The door behind him opened, and Jaden, gaze down, stepped out and went right to his pant leg. He put his hand over her and brushed it across her back. “Better?”
She nodded but never said a word.
“Okay. Good.” He picked his gaze up to them. “Thank you, again.”
“You’re welcome,” Rachel said, but worry crossed her face as she gazed down at Jaden. “You know, you all are going to be busy talking flooring and windows and sheetrock in a big old, musty house. That’s not really a place for a sweet, little girl to be. Maybe Jaden can stay here for a while and play with my kids.” She glanced over her shoulder. “We’ve got movies upstairs if she’d rather do that.”
“Oh,” Eric said, his hand tightening on his daughter’s shoulder as his mind snapped to what Dani would think of that idea. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
However, Rachel’s face fell further. “Really,” she said, her voice going much more determined and serious even as it became softer. “I’ve been out there, and it’s no place for kids. Besides, that would give you all plenty of time without worrying about where she stepped or what she was up to.” When she saw his continued hesitation, she added, “It’s really no trouble. I’m here all day, and the kids would love to have someone new to play with.”
Seeing that he wasn’t going to talk her out of this, Eric considered and bent to Jaden. “What do you think, Ja? You want to stay here and play?”
His daughter’s gaze stayed down but finally she nodded very slowly. Pulling her into a hug, he nodded. “Okay.” He stood. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
Rachel held her hand out for Jaden’s, and after a second, the little hand crossed the gap and latched on. “We’ll be fine. Take your time.”
Chapter 28
Caleb & Rachel
On the trip back to Attabury, Caleb decided to get a little better feel for the second member of the couple he would be working for. “Don’t worry about Jaden,” he said because he sensed Eric’s unease over the decision. “Rachel’s great with kids. In fact, she’s an aid at the pre-K here.”
Eric nodded.
“So, I guess this whole thing must be a little overwhelming for you,” Caleb nudged carefully, not sure just where Eric stood on the whole thing. He had expected a bulldozer after having spent time around Dani, but Eric was not that in the extreme opposite direction. Quiet. Reserved. Almost shy. Those would have been better words for him.
“Well, to be honest, it really is Dani’s dream, not mine. I don’t know, what do you think? It’s a lot of money to be spending on a house that looks like it should be condemned and knocked down.”
Caleb couldn’t disagree. He’d said as much on more than one occasion. “Why do you think it’s so important to her?”
Tipping his head, Eric sank in the seat. “Don’t say this to anybody, but I think it has to do with her family and how they were treated in that house.” He shrugged. “Dani’s mom is…” He shrank even more. “Well, she’s not the most pleasant person on the planet, mother-in-law jokes aside. She’s just very… defensive about her time here.”
“Growing up here,” Caleb clarified.
“Oh, so you know about that?” Eric asked, glancing over.
Caleb nodded. “I know her mom some. We worked on her house after the hurricane. She’s a nice lady.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Eric jerked up in the seat. “Not that I have anything against her. It’s just that well… we haven’t spent much time around here. That’s one reason this whole thing is so… out there to me. Dani never wanted to spend five minutes here, and now she wants a vacation house here?” He sighed and settled again as the house and little knot of people still standing next to the road came into view. “I don’t know. Part of me thinks maybe it’ll make things a little better, and part of me thinks we’re probably wasting our time.”
He pulled up, and all Caleb wanted to do was say keep going so we can talk. Every word Eric spoke was like he was threatened with torture for just saying it, and Caleb could tell there was far more to this story than Eric was saying. As they parked and got out, he started watching his potential homeowner. He couldn’t explain it exactly, but the understanding that this might not just be about fixing up a house came over him.
Walking up, Caleb saw the panic go through Dani’s eyes when she looked at Eric. “Where’s Ja?”
The breath was hardly there, but Caleb saw it just the same. “Rachel,” Eric turned to Caleb, “Caleb’s fiancée is going to watch her for a little bit.”
Deeper panic shot through her dark eyes.
“It’s okay,” Jaycee said, and Caleb was so grateful for her he could’ve hugged her. “Rachel’s great. In fact, she’s probably going to be helping with Attabury if you decide to do it.”
Crossing her arms, Dani clearly was trying not to be rude at her displeasure over the situation.
“Rachel’s amazing at restoring things,” Derek put in. “Believe me, your house couldn’t be in any better hands than hers and Caleb’s here.” He clapped Caleb on the back before looking up at the daunting structure beyond. “What do you say we go take a look at the place?”
“Let’s do it,” Caleb said, and with that, they all turned and headed into Attabury.
At 11:30 just as Rachel was pulling sandwich makings from the refrigerator, the doorbell rang. Checking on the kids as she went through the living room, she strode to the door, and her eyes went wide when she saw who it was. Be cool, Rach. Be cool.
Swinging the door open, she smiled. “Dee! Sara! Oh, look, and you brought guests.”
“We did,” Dee said. “We hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been wanting to get over here and see the house. It is just lovely on the outside.”
Rachel wished they had given her ten minutes of notice so she could have thrown all the junk into a closet. But short of slamming the door in their faces, that wasn’t an option anymore. “Come on in. Come on in. It’s a mess just to warn you.”
