!”
“ Well, okay. You could be
right. But you know you’re not supposed to tell those
things!”
Gracie laughed again and for the second time
that afternoon, Carson found himself mesmerized by her smile and
captivated by the sound of her laugh and so very curious as to what
made Gracie Hart tick.
* * * *
“ Okay, Gracie, spill it
about the new guy next door.”
Amie, always on the lookout for new guys in
town, chewed on a blueberry bagel and looked across the table at
Gracie, staring her square in the eye. “You’ve been holding out on
me. I hear he’s a doll.”
Gracie snorted and took
another sip of hot lemon tea. “A doll? Hardly.” If it were up
to her to find
words to describe Carson Price, doll would not be on the list.
Hunk? Stud-puppy? Those two descriptive terms came to mind quite
quickly, and if pressed, Gracie was sure she could drum up a few
more. Yes, he was a very attractive man. Of course, she wasn’t the
least bit interested in drumming up descriptive terms for the likes
of Carson Price, or any man, for that matter.
She was only interested in Carson Price for
his rent check, although it seemed her friends had other thoughts
on the subject.
Nice looking eligible
bachelor were the words Constance had
thrown up to her the day before. Gracie had shushed her off with a
wave of her hand. Gracie Hart wasn’t on the lookout for nice
looking eligible bachelors, she’d told
reeling. He could get Izzie registered in school and actually get
started on their new life.
“ I suppose,
but…
“ Then that’s what we’ll
do.” Glancing at his watch, he mentally calculated how much time
was left in the day to get to Louisville, gather what they’d need
for a day or two, and get back here tonight. No time like the
present to get started on his new life. He was deep in thought when
he realized Gracie was talking to him again.
“ ...but I wouldn’t feel
comfortable knowing that you were moving in with the place still
dirty. And where would Izzie sleep? Of course, I suppose she could
stay in my spare room if you wanted, and you—”
Her eyes grew wide and she snapped her mouth
shut.
“ We have sleeping bags,”
he told her.
“ Oh.” She paused. “But I’m
not sure how comfortable those hard-wood floors…”
“ We’ll be
fine.”
“ Are you sure you want to
move tonight? I mean…”
Carson held up a hand. “Wait.” Flipping open
his checkbook, he took a minute to write out a check, carefully
tore it from the book, and handed it to her. “Here is the deposit
and the first month’s rent. Now the place is officially mine,
right? I’m moving in later tonight. If you want the cleaning
service to come first thing in the morning, that will be fine.
Until then, Izzie and I can fend for ourselves.” He glanced to the
child. “Actually, we’re used to a little dust, aren’t we Iz?”
Izzie nodded furiously. “Actually, sometimes
we’re used to a lot of dust.”
“ Enough, Iz.” Carson
chucked. “Ms. Hart might kick us out on our ears if she thinks
we’re not good tenants.”
Izzie clamped her mouth shut and made a
funny face. Carson had to laugh out loud. Looking to Gracie, he
also noticed she was smiling, intent on Izzie’s antics. He took in
that smile for a moment and let himself wonder just a little bit
more about Gracie Hart. What was her story? He couldn’t quite put
his finger on it.
Finger. Hm. Why didn’t she have a ring
on the third finger of her left hand? Then he mentally chastised
himself for noticing.
“ Well, I’ll let you in on
a little secret, Izzie,” she said as she leaned a little closer to
the girl, interrupting his thoughts. “Sometimes I have a little too
much dust in my house, too.”
Izzie giggled, her big eyes animated.
“Betcha don’t have as much as us! One time, me and Dad wrote our
entire whole names in the dust on the bookshelves and it stayed
that way for weeks!”
“ Izzie!”
“ Well, it did!”
“ Did not.”
“ Did so!”
“ Well, okay. You could be
right. But you know you’re not supposed to tell those
things!”
Gracie laughed again and for the second time
that afternoon, Carson found himself mesmerized by her smile and
captivated by the sound of her laugh and so very curious as to what
made Gracie Hart tick.
* * * *
“ Okay, Gracie, spill it
about the new guy next door.”
Amie, always on the lookout for new guys in
town, chewed on a blueberry bagel and looked across the table at
Gracie, staring her square in the eye. “You’ve been holding out on
me. I hear he’s a doll.”
Gracie snorted and took
another sip of hot lemon tea. “A doll? Hardly.” If it were up
to her to find
words to describe Carson Price, doll would not be on the list.
Hunk? Stud-puppy? Those two descriptive terms came to mind quite
quickly, and if pressed, Gracie was sure she could drum up a few
more. Yes, he was a very attractive man. Of course, she wasn’t the
least bit interested in drumming up descriptive terms for the likes
of Carson Price, or any man, for that matter.
She was only interested in Carson Price for
his rent check, although it seemed her friends had other thoughts
on the subject.
Nice looking eligible
bachelor were the words Constance had
thrown up to her the day before. Gracie had shushed her off with a
wave of her hand. Gracie Hart wasn’t on the lookout for nice
looking eligible bachelors, she’d told
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