“You know, I can’t remember when I laughed so hard. How do you remember all of that?” she asked.
“Football didn’t take away my sharp memory. I even remember the first time I kissed you out in the back of the barn.”
Corra bit her bottom lip. “I wondered if you remembered that. It was the highlight of my freshman year. Even though I believe you actually bumped into me and we accidentally kissed.”
“That was no accident,” Chris said with a wink.
Corra smiled and looked out the side window.
The date ended because Chris had an early meeting the next morning. He drove Corra home and saw a light on in the living room.
“What time do your kids go to bed?” he asked.
“Mrs. Baker puts them to bed by nine, so they should be fast asleep.”
Chris walked her up to the front porch.
“Thank you, Chris. I enjoyed the evening. It was different. A ride down memory lane.”
“I hope you don’t mind that we didn’t go anywhere fancy. I just wanted to spend some time with you.”
She smiled. “It was perfect.” She dug in her purse for her door keys.
“Uh, I was going to ask if you wanted to—”
The front door swung open, and two little faces peered out.
“Why aren’t you in bed?” Corra asked with a hand on her hip.
The door opened farther and a frustrated looking Mrs. Baker shook her head. “I’ve put them to bed twice now. Every time they hear a car outside they come running down the steps. Quit your gawking, and go on back to bed,” she instructed.
They couldn’t take their curious little eyes off Chris. Jamie waved and Chris did the same.
Corra opened the screen door and did the introductions. “Katie and Jamie, you remember Mr. Williams, don’t you? He helped with the fund-raiser last year.”
Jamie’s eyes widened with recognition. “Hi, Chris,” he said.
“Hey, Jamie, how you doin’?”
Jamie didn’t know what to do with his hands as he suddenly held them over his head, and then around himself. Corra rolled her eyes. Why did he get so shy around Chris?
“Katie, say hello,” Corra instructed her.
In typical Katie fashion, she held up her hand and stumbled into her brother’s back. Of course, he turned around and pushed her away. Which sent Katie into a whining frenzy.
Corra stepped inside. “Okay, that’s it, you two, off to bed right now. Jamie, leave your sister alone.” She caught his hand before he grabbed Katie’s hair.
“She started it,” he exclaimed on his way up the steps.
Corra turned to Chris. “I’ll be right back.”
Chris smiled, but kept his distance on the front porch.
Corra tucked the kids in while Mrs. Baker cleaned up the living-room-turned-playroom. Corra couldn’t help but wonder what Chris thought about her kids.
“I’m sorry.” Corra stepped back out onto the porch. “They wanted to see you, and I’m afraid at times Mrs. Baker is no match for them. She’s wonderful with them, but they can be stubborn.”
Chris turned around with a smile on his face. “Cute kids.”
“Yeah, wait until you catch them in the light of day, when they have a full tank of gas. Right now they’re operating on fumes, it’s bedtime.”
“Speaking of which, it’s mine as well.” He licked his lips and boldly took a step closer to Corra. She immediately held out her hand.
“Good night, Chris.”
He smiled and absently scratched behind his ear. “Okay, I need to work for it,” he mumbled.
“What was that?” she asked, knowing full well she heard him.
He shook his head. “Nothing. Well, thank you for spending the evening with me. I hope this isn’t the last time I see you this week?”
Corra stepped back inside and turned around. “You know where to find me.”
Chris backed down the steps. “See you soon.”
Chapter 7
Chris walked through the wide central hallway of his fixer-upper and out onto the porch as his father’s car pulled into the driveway. Standing between the four columns and two bronze lions that had survived all these years without being vandalized, he felt a real sense of pride. He wanted to lift his head toward town and say, “look at me now,” to all the naysayers and haters he’d encountered growing up in Danville.
His father spent many years running errands up to the big house, as it was referred to years ago. But not once had he been invited any farther than the foyer. This was the first time Nathaniel would explore the home he’d admired for so long.
“I see you brought your tools with you,” Chris said, pointing to the toolbox in his father’s hand.