“Eh.” Dee waved that away. “It’s called lived-in.” She ducked to Rachel as she passed by her. “It’s better that way anyway.”
“We brought you something.” Sara held up a pan.
“Yum. It smells delicious.”
“Lasagna,” Sara said. “Mom’s been cooking since five this morning.”
“Wow. Well, come on in. Make yourselves at home.”
In trooped Dee, Sara, and the three kids.
Dee and Sara’s gazes were sliding this way and that as Rachel took the hot pan and headed for the kitchen.
“This is just beautiful,” Dee said.
“Caleb did this?” Sara asked in awe.
Rachel laughed. “Well, him and about forty other people.” She set the pan on the island and came back.
“This fireplace is amazing,” Sara said. “Just like something you’d see them do on TV.”
That piqued Rachel’s interest. “So you watch the show then?”
Sara smiled. “Never miss it.” Her eyes softened. “Don’t tell Caleb, but I’m really kind of looking forward to this new show. At least then I’ll be able to see my baby brother once in a while.”
Dee’s gaze slid over to the children in the living room and confusion traced there. Rachel understood with one glance.
“They’re meeting with the Attabury homeowners this morning. Jaden is their child.” Rachel shook her head and crossed her arms. “Believe me, Attabury right now is no place for a child.”
“Ah.” Dee raised her chin and went over to the kids. In quick succession she introduced them all. “And Jaden,” she asked when the introductions were made, “how old are you?”
“Ten,” the tiniest little voice ever said.
“Ten? Why that’s right in between Paige and Ky. Paige will be twelve in two months, and Ky just turned nine.”
Jaden’s eyes came up to the other two, and her smile was tinier than her voice.
“I bet the three of you can watch these littler ones while we go look at the house,”
Dee continued. “Don’t you think you could do that for us?”
Paige and Ky immediately nodded, seeming to grow a few inches with the responsibility. A second and Jaden’s gaze slid up to them again, and she nodded very, very slightly.
“Great!” Dee said as if they had just won an award. “You all are so awesome!”
And Rachel laughed as she looked over at Sara who smiled as well. Dee hadn’t changed a bit.
“Watch your step,” Caleb said as he led the group around to the back door. The front wouldn’t open, and he was afraid to force the issue. “Some of these floorboards are rotten, looks like they got wet at some point.”
Carefully they each went through the back door, coming into the kitchen. It was large and a mix-match of ancient and merely old. An open hearth was still on one side flanked with more modern appliances on the other. However, the appliances themselves were half-a-century old or better.
“I say we take a quick tour of the place,” Caleb said, having no idea where to even start, “and then we can talk this thing through.”
Heads nodded though most of them looked positively shell-shocked.
“This is so beautiful,” Sara said as they climbed the stairs on the little impromptu tour. “This railing is to die-for.”
It was strange how easily Rachel’s heart and spirit went back to the day she had climbed these steps with Caleb before that railing was even in place. How could she ever have envisioned this moment at that one?
“Oh, look at this!” Dee exclaimed when they got to the little alcove at the top of the stairs. “Oh, I could sit here for hours and read and read.”
“And read and read and read,” her daughter said with a laugh.
“Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to pick up.” Rachel went in to the little space and jerked up the small blanket and three books there.
“Seriously, Rachel,” Sara said with a shake of her head. “We’re not the house police. Trust me, I would kill for my house to look half this good after I had cleaned it.”
“It’s just with the kids,” Rachel said.
“Trust me, honey, my kid was named Caleb,” Dee said with a laugh. “There has never been nor will there ever be a child who can disasterize a living room faster than that one could.”
Rachel laughed despite the feeling of being on trial. “I hope he’s not as bad now.”
The women chuckled. “Looks like you’re about to find out.”
Quickly Rachel shelved the three books and folded the blanket. “Maybe you should have warned me.”
Dee grinned. “No way. You might have called the whole thing off.”
However, at that moment, Rachel knew she would never do such a horrible thing. “I think I’ll take my chances.”
Reaching over as they went to see the kids’ rooms, Sara gave her a hug. “I’m so glad I’m going to get a sister out of this deal, not to mention one I actually like.”
Rachel squeezed back, and neither felt the need to let go. “So I’m not an only child anymore?”
“Nope.” Sara grinned. “Not anymore.”
“The ceiling is clearly sagging,” Mr. Lawrence said as he inspected it.
“We’ve got a major bow right through this area,” Eric confirmed. “We’ll probably have to put in some kind of stiff back.”
“Or a beam of some kind.”
“Won’t that cut down on the ceiling height?” Dani asked as Caleb took in the whole discussion.
“You might get away with tucking it into the rafters,” Mr. Lawrence said, glancing at Eric.
“We’re going to have to gut it anyway,” Derek said. “All of the sheetrock will have to go. None of its any good.”
“What do you think the studs behind it look like?” Caleb asked.
“That’s anybody’s guess,” Derek said. “But we’ll probably be looking at reinforcing at least some of them.
