“The place needs more than new windows and a door.” Jeb removed his hand frommine.
“I know, but I thought I could do the rest myself. I know how to sand and oil a floor, courtesy of Dad. I could borrow the material from the Watts. And then we’d just need to buy some paint for thewalls.”
“It needs an electrical overhaul and probably newplumbing.”
I batted my eyelashes, trying to whisk away the disappointment that clungthere.
“Derek’s son is an electrician. I could ask him about rewiring the system. And we had some plumbers back at the inn. I’ll get us somequotes.”
I blinked at Jeb. “Soyes?”
“Why not?” He smiled, but I smiled wider. “You sure you want me living there with you, kiddo? You sure you don’t want to sell theparcel?”
“Sell it?” I croaked. I hadn’t even considered selling it. “I just got it back. Thanks toyou.”
Jeb sighed. “I never should’ve made your mom sell it, but all our money was tied up in theinn—”
This time, I was the one who placed my hand on Jeb’s. “You got it back. That’s all that matters,” I said just as we reached Frank’shouse.
There was another car parked next to Frank’s—a familiar forest-green LandRover.
“Are Nelson and Isobel here?” I asked, getting out of thecar.
“Guess so.” Jeb grabbed the bottle of red wine we’d bought on the wayover.
A second after we rang the doorbell, I was swept into a pair of warm arms and peppered with kisses. I instinctively closed my eyes, which was smart considering some of Evelyn’s kisses landed on my puffylids.
“Oh, how I have missed you,querida.” My ear got a loud peck, which momentarily made itring.
“I’m glad to see you too,Evelyn.”
She finally pressed me back, running her thumbs under my eyes. “You have been crying.” She shot my uncle a disgruntled look that made him stick his hands in theair.
“No. Just not sleeping enough. That’s all. Nothing to worryabout.”
She harrumphed. “I hope you are hungry. I have made all of your favorites. Cheese quesadillas, candied bacon, chocolate-zucchini bread, and Isobel is glazing the cinnamon rolls I baked thismorning.”
I peeked around Evelyn and caught sight of Isobel. If it wasn’t for her pallor and slightly hunched shoulders, it would’ve been impossible to tell she’d been operated on six daysago.
Next to her, her son was wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. “Huh. I thought you weren’t a fan of all that stuff anymore.” He plucked one of the rolls off the cooling tray and chomped on it, while his mother chided him for not waiting until we wereseated.
Evelyn cocked one of her penciled-in black eyebrows that made a flush creep up myneck.
I decided to avoid August’s taunt and Evelyn’s pointed gaze. “I can’t believe you’re already up and doing things,Isobel.”
August grunted, while Evelyn said, “I do not think Isobel knows how to bestill.”
Isobel smiled. “I’ll be still when I’m dead.” But then she must’ve remembered we were in the presence of a man who’d just lost his son, because she bit her colorless lip. “Sorry,Jeb.”
Heshrugged.
She gave him a rueful smile and handed her son a dish. “Can you take those to thetable?”
August scooped up the plate with one hand, and then Evelyn clapped, and we all took our seats around the table—me, between Evelyn and Jeb. August sat across from me. Unfortunately the table wasn’t wide, and as he adjusted his legs, his feet knocked intomine.
Frank’s grandson came out of the bedroom I’d slept in the night Everest died, bleary-eyed and messy-haired, and made his way over to the seat beside August. They fist-bumped.
The wine was uncorked andpoured.
