“When I was your daughter’s age my dad died at work from a chemical leak.” Her voice lowered.
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “The worst part was never saying goodbye, you know?”
Jack looked away. “Yeah, I know.”
After a few moments of silence, she popped off the stool and changed the subject. “Want more to drink?”
“No, but thank you.”
“Before I sort through the stuff in the barn, was there anything that caught your eye?”
What a loaded question. He followed her, though, noticing her height. He was pushing six-four and the top of her head would graze his nose if they stood close. But he didn’t want to consider standing close to Laura.
“I’d love to buy that old tractor and the lawn mower. How much do you want for them?”
“How much are you willing to pay?” she asked.
He’d already offered her two thousand for the lot, but he’d play her game. It was more fun than cleaning. “What kind of sales do you do?”
“Business solutions.”
“No wonder,” he said with a smile.
“What?”
“Answer a question with a question, is that your motto?”
She gave him a cheeky grin. “The client should always give me the number and I’ll work it from there.”
Jack put his hands in the pockets of his worn jeans. He liked her. She was edgy, maybe even a little cocky, but he liked her. “Well, Ms. Toivo, name your price and I’ll count it as fair.”
“Just Laura. And if you show me what tools are worth keeping, then the tractor is yours for eight hundred. I have to keep the lawnmower until I find a reasonable landscaper.”
“You give me the mower, and I’ll make sure your mother’s lawn is kept neat as a pin.”
She smiled and extended her hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal. And you’re good. You never gave anything away. Shall we shake on it?”
He grasped her hand firmly and then noticed a dusty spider’s web clinging to her head. “Seems you’ve got a cobweb in your hair.”
He felt her hand tremble and her eyes widened in fear. “Get it off, please, get it off.”
Without letting go, he stepped closer. He swiped his fingers through her silky hair, taking the sticky fibers with him. He wiped his hand on the back of his jeans. “It’s gone.”
She pulled back and frantically turned around. “Are there any more? Please don’t tell me if anything is crawling anywhere, just brush it off.”
“Nothing. You’re fine.”
She faced him, her cheeks pink. “Thanks.”
The space between them suddenly shrunk, so Jack backed up.
Laura must have felt it too, because she shifted from one foot to the other looking confused. “So, your movers are coming this weekend?”
Jack cleared his throat. “We should be here by late afternoon or early evening on Saturday. Like I said last night, I want to get my daughter settled before school starts. Are you sure that won’t cause a problem?”
“Not at all.” She threw her arms wide. “I’ll get this stuff out of here as soon as possible and the place is yours.”
“Perfect. Now, how about a look at those tools.”
Jack didn’t need another complication in his life, especially an attractive neighbor. He needed to concentrate on Angie. He wanted to prove that he could be the kind of father his daughter needed. Involved and attentive, not distracted by a beautiful blonde.
Later that day, Laura straightened her shoulders and entered her mother’s hospital room. The nurses had her mom sitting in a chair looking nearly normal except for the droop on the left side of her face. A bouquet of balloons rested in the far corner—no doubt from cousin Nancy and her kids. She noticed a small arrangement perched on the bedside table. “Where’d you get the flowers?”
“Maddie Smith, from the real estate office.”
Laura’s heart sank. She’d struggled with how to break the news to her mother that she’d sold the property. Even though her mom had agreed to list the barn, Laura knew her mother would blame her for having to sell it. Seemed like ever since Laura was a kid, she couldn’t do anything right in her mother’s eyes.
Laura had been a daddy’s girl. She’d felt like her birth had come between her parents. That her mother had resented her for creating some rift between them. She remembered overhearing her mom tell her dad that he was spoiling his daughter rotten.
“Any bites? I guess it’s early yet.” Her mother’s speech had also improved.
“A guy stopped by yesterday.” She just couldn’t fess up to the land contract.
Her mother’s eye closed and then she shrugged her good shoulder. “Well, it’s a nice piece of property, don’t go giving it away.”
“I won’t.” Jack had paid the listing price without flinching. Surely, that would please her mother, but it wouldn’t hurt to give her mom a little more time to get used to the idea of selling.
“Have you seen your cousin Nancy?”
“No.”
“You should see her children. Her youngest is a cute little thing.”
“Uh-huh.” Since when did her mother like kids? Growing up, Laura wasn’t allowed too many friends over because her mother didn’t like the noise or the mess. Her mother didn’t like all that commotion. Laura had spent her share of time at Nancy’s because of that.
A quick knock on the door and Aunt Nelda peeked in. “I hope you’re in the mood for company.”
Her aunt’s three grandchildren scampered across the room. They surrounded Laura’s mom, wide-eyed with wonder, asking questions about her mother’s drooping face all at once, failing to use their inside voices. But her mother clearly enjoyed the attention, and that surprised Laura.
“Maddie called me,” Aunt Nelda said with a nod toward the hall.
Laura took the hint. “Mom? Aunt Nelda and I are going to get ginger ale for everyone. Will you be okay?”
Her mom shooed them away and returned to her tale about her hospital stay. The kids wore rapt expressions, and Laura’s heart twisted. Her mom had never entertained her with stories when she was kid. Not even a bedtime story. That had been left for her dad to do. And then he’d died.
“The kids love her,” Aunt Nelda whispered.
Laura stared at her mom a moment longer. Who’d have guessed? She followed her aunt out. “Did Maddie tell you we found a buyer?”
Her aunt grinned. “A handsome doctor from Lansing, who just happens to be single.”
Laura shook her head. “He’s a veterinarian, a widower, with two kids, one’s a thirteen-year-old girl. I doubt he’s interested.”
“He’s a man. They’re always interested.” Her aunt’s smile was positively devious.
“I’m not interested.” Since her broken engagement to Anthony, Laura had vowed she’d never be anyone’s stepmother.
“Maybe I’m thinking of Nancy,” her aunt teased.
Laura rolled her eyes. The thought of Jack Stahl dating her cousin made her teeth clench, which