Read Online Investment in Love (Contemporary Romance) by Emily Walters - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Emily Walters
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started to topple over. Calvin reached to catch her without thinking about it, but she managed to correct her balance herself, leaving him standing there with outstretched arms, feeling stupid.
“Ouch,” she said, frowning down at her foot. “That felt heavier than another cardboard box.”He watched as she carefully lifted the box off whatever she had kicked and set it to the side. “Oh, how beautiful!”
Calvin craned his head over to see what the petite woman was looking at. Before them sat a dusty wooden trunk, painted with an intricate green and gold design. A small gold lock was clipped to the front of it, but a key was already inserted. “Is anything inside it?” he asked.
“Well, let’s see.” Ellie adeptly undid the lock, flipped back two gold-colored clasps, and swung the lid open. The sound was accompanied by the creak of an old hinge, but it moved easily enough. “It’s all wrapped in tissue,” she murmured.
Calvin watched as Ellie carefully unfolded old, crackly paper to reveal two photographs. She handed them over to Calvin, and his breath caught in his throat at the unexpected sight of his mother’s face. She was young in the posed portrait, and holding a small, dark-headed toddler on her hip that Calvin knew must be him. Feeling emotional, he flipped to the photo behind it, and found a stiff-looking posed portrait of a family. The sepia sheet showed a handsome man with round glasses and side-combed hair next to a woman with a curled bob. On her lap sat a serious looking child in a dress. Calvin didn’t really recognize any of them. He flipped it over to the back, squinting at spidery handwriting.
John, Maude, & A.
His eyes widened and he hurriedly turned it to see the front again. John and Maude were his mother’s parents, which meant “A” was Ann. This photo had his mom in it as well. It must have been taken before Aunt Sheila was born, he mused.
“What is it?” asked Ellie, her soft voice breaking his reverie. “You looked startled.”
Calvin cleared his throat quickly. “It’s old pictures of my family, actually,” he said. “My grandparents when my mom was a baby, and a photo of me and my mom.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet that your great-aunt had them,” Ellie said. “I bet your family will be glad to see them.”
His throat tightened again, and he cleared it more forcefully. “My Aunt Sheila will,” he said. “But my mom isn’t around. She died when I was a teenager.”
Ellie looked totally stricken, dark eyes going wide and shimmering with a hint of tears. “I’m so sorry,” she said, putting a slim hand on his shoulder. “I lost my dad recently. I know it’s tough.” With her this close, Calvin could smell the sweet scent of Ellie’s perfume or soap.
He shrugged, trying to shake off his sudden grief. “I’ve had a while to get used to it.”
With a slow nod, Ellie reached to peer at the picture in his hand. “So this is you?” she asked, pointing to the toddler. When he nodded, she laughed. “Cute kid.” Then, reaching to hand the photo back, she muttered, “It figures.” Calvin was pretty sure he hadn’t been supposed to hear that part, so he didn’t acknowledge it.
Ellie reached into the trunk again, ponytail swinging as she pulled out another tissue-wrapped packet. Calvin stood next to her, peering down in curiosity. This one contained another black-and-white photo and a faded, yellowed newspaper clipping. She handed them to Calvin. “Who’s this one?” she asked.
But Calvin didn’t know, and there was no label on the back. He sat the picture of the mystery man aside for a moment to look at the newspaper clipping instead. Craning his neck down at the chest was getting uncomfortable, so he sat down on the floor cross-legged next to Ellie.
“Carterville New Vacation Destination”
He skimmed the small article for a moment, trying to figure out why it had been saved.
“Ouch,” she said, frowning down at her foot. “That felt heavier than another cardboard box.”He watched as she carefully lifted the box off whatever she had kicked and set it to the side. “Oh, how beautiful!”
Calvin craned his head over to see what the petite woman was looking at. Before them sat a dusty wooden trunk, painted with an intricate green and gold design. A small gold lock was clipped to the front of it, but a key was already inserted. “Is anything inside it?” he asked.
“Well, let’s see.” Ellie adeptly undid the lock, flipped back two gold-colored clasps, and swung the lid open. The sound was accompanied by the creak of an old hinge, but it moved easily enough. “It’s all wrapped in tissue,” she murmured.
Calvin watched as Ellie carefully unfolded old, crackly paper to reveal two photographs. She handed them over to Calvin, and his breath caught in his throat at the unexpected sight of his mother’s face. She was young in the posed portrait, and holding a small, dark-headed toddler on her hip that Calvin knew must be him. Feeling emotional, he flipped to the photo behind it, and found a stiff-looking posed portrait of a family. The sepia sheet showed a handsome man with round glasses and side-combed hair next to a woman with a curled bob. On her lap sat a serious looking child in a dress. Calvin didn’t really recognize any of them. He flipped it over to the back, squinting at spidery handwriting.
John, Maude, & A.
His eyes widened and he hurriedly turned it to see the front again. John and Maude were his mother’s parents, which meant “A” was Ann. This photo had his mom in it as well. It must have been taken before Aunt Sheila was born, he mused.
“What is it?” asked Ellie, her soft voice breaking his reverie. “You looked startled.”
Calvin cleared his throat quickly. “It’s old pictures of my family, actually,” he said. “My grandparents when my mom was a baby, and a photo of me and my mom.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet that your great-aunt had them,” Ellie said. “I bet your family will be glad to see them.”
His throat tightened again, and he cleared it more forcefully. “My Aunt Sheila will,” he said. “But my mom isn’t around. She died when I was a teenager.”
Ellie looked totally stricken, dark eyes going wide and shimmering with a hint of tears. “I’m so sorry,” she said, putting a slim hand on his shoulder. “I lost my dad recently. I know it’s tough.” With her this close, Calvin could smell the sweet scent of Ellie’s perfume or soap.
He shrugged, trying to shake off his sudden grief. “I’ve had a while to get used to it.”
With a slow nod, Ellie reached to peer at the picture in his hand. “So this is you?” she asked, pointing to the toddler. When he nodded, she laughed. “Cute kid.” Then, reaching to hand the photo back, she muttered, “It figures.” Calvin was pretty sure he hadn’t been supposed to hear that part, so he didn’t acknowledge it.
Ellie reached into the trunk again, ponytail swinging as she pulled out another tissue-wrapped packet. Calvin stood next to her, peering down in curiosity. This one contained another black-and-white photo and a faded, yellowed newspaper clipping. She handed them to Calvin. “Who’s this one?” she asked.
But Calvin didn’t know, and there was no label on the back. He sat the picture of the mystery man aside for a moment to look at the newspaper clipping instead. Craning his neck down at the chest was getting uncomfortable, so he sat down on the floor cross-legged next to Ellie.
“Carterville New Vacation Destination”
He skimmed the small article for a moment, trying to figure out why it had been saved.
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