‘Griff?’
‘Oh, come on, Li-Li, the two of you were thick as thieves at dinner Tuesday night.’
‘We were talking about how to help Miss Grey, that’s all.’ Heat prickled her neck and she avoided her sister’s provocative stare.
‘If you say so. The miserable old cow won’t appreciate it, you know.’
‘Have you ever even spoken to her?’
The rhetorical question made Becca’s face turn bright red. Her sister’s lack of involvement in their small Paradise Valley community was another point of contention between her and Deke.Contentionwasn’t the right word, it was more concern on her brother-in-law’s part. He saw huge benefits in his wife having more friends, especially when he was away. But Becca would have none of it, swearing she didn’t have the time. Lyndsey could totally see where Deke was coming from. By nature Becca was a social butterfly and the isolation of her present life was draining the joy out of her. Lyndsey used to envy the groups of girlfriends Becca effortlessly gathered around her, but there was no sign of her sister attempting to replicate that here.
‘We were talking about Griff before you veered off-topic,’ Becca said with a smirk. ‘Mum told me about you and Tristan. Whatever got into you? You two were always best mates, but you never fancied him. She says you aren’t even talking to each other now.’
Lyndsey said nothing. Last year she’d looked at her life and tried to see it from the viewpoint of someone looking in from the outside. Owner of a successful, but all-consuming business. Helping out her parents. Regular long walks. A healthy diet. She’d seen the same pattern stretching into the foreseeable future with no change in sight. Altering her relationship with Tristan from best friend to boyfriend hadn’t seemed a huge stretch.
‘You’ve got to admit, Griff is pretty fit,’ her sister persisted. ‘Very easy on the eyes. Smart too. If I wasn’t happily married, I’d definitely be tempted. He’s something of a mystery, and doesn’t say much about his past, and that’s always intriguing.’Her eyes sparkled. ‘I’m not sure how you and I would get on as neighbors, though.’
‘Neighbors!’
‘Oh, Li-Li, it’s so easy to pull your chain,’ Becca said with a giggle. ‘Must go. Time for another face-off with dear Theo. Take care of my sweet little girl.’ She breezed out of the bedroom, leaving Lyndsey standing and staring into space.
* * *
The strident sound of a wailing baby drifted across the lawn. Griff’s curiosity won out over common sense and he strolled across the grass to pull aside a few branches of his favorite pink dogwood tree. April’s stunning blossoms were gone by now, replaced by vibrant green leaves. May was the lushest of months, to be savored and enjoyed before the searing hot summer kicked in with a vengeance.
‘Everythin’ all right?’
Frustration suffused Lyndsey’s face when she spotted him. ‘No, it’s not.’ She swayed around, jiggling Nora in her arms, but that only made the baby cry even louder.
‘Did Becca leave you stranded?’
‘School run.’
‘Do you want a hand? Or maybe two?’ He waggled his hands in the air.
‘I’m sure you’ve got better things to do.’
‘Maybe, but I’m happy to try anyway.’ Before she could argue, he let the branches fall back in place and sprinted off down the drive. Griff trotted along the short stretch of pavement between their two houses and on up Deke’s drive.
‘I thought the fresh air might calm her down,’ Lyndsey said with a rueful sigh. ‘It didn’t work.’
‘Really?’ Griff chuckled. ‘Pass her over.’
‘You’re sure? Good luck.’ She thrust Nora in his direction as the tightly swaddled pink bundle emitted another ear-piercing shriek.
He shifted the crying baby so she nestled in the hollow of his shoulder. ‘That tuft of dark hair never does stay down,’ he said, smiling at Nora’s natural mohawk.
‘You’re an observant man.’
‘I sure try to be.’ Griff swept his gaze over her and slashes of heat highlighted her sharp cheekbones. He cleared his throat, determined to concentrate on the fussy baby instead of his temptation to flirt. ‘I’ll try walking her around.’
Over the last couple of years, he’d buried himself in work while he built up his business, apart from a few visits to his family in East Tennessee. Occasionally he got together with Deke and Becca or his other neighbors — excepting Ruth Mae Grey, who pointedly ignored them all. Griff didn’t regret settling in this out-of-the-way spot — far from it. The small convenience shop in nearby Adamsville with its homely café, occasional live music and gas station served him well, while the nearest real town, Franklin, was a good ten miles away. Downtown Nashville was the best part of an hour’s drive away, but he rarely had any desire to go there these days. Despite staying busy in a good way, as opposed to the hectic hamster-on-a-wheel existence he lived before, he occasionally found himself lonely. Even before he met Lyndsey, he’d begun to wonder if finding someone to share his days, and nights, with might not be a bad thing.
‘So, Nora, why’re you trying your hardest to outcry the birds?’ He chatted as he walked, describing the trees and flowers he recognized, and pointed out a bluebird darting through the air and a couple of blackbirds perched high on the roof. Griff glanced down to see Nora’s big brown eyes had fluttered closed, her long dark lashes feathering against rosy cheeks. Cutting out the monolog, he kept moving and finished making a circuit of the house. Rounding the last corner, he spotted Lyndsey with her back to him, but before he could indulge in watching her unobserved he made the mistake of stepping on a twig. The cracking sound made her glance his way, and a smile worked its way across her face.
‘You did it,’ she mouthed.
Griff nodded towards the porch. They tiptoed across the grass together and he waited until she settled in a rocking chair before lowering himself gingerly into the one next to her. The change of position made Nora stir and he held his breath while she stretched, yawned and burrowed back into Griff with a satisfied sigh. ‘Do you hear that?’ he whispered.
