“But she probably would have pushed you to claim your parental rights.”
“True enough, but that’s all in the past. They’re excited to meet her in person, but they’ll have to wait until after the holidays when I can get away.”
“They won’t come for Christmas?”
“My mom has arthritis, and Dad has fibromyalgia and struggles with cold weather. Which is why they retired to Florida about the time I took the job here.”
“Well, maybe they’ll think about how nice and hot Arizona is. It’s a lot closer to Huckleberry Falls.” Sandra’s voice had taken on a teasing tone, so she must not be mad at him anymore.
“I’ll make sure to drop the hint.”
Eb wondered if they’d be willing to move again. They had established lives now and were involved with their church family. If they moved somewhere warm like Arizona, they’d have to start all over again. He hated the humidity of Florida and much preferred living somewhere with four seasons. Besides, as much as he loved his parents, they tended to try to run his life. Not that he always made great choices if he considered his marriage to Paige, but it would drive him crazy to live too close to his folks. And then there was Sandra…
“I have to run. I didn’t mean to take up so much of your time,” Sandra said, almost as though she’d known he was thinking of her. “After Miss Rue’s bath should work out, since we won’t have left for Walt’s interview yet.”
“Sounds good. She’ll be excited.”
“Me too! See you.” Sandra ended the call.
Eb looked out his window, a buzz of anticipation making him smile. He’d get to speak with her twice today.
CHAPTERNINE
Eb and Rue entered the airport. He’d never been to the terminal for private jets before. The Wyndhams had invited them to be part of the welcome home group for Walt and Sandra. It was a gracious gesture on their part, but Eb wasn’t sure they belonged with them. It felt like something someone who was really a part of their family would do.
Yes, Sandra’s text messages, pictures, and evening chats had kept him from drowning with his new workload. She’d helped him get through the craziness of the past two weeks. And they’d talked every night since the phone call to Rue about the doll. That night alone, he and Sandra had talked for three hours. It was fortunate it’d been a Saturday night and he could sleep in the next day. So, maybe he did count as a friend.
“I’m so glad you two could make it.” Linda held out her arms to Rue for a hug.
Eb released his daughter’s hands, and she ran to the woman. The Wyndham children then pulled Rue over to where their parents waited. Both adults smiled at him, and Linda took Eb’s arm.
“Walt said to make sure you and Rue were here. The two of you have made a big impression on Sandra. He said it’s all she could talk about during the trip,” Linda said as they strolled toward the others. “With Halloween over, all Alex and Grace can talk about is showing Rue the Christmas activities, especially the Festival of Trees. We always donate one.”
“Is that what the kids are working on?” Eb asked, watching as the Wyndham children chattered enthusiastically while they pointed at sections of a paper.
“Yes. This year Merry’s letting them give input on the design as well as the decorating. And they’re excited Walt will be part of it since they’d only met him a few times last year.” Linda’s cheeks turned pink.
Eb decided whatever she was thinking of made her happy. “Sandra mentioned the festival to me. I’ll be honest. I’ve never attended.”
“Well, I’m sure Sandra will change that. Walt forced her to take a vacation last year, and she missed it.”
Eb arched a brow at the information, and Linda didn’t miss it.
“You didn’t know? She was on a singles cruise, though she won’t admit to meeting anyone on it.”
Linda kept watching Eb as though she was trying to get a response out of him. He’d gotten a distinct sense she wanted to play matchmaker, but what kind of pressure would it put on Sandra? Eb didn’t want her to feel like she was being forced into a dating situation with him.
“Well, I imagine she needed a break from her workload. From my experience with her, she’s very talented at what she does and works hard.”
“Sandra is a gem,” Carlisle said, nodding to Eb as they approached. “I was disappointed to find she doesn’t have a clone.”
“Problems with your assistant?” Eb asked.
“No. Not at all.” The man looked appalled at the suggestion. “Some new projects have come my way because of the success of the beacon, and her workload is getting more than she can handle alone.”
“Sometimes it can be hard to convince people to relocate to a small city in Wyoming,” Eb said. “Good luck with your search.”
Linda’s phone pinged with a text, and she released his arm to pull it from her pocket. Her expression turned gleeful. “They’ve landed.”