“I think the first thing is going to be getting that tub out of upstairs,” Eric said, coming over from his task of inspecting the ceiling. He turned and looked at the staircase. “If the stairs will even support us going down them with it.”
Caleb let out a long breath and put his hand on the back of his head. “So, I’m hearing all of the plans, but I really think the first bridge we’ve got to cross is if we’re going to do this thing and how we’re going to do it.” He looked at the others who looked back at him but said nothing, and he realized this was his deal to make. “So, first question is, are you two still interested in taking this on, and if so, are you interested in us filming it for the show?”
Dani looked over at Eric, who looked back at her. He didn’t look convinced though he did look far more willing than he had when they’d gotten there.
“It’s a big project,” Eric finally said. “I mean, we’ve talked numbers for remodeling it, and I think we can swing it.” His gaze slid up and around the room. “I know this is throwing spaghetti on a wall, but I’d really like to help at least with the engineering stuff to cut down on costs.”
Nodding, Caleb took that in before looking at Mr. Lawrence.
He held up his hands. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
However, Eric shifted. “No. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant…” He glanced at Dani and then back at Caleb. “I’m interested in helping.” His gaze went to Mr. Lawrence. “Maybe we could get together this next week and work on how to do it, bounce some ideas around.”
Mr. Lawrence nodded. “That works for me.”
Again Caleb nodded before glancing at Derek. “And the show?”
Dani and Eric looked at each other, and a conversation went back and forth between them. Finally she turned. “I think we’re in.”
Chapter 29
Eric & Dani
Eric was still reeling from the meeting as he and Dani separated from the group and walked to the SUV. He got in on the driver’s side as she crawled in the other side. His skin felt like a breath in the wrong direction would explode the fragile hold he had on his composure. Starting the vehicle, he looked all ways up and down the road as well as at the others who were still standing at their vehicles talking.
“So,” Dani said as he pulled onto the road and turned around.
“So,” he said barely glancing over at her.
She waited six more seconds before looking over at him. “Is this crazy?”
When he had actually walked into the house, he had thought she had lost her mind, and maybe she had. However, enough of the dream had rubbed off on him in the last two hours that he was no longer staunchly against the idea. “Probably.” He smiled as he headed down the road back to town. “But what’s life for if we can’t be a little crazy once in a while?”
Her eyes twinkled with glimmers of moisture. “Thank you.”
Just why that touched him, he didn’t know, but it made him reach over for her hand. “I really think the show is going to be cool. I mean, if it all works out and everything.”
“Were you serious about helping with the engineering?”
His gaze swung over to hers in surprise. “Yeah. What? You thought I was kidding?”
“No.” She let her gaze drop. “Just surprised.”
Eric couldn’t really explain it exactly, but being around the others made him want to be around them more. If he could lend a hand to help, so much the better. “You do know this means lots of trips to Ridgemount.”
She nodded. “Guess I really hadn’t thought about that.”
“Eh.” He shrugged as he turned toward town. “It’ll give us a chance to get to know some people around here. Maybe that won’t be such a bad thing.”
“Maybe not.”
Dani was lost in her own thoughts that swirled through the memories of the meeting. From this vantage point the whole thing looked impossible, and if Eric had given the slightest hint he wasn’t on board, she could well have talked herself out of it at this point. However, he didn’t, and she wouldn’t give up if he was willing to try.
At a little house
on the corner of a town street, the cutest house on the block by far, Eric pulled up behind a white car and parked. Dani’s eyes went wide. “Is this where you left Ja?”
“It’s Caleb’s fiancée’s house. Did you know they’re getting married tomorrow?” Eric asked as they got out.
“That’s what they said.” Her spirit let go of a little of the worry. “I can’t believe they thought today was a good day for a meeting.”
Together but not touching, they walked up the little sidewalk and onto the porch.
“I love these window boxes,” she said. “They’re so homey.”
Eric glanced at them as he rang the doorbell. “I like the trim. It really looks nice with this paint color.”
“Oh, look who’s here,” the young woman who answered the door exclaimed when she saw them standing there.
“Daddy!” Jaden jumped up from her chair at the table and raced toward them, throwing her arms around Eric.
“Ja!” He hugged her and then stood.
“Come on in,” the young woman said, and when they entered, they found themselves on display for everyone seated around the table. “We were just having some lunch. Do you want to join us? We have plenty.”
“Oh,” Dani said, her eyes going wide. “We couldn’t…”
“It’s really good, Mommy,” Jaden said, plastering her back next to her daddy’s legs.
“Dee made it,” the young woman said, leaning in to them. “It’s amazing. Trust me.”
Dani wasn’t at all sure just what that meant. “It’s… it’s okay. We can get something on our way back. It’s really all right.”
At that, the young woman started and held out her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m Rachel.”
“Dani,” she said and shook the hand only for a second.
“Dani. And you’re Eric, right?” Rachel asked.
“Right.”
“We really hate to barge in like this,” Dani said, her whole spirit recoiling from the scene.
A Moment Like This: A Contemporary Christian Romance Prequel Novella (The Grace Series Book 4) Page 16