Summer smiled at her always beautiful, in-control sister and thought that Margot might have met her match.
* * * *
The next afternoon, Summer stood with Margot and Mr. Abbott on the back porch. He’d completely refurbished the rear area of the house, including fixing the area that had been damaged by the fire. According to their specifications, he’d also installed the porch swing they’d found at an auction and widened the steps leading down to the newly built deck and gazebo.
Summer said, “Mr. Abbott, it’s lovely. I can’t believe you got this all done in a week.”
He’d also made their landscaping plans a reality, and she now admired several newly planted flower beds containing antique rose bushes. The work this jack-of-all-trades had done had turned out to be a good investment.
The middle-aged man smiled and replied, “I have exceptionally good help, Miss Heston. It was a pleasure to work on this old beauty.” He took off his cap and looked up at the Victorian structure admiringly. “They don’t build like this anymore.”
Mr. Abbott’s sons, eight in all, worked alongside him in his contracting business, and they had come highly recommended. Now she had to agree with those recommendations. It had also come as a pleasant surprise to discover that Mr. Abbott and his sons had done some work for Ace at his home.
Summer went down the stairs and stepped up onto the deck and wandered into the gazebo. It was a perfect shady spot and would be surrounded by blooming roses later that summer. She took a seat on one of the wide benches and imagined having guests out there. Margot and Mr. Abbott joined her, and they settled the bill. She covered her mouth when she yawned and apologized, thinking a nap sounded heavenly. Unfortunately, she and Ace had errands to run after Mr. Abbott left.
Ace and Kemp had gotten her back to the shop around four in the morning, and she’d tossed and turned, unable to wind down. Kemp and Ace had convinced her to turn on her stomach, and they’d both lightly stroked her back until she’d finally settled and fallen asleep. Now all of them were stifling yawns and looking bleary eyed. Even Rachel wasn’t looking too chipper as she did the store’s books. Morning sickness was still getting the better of her, but she insisted she’d rather distract herself with work than sit at home feeling wretched.
After Mr. Abbott said his farewells and Margot went back inside, Kemp and Ace joined Summer out in the gazebo. Ace leaned against the railing, and Kemp sat down beside her as she smiled up at them.
“Kitten,” Ace began, “did you give any thought to staying with us?”
Summer nodded and asked, “But where? Here? There really isn’t enough room for three people.”
“We trade off going home to sleep. We talked about it, and my house is closer to Morehead than Kemp’s. We’d like for you to stay with me. There is plenty of room, and you’d be safe. We would still be here off and on during the day and would see you home safely in the evening.”
“I’ll need to store my things.”
“I have a three-car garage.”
Damn, how big is his house? “I don’t want to be in the way.”
Ace and Kemp both chuckled, and Ace’s dark brown eyes twinkled as he caressed her shoulder. “You wouldn’t be in the way. You’d be pretty much right where we want you to be.”
This was a big step. She had a feeling once she was in his house she wasn’t going to want to leave. But she wasn’t going to ask for a declaration. It was too soon for that.
She’d spent a week tidying her house and clearing the clutter from it in preparation to start packing for the move. With all the damage the burglar had done to her home, she now had even less to pack. With the attack last weekend, and the memory of those horrible words spray-painted on her walls, she didn’t care how much pro-feminist disapproval she got from her sister, she didn’t want to be alone in her house anymore. She no longer felt safe there.
Margot had offered to let her move in, but Summer had rejected the idea because Margot had two obnoxious Siamese cats that Summer was allergic to. In addition, she knew she wouldn’t be able to abide their constant neediness and yowling.
Summer’s motto was “trust your instincts,” and despite the fact that she might have made some unfortunate decisions where relationships were concerned in the past, she trusted her instincts right now. If she went home with Ace, she’d be right where she wanted to be, as well. The one downfall was that the physical aspect of their relationship still had to wait. In a way that was good because they’d have a chance to get to know each other better first.
A little delayed gratification built character, she reminded herself.