“I’ll be back by the time the coffee’s ready,” Chad said, already halfway out of the dining room.
“He just wants an excuse to walk by the jewelry store and get himself a peek at that Valerie,” Mr. Sullivan said quietly as the front door closed behind Chad.
“Oh, Ward,” Trudy said.
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” he went on. “She’s a great girl. But I don’t think she’s ready for him.”
“She’s not ready for himyet,” Trudy said, her eyes twinkling. “But she will be one day. I’m sure of it.”
“Don’t be in a hurry for that,” Blythe said. “You don’t want to lose your handyman.”
“Oh, Trudy’s a romantic at heart,” Mr. Sullivan said. “She would sacrifice her handyman in a heartbeat for a good love story.”
“He’s right,” Trudy said, smiling. “Love is the only reason we’re here.”
“So true,” Ethel said, wrapping an arm around her granddaughter and giving her a squeeze.
Evangeline found herself gazing down at Leo’s tuft of hair. He was looking around the table in absolute awe right now, and she was pretty sure she’d never seen a more adorable sight.
But as the conversation moved on, he got a little wiggly.
“I’m just going to walk with him a bit,” she said softly, sliding out of her chair.
As she headed out of the room, she found herself thinking about Trudy’s wise words.
Love is the only reason we’re here.
10
EVANGELINE
Evangeline carried a wiggly and wide-awake Leo out of the dining room and back through the inn’s formal lobby to the parlor that was on the other side. The front windows looked out onto the porch and Leo was as fascinated with the twinkly lights as she had hoped he would be.
“Gah,”he announced, thunderstruck. “Ah.”
“Yes,” she told him. “They’re so bright and so pretty.”
His limbs were so expressive, she couldn’t help smiling at how he practically marched in place as he admired the lights. Seeing the world through Leo’s eyes simplified everything and made her feel more grateful herself for the simple comforts—a warm bath, cozy clothing, a good meal when you were hungry, the wonder of stars in the sky, or lights to celebrate the birth of another little boy, so long ago.
“He’s an angel,” Trudy said softly from the doorway.
Evangeline looked up at her and smiled.
“Yes,” she said, gazing back down at the baby. “I feel really lucky to take care of him.”
“You wouldn’t want to let me have a turn, would you?” Trudy asked with a gentle smile. “I asked his father and he said you’d probably appreciate the break.”
“Oh,” Evangeline said. “Okay. Leo, do you want to go see Mrs. Sullivan?”
Leo had no idea what she was saying, but when she turned him to face the sweet lady who had her arms out for him, he kicked his little feet like he was going to swim through the air to her.
“Oh, my goodness,” Trudy said, laughing with delight. “Why don’t we go into the library and see my Christmas tree?”
“The library?” Evangeline echoed.
“Oh, yes,” Trudy said with a smile. “My first husband, Phillip, he knew how much I loved books. And he made sure the shelves were never empty. Would you like to see?”
“Of course,” Evangeline said.
