“Seth Campbell?”
He turned, surprised, because the back door of the old-world-style building faced the street, which was where he’d been looking. The lakeside door, overlooking the quaint boardwalk lining the sandy north shore of Kirkwood Lake, hadn’t entered into his realm of possibilities as an entrance in January. An icy wind accompanied the woman through the door. She shut it quickly and turned.
Huge, dark eyes met his gaze. Waist-length black curls tumbled from beneath a jaunty cap. A muted knit scarf that screamed money was knotted around the neck of her short wool jacket. Blue jeans and leather boots said she knew how to dress for fun, but one look into the depths of those eyes and Seth knew she hadn’t had a lot of fun lately.
“Gianna Costanza?” He stepped forward and offered his hand.
“Yes.” She gripped his hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you after all our virtual back-and-forth. I tried calling—” she held up a cell phone “—but it appears reception in these mountains is about as spotty as mine was back home in the Adirondacks.”
“Technology is an amazing thing when it works,” he agreed. He swept a hand around the shop interior. “Does it meet with your approval in person?”
Her quick smile said the character and warmth of the vintage space pleased her, and that pleased him. “I should pretend it’s not up to par and see if I can whittle you down on rent, but that would be outright dishonest, because if anything, it’s better than the pictures showed.”
“Not too rustic or old-world?”
“Is there such a thing?” She shook her head, and when she did, the tumble of hair shifted right, then left, untamed by spray, which made him wonder if it could possibly be as soft as it looked. She laughed at his expression, which said there might be such a thing as too old-fashioned, and walked to the nearest wall. “No, this is perfect. The wainscoting. The chair-rail ledge for knickknacks and artifacts.”
“Dust catchers,” he noted, grinning. “My mother’s a big fan of them, too. Can’t reason it out myself. Just more to clean.”
“Must be a woman thing.” She smiled up at him, then motioned to the right. “And the apartment is through here?”
“Yes.” He led her through a curtained door and showed her around the unpretentious apartment. “I had time to upgrade the shopping space, but the living area hasn’t received any intensive attention from my hands or bank account yet.”
“It looks fine,” she told him. “Simple and clean-cut. The furnishings are great. Having them here makes my life a whole lot easier right now. Starting a new business in a new town is work enough. Hauling tons of furniture five hours cross state didn’t make my short list.” She set a small, dark floral bag on the countertop. “The pictures showed a first-floor bedroom and a bath, right?”
“Right here.” He took her into a well-lit room off the living area, and her smile rewarded him when she spotted the lake view. “You like this.”
“My grandmother will love it,” she told him. She pointed east. “I have her enjoying coffee at Tina Marie’s Café. It was a long ride down and I’m afraid I tired her out.” She stepped to the left, opened a door with an unadorned left hand and made a little face. “The bathroom is great, but may I ask one more thing of you?”
As pretty as you are? Ask away, sweetheart.
Reason reined in his teasing reply. He invited her question with a simple raised brow instead. Her smile lit her face in anticipation, brightening those dark, round eyes, and making the gold tone of her skin shine. But hitting on her probably wouldn’t be the smartest move in the book because this was a business arrangement. Doing anything to make it go foul in a small, tight town would be stupid beyond belief, so he shoved the temptation to flirt aside.
“Could we install a bar in the shower? Is that too much work? Grandma gets around great, but I’m afraid she might slip if she doesn’t have something to hold on to.”
“Not a problem,” Seth assured her. “My father owns the hardware store on Main Street. I can get a support bar in place by Monday.”
“That would be wonderful, Seth.” She moved back toward the living space. “Can we see the upstairs?”
“Sure.” He let her precede him up the stairs, and her squeal of delight when she spotted the second floor made him smile. She turned in time to see the grin and made a face again.
“I’m sorry, I sound like a schoolgirl when I do that. It’s utterly ridiculous. But this is so pretty up here.”
Seth considered the two small bedrooms and the open lofted area overlooking the lake on one side and the living room and kitchen below. “It’s loud.”
She frowned.
“When there are people below, it’s loud up here,” he explained. “Terrible for sleeping.”
“Ah.” An understanding look said she was starting to get the picture. “You used to live here.”
“Before I bought my house, yes. It was a great investment. My grandmother’s family owned this building, so I bought it and fixed it up when I was fresh out of college.”
“And your buddies would come to stay.”
He nodded, then grinned, following her drift. “You’re thinking that Grandma might not be as loud and intrusive as a couple of Campbell boys and their partying friends.”
“Exactly. I don’t think Grandma’s knitting will keep me up, but thanks for the warning.”
* * *
He laughed, and Gianna’s heart went soft on the spot. A big laugh, hearty and full. The kind of laugh that saw lots of practice. She’d known that kind of laugh once. The sound of it called to her now, but she wasn’t here for romance....
Not by a long shot.
Although, Gram thought it was time for her to move on with her life, and had spent over five hours of driving time reminding her that when God closes a door, He always opens a window.
Gianna knew that, hence the complete change in her life. Decisions she’d made before her mother and aunt left to spend the cold, long months of an upstate winter in Florida. By the time they came back north...
She shoved that thought aside and smiled up at Seth. “I’ll have the moving van pull around to the apartment door and unload my things. You have keys for me?”
“Right here.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two sets. “I keep a master set for myself, so if you ever lock yourself out, I’m just across the street on Overlook Drive.” He pointed through the window. “The white house with the porch on the double lot.”
“A perfect family home.” She smiled at the view and could just imagine a crew of kids racing around the wide, sloped front yard playing tag. Climbing the trees that were to the left.
Seth’s smile disappeared. His shoulders looked suddenly heavy, and she had the oddest urge to wrap her arms around the big guy and give him a hug. But with her behavior labeled strange if not crazy these past few years, she curbed the impulse. Life had a way of messing people over. She knew that. Lived it. But right here, right now, was the new beginning she’d grabbed hold of a few months back. Months of praying, planning and implementation would come to fruition in Kirkwood, New York, overlooking the lake of the same name. Here she would embrace the life taken from her. The peace and hope of a new day dawning. She’d have the winter to settle in, and by the time the busy season rolled around after an early-April Easter, she’d be facing a new reality.
Would her mother understand? Would she embrace and forgive, or rage on in a mix of Italian and English and then cook pasta for the