“Hi, Maggie,” Jace said. “This is my daughter, Cassie. Cassie, this is Maggie.”
They exchanged greetings then the housekeeper opened the door wider.
“I’d like to see Lori if she isn’t too busy.”
“Of course.” Maggie motioned them inside the entry. “She’s in her father’s upstairs office.” The housekeeper looked at Cassie. “Why don’t I take you into the kitchen and see if there are some fresh baked cookies on my cooling rack? They’re so good along with some milk.” The housekeeper looked concerned. “Coming back here is hard for her.”
“I expect it is. Are you sure it’s okay?”
Maggie smiled. “I think that would be good. The office is the first door on the left.”
Still he hesitated.
“You should go up,” the woman said. “She could use a friend right about now.”
Jace glanced up the curved staircase and murmured, “I’m not sure she’d call me ‘friend’ right now.”
Lori had trouble deciding where to put her things. There were six bedrooms and a master suite. One had been turned into an office, and the one next to it was nondescript, with only a queen-size bed covered by a soft floral comforter. It had a connecting bath, so that was where she put her one bag.
She unpacked the few items she had, but went into her father’s office. She couldn’t get into his computer because she didn’t have access.
“Okay, need to make a call to Dennis Bradley first thing tomorrow.”
What she knew for sure was she needed to have someone to work with. Someone she trusted. As far as she knew her father had worked out of his office at the bank and from home. Did Lyle handle everything himself? Had he not trusted anyone? She rubbed her hands over her face. She didn’t know the man. She stood up and walked out.
In the hall curiosity got the best of her and she began to look around. She peeked into the next room, then the next until she came to the master suite. She opened the door but didn’t go inside.
The dark room had a big four-poster bed that dominated the space. The windows were covered with heavy brocade drapes and the bedspread was the same fabric. The furniture was also stained dark. Bits and pieces of childhood memories hit her. She pushed them aside and journeyed on to the next room. She paused at the door, feeling a little shaky, then she turned the knob and pushed it open.
She gasped, seeing the familiar pale pink walls. The double bed with the sheer white canopy and matching sheer curtains. There was a miniature table with stuffed animals seated in the matching chairs as if waiting for a tea party.
Oh, my God.
Nothing had been changed since she’d lived here. Lori crossed the room to the bed where a brown teddy bear was propped against the pillow.
“Buddy?” She picked up the furry toy, feeling a rush of emotions, along with the memory of her father bringing the stuffed animal home one night.
She hugged the bear close and fought tears. No, she didn’t want to feel like this. She didn’t want to care about the man who didn’t want her. Yet, she couldn’t stop the flood of tears. A sob tore from her throat as she sank down onto the mattress and cried.
“Lori?”
She heard Jace’s voice and stiffened. She quickly walked to the window, wiping her eyes. She fought to compose herself before she had to face him.
He followed her, refusing to be ignored.
“It’s okay to be sad,” he said, his voice husky and soft.
She finally swung around. “Don’t talk about what you know nothing about.”
Jace was taken aback by her anger. “It seems that everything I’ve said to you today has been wrong. I won’t bother you again.”
She stopped him. “No, please, don’t go.”
She wiped the last of the tears off her face. “It’s me who should apologize for my rudeness. You caught me at a bad moment. Why are you here?”
“Maggie sent me up to Lyle’s office. I have some papers for you to sign, but they can wait. Believe it or not, Lori, I came to apologize for what I said to you at lunch. I had no right to judge your motivation.”
Jace glanced around the bedroom and hated what he was feeling. What Lyle must have felt when his daughter left. Would this happen to him if his ex got Cassie back? “I take it you were about six or seven when you left here?”
She nodded. “It was so long ago, I feel silly for letting it upset me now.”
“You were old enough to have memories. Your childhood affects you all your life. It was your father who chose not to spend time with you.” It seemed odd, he thought, because Lyle had kept her room like a shrine.
Lori suddenly brightened as if all the pain went away. “Well, as you can see, I’ll need to do some painting. My sister, Gina, is coming soon along with my nephew, Zack.” She put on a smile. “I don’t think he’d like a pink bedroom.”
Before Jace could say anything, he heard his daughter calling for him. “I’m in here, Cassie. I picked her up from school, and I wanted to see you before work tomorrow. To make sure everything is okay … between us.”
The expression on his seven-year-old’s face was priceless as she stopped at the door. “Oh, it’s so pretty.” She looked at Lori. “Do you have a little girl, too?”
An hour later, with Cassie busy doing homework at the kitchen table, Jace and Lori went to do their work in Lyle’s office.
“I hate that you have to keep going over everything again and again,” Lori told him.
“It’s not a problem. Better now, when I’m around to answer your questions. There aren’t too many decisions to make right now. If you’d like to put in some input on finishes, like tile and countertops, you’re more than welcome. A woman’s touch.” He held up a hand. “I didn’t mean anything about that. A second opinion would be nice.”
“I’d like that.”
She smiled and he felt a tightening in his gut. Damn. He looked back at the work sheet.
“Well, the crew is showing up tomorrow to start the finish work on the outside. If we’re lucky the weather will hold and we can complete everything before the snow comes.”
“Will it affect the work inside?”
“Only if we can’t get the materials to the site because the roads aren’t passable.”
She nodded, chewing her bottom lip. He found it hard to look away.
“What about Mac Burleson? Do you really have a job for him?”
Jace nodded. “If he can do the work.”
“I wonder if Mac can paint,” Lori said.
Jace looked at her to see a mischievous grin on her pretty face. She wasn’t beautiful as much as striking. Those sparkling brown eyes and full mouth … “That was probably going to be one of his jobs—priming the walls once they’re up. What were you thinking?”
“I doubt my father has done much work on this house in years.” She shrugged. “I don’t mind so much for myself, but Gina and Zack. I want this place …” She glanced around the dark room. “A little more homey. I want to talk to Charlie and see what he has to say about repairs.”
“How