“Thanks.” Since he hadn’t hired a professional moving crew, every set of hands on deck would be greatly appreciated.
“So will Jensen and Kenny,” she added warmly. It was clear she adored the two farmhands who’d so faithfully served her family for so long.
“Yeah, they already said they would.” It was the only reason he’d been able to turn down Pastor Joe’s offer to recruit a moving crew. “I have the week off, by the way.”
“The whole week?” She sounded surprised.
“Yep.” His new employers had been very understanding of his request. “I wasn’t sure how long my sister would be gone or what it would take to get the boys settled in without her.”
Her eyes widened. “You think she’ll be back that soon?”
“Not really.” He shrugged. “It’s mostly wishful thinking on my part.” He intended to call Jen this evening to let her know she no longer needed to hurry into town at the first available opportunity. “Now that I have your help, it’ll be a nonissue.” He was in no hurry to chase Halle Garrett out of the house she’d been raised in.
They spent the next few hours hauling beds, desks, lamps, chairs, tables, toys, and boxes into the house. Jensen and Kenny helped him carry the largest, heaviest items, while Halle and the boys hustled in the smaller items. Owen kept a watchful eye on the three of them to ensure they didn’t overdo it.
She was petite in stature, while he was about average height for a guy. Every time she passed by him with a box or bin in her arms, he felt ten feet tall, which he didn’t mind one bit. Each time they passed each other, he picked out new details about her that he hadn’t noticed before. He tried to tell himself it was his hyper-observant investigator’s mind at work, but he knew it was more than that.
If he was being perfectly honest with himself, he was attracted to her. She was as lovely on the outside as she was on the inside—tear stains and all. She wasn’t wearing much makeup, and her ponytail soon became windblown. However, it only enhanced her natural beauty.
He liked how quick she’d been to pitch in and soldier on. Staying busy was probably a healthy distraction from all the bad stuff going on in her life.
I hope.
And though the poultry farm was no longer in her name, it held a lifetime of memories for her. He hoped she found comfort in them.
While they were carrying things into the house, hetried to bring up the topic of which bedroom would be hers. However, she didn’t take the hint. Instead, she watched with amusement as Ryder and Coop sped through the house, opening and closing doors. They hollered back and forth to each other about what they liked the most about each bedroom. Before long, they were begging to share the long bonus room over the garage.
It had a cathedral ceiling, big dormer windows, and more than enough space for two growing boys. Since it had a full bathroom attached to it, Owen had been planning to offer it to Jen. However, the twins negotiated so energetically and humorously that he gave in. “Eh, why not?” As they grew bigger and older, the extra space would make even more sense for them to share.
Their exultant whoops of delight were all the thanks he needed. He shot a questioning look at Halle and found her nodding in approval. “It’s a lot of room, but they’ll grow into it.”
“We can fill it up with toys,” Ryder offered in a helpful voice.
“As long as you save room for important stuff, like your bookshelves and desks,” Owen reminded. “Now that you’re about to start school, you’ll need someplace to do your homework.”
Cooper waved a hand dismissively. “We can sit at the kitchen table for that. We need our desks for building Legos and stuff.”
“Hashtag priorities,” Halle murmured, stepping closer to Owen as they headed back down the stairs.
He enjoyed the way their elbows bumped and could tell it was an accident from the way she jolted away from him. “Aren’t you going to back me up on the homework issue?”He stopped long enough to allow her to pass in front of him.
“If you insist.” The smile in her voice warmed his heart. “I don’t plan on giving my students much homework, though. Like your boys, many of them live on farms. They’ll have evening chores to keep up with, and they’ll need time to sleep. I’d rather they come to school rested, so I can pour gallons of learning down their throats during the few hours I have their attention.”
“I like how you think.” He also liked the idea of assigning his sons age-appropriate chores around the farm. Since Halle had grown up there, she would be the ideal person to train them. It wasn’t something Owen wanted to add to her responsibilities right now, but maybe they’d kick around the idea in the coming days.
“Thanks.” She looked pleased. “My goal is to ensure my students have such a good time that learning doesn’t feel like work.”
“Wow!” He eyed her with a whole new level of respect. “It kind of makes me want to go back to kindergarten myself.”
“Really?” Her brown eyebrows flew upward.
“No.”
They shared a chuckle.
“It’s time for you to choose a bedroom.” He angled his head toward the hallway. It led to the other two bedrooms on the main level. Since the house had a split-floor plan, the master bedroom where he would be staying was on the opposite side of the house.
A twinge of emotion flashed across her features. “The one at the end of the hallway was mine when I was a kid. I picked it for its view of the chicken yard. They’re so fun to watch.”
