Read Online Investment in Love (Contemporary Romance) by Emily Walters - Free Book Online
Authors: Emily Walters
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you think of—” She stopped abruptly as she crossed into the other room and saw Calvin adding a box to a mountain of the things. “Whoa.”
Peering around his armload, Calvin grinned cheekily, blue eyes crinkling up nicely. “Impressed? I’ve been working hard all morning.”
Ellie looked around, taking in the house. Except for furniture, it was dead empty. No décor remained on the walls other than a few decorative mirrors, all the shelves stood empty, the drawers hung open, and the tables were cleared. “I’m definitely impressed,” she said. Although Calvin had been boxing things up the whole time she’d been working, he hadn’t been putting that much effort in. Ellie often found him paging through books instead of boxing them, or sitting back and looking at curios instead of sorting. But clearly, this morning he had decided to make up for lost time. “Why the sudden effort?”
He made a mock-offended face. “Why, Miss Parker,” he said, putting on a fake accent, “I’m surprised at you. I put effort into everything I do.”
She hid a smile at his drawl and waited for him to finish putting down the boxes and explain himself.
Finally, Calvin settled everything and stood, brushing his hands against his khakis. “Honestly,” he said, “I had been going slower and slower because I was looking at things. And as much as I wanted to…”
“To get to know your great-aunt?” Ellie guessed softly.
He nodded tightly, not saying anything for a moment. “Yeah, basically. As much as I wanted that, staring at all her pretty things wasn’t helping me understand her any more. It was just slowing me down. I woke up this morning and realized I was never going to finish if I kept trying to be an archaeologist.” He worked his throat roughly. “This used to be her house, and these things used to matter to her—but even if I make them all matter to me, she is gone anyway. It’s just my house now. I feel guilty for intruding, though.”
Recognizing the familiar pain of grief and loss on his face, Ellie stepped to Calvin and put a soft hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure she would understand.”
Calvin murmured in agreement, and for one short moment they stood together quietly. Suddenly, Ellie remembered her hand was still on his shoulder, feeling the heat of his skin through the fabric, and she stepped back abruptly.
“Sorry,” said Calvin, shaking his head with a bemused expression like he was emerging from underwater. “Anyway, point of that whole anecdote is this morning I woke up motivated, so I called up Kathy at Treasures ‘n’ Things and told her tomorrow was the day, and the rest is history.” He gestured at the boxes.
“Sounds great,” said Ellie. “Oh! I had a really good idea for lunch, by the way.”
“What idea is that?”
“Well, I was thinking we ought to have a picnic! We could make our food here or pick up sandwiches to go from Susie’s. That’s the place that we went on the first day… the, well, you remember.” Ellie anxiously wondered what Calvin was thinking—with him behind her, she couldn’t even see his facial expressions.
He snorted. “I do remember. The place where I was a pompous jerk.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to be winning Miss Congeniality for that either,” Ellie laughed.
“A picnic sounds wonderful!” he continued. “Are there any especially nice places to picnic at?”
She paused in the hallway, idea suddenly sparking. Calvin came to stand beside her, and she turned to smile up into his blue eyes as she talked. “Oh, come to think of it! You haven’t seen the falls yet! They’re beautiful this time of year. The trailhead is actually just up this road—Oh.” Her enthusiasm suddenly waned. “We probably shouldn’t be taking a long lunch in the middle of trying to pack in a hurry.”
Honestly, he really couldn’t spare any time—and a walk to a rural waterfall would
Peering around his armload, Calvin grinned cheekily, blue eyes crinkling up nicely. “Impressed? I’ve been working hard all morning.”
Ellie looked around, taking in the house. Except for furniture, it was dead empty. No décor remained on the walls other than a few decorative mirrors, all the shelves stood empty, the drawers hung open, and the tables were cleared. “I’m definitely impressed,” she said. Although Calvin had been boxing things up the whole time she’d been working, he hadn’t been putting that much effort in. Ellie often found him paging through books instead of boxing them, or sitting back and looking at curios instead of sorting. But clearly, this morning he had decided to make up for lost time. “Why the sudden effort?”
He made a mock-offended face. “Why, Miss Parker,” he said, putting on a fake accent, “I’m surprised at you. I put effort into everything I do.”
She hid a smile at his drawl and waited for him to finish putting down the boxes and explain himself.
Finally, Calvin settled everything and stood, brushing his hands against his khakis. “Honestly,” he said, “I had been going slower and slower because I was looking at things. And as much as I wanted to…”
“To get to know your great-aunt?” Ellie guessed softly.
He nodded tightly, not saying anything for a moment. “Yeah, basically. As much as I wanted that, staring at all her pretty things wasn’t helping me understand her any more. It was just slowing me down. I woke up this morning and realized I was never going to finish if I kept trying to be an archaeologist.” He worked his throat roughly. “This used to be her house, and these things used to matter to her—but even if I make them all matter to me, she is gone anyway. It’s just my house now. I feel guilty for intruding, though.”
Recognizing the familiar pain of grief and loss on his face, Ellie stepped to Calvin and put a soft hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure she would understand.”
Calvin murmured in agreement, and for one short moment they stood together quietly. Suddenly, Ellie remembered her hand was still on his shoulder, feeling the heat of his skin through the fabric, and she stepped back abruptly.
“Sorry,” said Calvin, shaking his head with a bemused expression like he was emerging from underwater. “Anyway, point of that whole anecdote is this morning I woke up motivated, so I called up Kathy at Treasures ‘n’ Things and told her tomorrow was the day, and the rest is history.” He gestured at the boxes.
“Sounds great,” said Ellie. “Oh! I had a really good idea for lunch, by the way.”
“What idea is that?”
“Well, I was thinking we ought to have a picnic! We could make our food here or pick up sandwiches to go from Susie’s. That’s the place that we went on the first day… the, well, you remember.” Ellie anxiously wondered what Calvin was thinking—with him behind her, she couldn’t even see his facial expressions.
He snorted. “I do remember. The place where I was a pompous jerk.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to be winning Miss Congeniality for that either,” Ellie laughed.
“A picnic sounds wonderful!” he continued. “Are there any especially nice places to picnic at?”
She paused in the hallway, idea suddenly sparking. Calvin came to stand beside her, and she turned to smile up into his blue eyes as she talked. “Oh, come to think of it! You haven’t seen the falls yet! They’re beautiful this time of year. The trailhead is actually just up this road—Oh.” Her enthusiasm suddenly waned. “We probably shouldn’t be taking a long lunch in the middle of trying to pack in a hurry.”
Honestly, he really couldn’t spare any time—and a walk to a rural waterfall would
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