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“I had to grow up fast. Thankfully, I had a terrific mother, who helped me make a U-turn with my life. I took custody of Angela, got myself through high school and into college. Took me a lot of years going to school while working in construction and other hard labor jobs. I had to make a decent living while getting my degrees.”
“But it was all worth it.”
He nodded. “I did it for Angela. Not that she sees it. She has no idea of how hard it was for me to give her the comfortable life she’s had. I wanted to be a good example, so that she would make better choices for herself than I did at her age. Lately it hasn’t seemed like I succeeded.”
“You can’t blame yourself. Every teenage kid goes through something. It’s part of growing up. What you did for her...that was everything. Give her some time, and she’ll realize that.”
Caleb hoped Grace was correct. Drawn to her caring nature, he didn’t miss the fact that she was a fine-looking woman. A little fancy for him, wearing what he thought was a designer dress and heels so high they were practically eye-to-eye. The look suited her, though, appearing...effortless.
Caleb wouldn’t mind getting to know Grace Huber better.
If only Angela wasn’t having an absentee-mother crisis.
Realistically, he couldn’t have met the appealing woman at a worse time.
GRACE HUMMED TO herself as she got ready for her meeting with Heather Scofield about the landscaping for Green Meadows. She kept playing the time she’d spent with Caleb the afternoon before over and over in her head. It had been a simple walk, but she couldn’t remember when she’d had such a good time with a man. She’d been so focused on work since Dad announced he was contemplating retiring, that she hadn’t even thought about dating in some time.
Well, now she was thinking about it!
There was a lot she appreciated about Caleb Blackthorne beyond his good looks. His devotion to his daughter touched her deeply. She liked the fact that he taught environmental studies. He was a man of principle. She’d meant to forgo billing him for the repaint job on the community center, but his reminder had convinced her she needed to let him make up for his daughter’s actions.
Most of all, she’d loved just being with Caleb on that walk. They had a like appreciation of nature. She was always trying to identify birds and often spent free time reading nature magazines, so she’d been aware of everything around her, and he hadn’t cut in with forced conversation. They both had been comfortable just being together, listening to the sounds of birds flying and small animals scurrying around. She couldn’t have had a better time.
She was smiling to herself just thinking about it when Heather appeared at her office door.
“You certainly look cheerful this morning.”
The smile turned to a grin. “I have a lot to be cheerful about.”
That’s when she noticed Heather’s expression was just a little distressed. And, in addition to her portfolio, Heather held a sheet of paper gripped tightly in one hand.
“Uh-oh. What’s wrong?”
Heather crossed to her desk. “Sorry.” And set the paper down in front of her.
It was a flier.
SPOOKY TOURS... HOSTED BY VINCENT PRYCE shouted at Grace from the top of the flier, and it took her a moment to read the rest. See the old Whitman farmstead, where ghosts were responsible for the deaths of an old man and his wife! Now they are haunting the grounds, too.
Choked up, she said, “If only there was something I could do to stop him!”
“I don’t know on what grounds as long as he stays off yours,” Heather said. “I mean, he can drive down the street and say whatever he wants about the area. I don’t know that anyone can stop him unless he’s defaming someone who is still alive and who can sue him.”
Grace’s stomach tightened at the thought of instigating a lawsuit. Not that it would go anywhere under the circumstances. “Well, maybe no one will want to go on that tour. At least not potential residents.”
“The best way to calm people down is to get to know them personally,” Heather said.
“I haven’t exactly had a lot of time for socializing this past year.”
“I know you were really busy. But things at Green Meadows are winding down now.”
Grace immediately thought about checking out Nellie’s Treasures as she’d vowed to do the other day. Then again, Nellie was only one person. And she was already a resident.
“Any suggestions of where I can meet a lot of people at once?”
“There’s a fund-raiser social being given by the Ladies Auxiliary of First Presbyterian Church the weekend after next. They’re raising money for a new air-conditioning system for the church offices. And this Wednesday is Pancake Day. You definitely should go to that to meet people.”
“Pancake Day?”
“The Sparrow Lake Creamery and Dairymen’s Association have a Pancake Day every year during the kids’ spring vacation so everyone can come. It gets townspeople invested in supporting the local dairy industry—the butter and cream and milk produced in this area.”
“So it’s a breakfast?”
“All-day breakfast at the Sparrow Lake Farmers’ Co-op.”
Grace scribbled a note to herself even as she wondered if she would fit in at this kind of social event. “At the co-op?”
“Right. The building has offices and meeting rooms. That’s where the Dairymen’s Association is located. I’m going around noon. If you like, we can go together, as long as you don’t mind that I’ll be bringing the twins. I can introduce you to people you haven’t yet met.”
“Great. And I would love to see Addison and Taylor again.”
Heather eyed Grace’s designer suit. “You might want to...um...dress down a little.”
“So I fit in. Got it. Now at least I have a plan to influence people more than some transient ghost hunter. I can hope, right?”
Heather’s expression remained cautious.
Uh-oh. That didn’t bode well, Grace thought. “Is there a problem I don’t know about?”
“Just a little one. There’s another reporter going around town, trying to dig up a story about the ghost sightings.”
Grace groaned. “And I was just thinking what a nice day I had yesterday on the ‘haunted’ property. I say we get down to work before I lose my mind over this nonsense.”
At her invitation, Heather took a chair on the opposite side of the desk. СКАЧАТЬ