“What about cats? And cupcakes?” She leaned forward until I caught her up in my arms, breathing in the scent of her shampooand the faint sweetness of the cereal she’d insisted on eating this morning instead of a solid eggs and bacon breakfast.
“Those, too,” I murmured into her hair. “But you the mostest.”
“Bye, Daddy,” she replied, pulling back with a grin. “Put me down.”
She skipped toward the building with an easy confidence, weaving between taller kids without hesitation, toward the front doors. She paused at the base of the steps and glanced back, lifting her hand in an easy wave.
I lifted mine in return, forcing myself not to follow her inside. For some reason, this was harder than last year when I had taken her to kindergarten with the nanny. The moment the doors closed behind her, the weight settled fully in my chest.
“She’s adorable.” A voice said from my left, warm and curious.
I straightened slowly and turned. A woman stood there holding one of those oversized mugs so popular these days, with a toddler balanced on her hip, her eyes openly assessing me. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she wore leggings that probably cost more than my boots.
“Thanks,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral.
“You must be the new guy that bought Castleton,” she continued, shifting the toddler to her other hip. “I’m Linda.”
“Rhodes Collins,” I offered, giving her a brief nod instead of my hand.
Her gaze flicked over me, lingering in a way that I didn’t like. “You moved here from Seattle, right?”
“That’s right.” Shifting on my feet towards my truck, I wondered if it’d be rude just to cut this little chat short.
“I’ve always liked that house,” she said wistfully. She glanced off into the distance a little, like she could see it from here. “It’s been empty for so long. Well,” she said, her smile turning suggestive, “if you ever need help settling in, a few of us do wine nights on Thursdays.”
I resisted the urge to bolt. “I’ll keep that in mind. That’s nice of you to offer.”
Another woman joined us, blond and perfectly styled despite the early hour. “Is this him?” she asked Linda in a not-at-all-quiet whisper.
Linda grinned. “This is Rhodes. He bought Castleton.”
The blond woman’s gaze swept over me like I was a new car on a showroom floor. “Single?”
My jaw tightened. “Divorced.” Not that it was her business, but I made myself be polite since I would probably be seeing this woman every day. If she had kids in Opal’s class, the last thing I needed was to alienate the parents. We were going to be in this town for the foreseeable future, so I might as well be … pleasant.
Her smile didn’t falter. “That’s practically the same thing.”
I forced my expression into something polite. “Excuse me,” I said, stepping back toward my truck. “I’ve got to get to work.”
“See you at pickup,” Linda called after me, hopefully.
I climbed into the driver’s seat and shut the door, the solid thunk of metal and glass offering a thin barrier between me and the swirl of interest outside.
Sage
The weekend had gone by pleasantly, with a Sunday Holt dinner where we played backgammon and stuffed ourselves with homemade desserts. We all considered ourselves especially lucky in the bakery department. It was a push to see who would win between Phiny and Lila. Hell, even Maggie could give them a run for their money.
Later, we teased Lo Lo about her terrible dating history. She kept trying to date doctors from nearby areas, but she hadn’t yet realized it wasn’t the right fit for her. She’d been working over in Alder Valley, but she was moving to the local hospital this month. I thought she should break the mold and go out with someone totally different, but Chloe was a good girl and stuck to what she knew.
Today, after getting my orders filled, I left the shop in Cedric’s charge and went to Chapter & Crumb with an order of potted plants for impulse buys near the register.
I was busy arranging my little sign in the display when a silhouette filled the doorway. Glancing up from where I knelt,my breath stilled. That height could only belong to one person in this town.
Rhodes’ broad shoulders filled the doorframe for a heartbeat before Opal darted ahead of him like a small comet in sparkly sneakers. Her hair was a mess, and her glittery backpack swung wildly with every step as she made a beeline for the children’s section, as if she’d been here a million times.
“Watch your backpack…” Rhodes called out to her, but she didn’t stop.
“I’m going to find a unicorn book, Daddy. And a cat book!”
