Page 31 of Manors & Mischief

She grins. “They said they knew your order.”

“You must’ve had a great visit with my mom if you feel like being nice to me.”

She heads toward the porch, then stops. “Is there anywhere I can’t touch?”

“Just the outside, Sweetheart.”

Her shoulders stiffen a little, then relax. I’d love to be able to peek inside her brain. To know in which way my words affected her. Is she insulted? Pleased? I think I might even take the first. In fact, the first would be so much more entertaining.

She climbs the stairs and sits on the steel glider. “I thought we could eat out here.”

I place the paint brush on the top of the paint can. My tools will be okay just while I eat with her. The porch steps still creak, but instead of it being under protest like before, it sounds more like a welcoming. “I’m gonna go wash my hands.”

“You got it, Sweetheart.”

I stop, one hand on the screen door. Peeking over, I see the corner of her lips upturned as she opens her sub from Ruffo’s. Pretty sure she’s mocking me, but I’ll take it after how rude I’ve been to her.

Quickly, I wash my hands in the kitchen sink and then return to the porch. As I walk by the new spot on the floor that’s freshly painted, I gesture toward it. “I figured if you wanted to cover up the fresh paint versus old paint, you could throw down a rug.”

“Good idea,” she says. “Eventually, I want to re-paint the whole thing, but that will have to come in time.”

I can’t blame her. Painting this whole house will be a big bill. Plus all the intricate trim work? It’s no small undertaking, and any painter worth paying is going to make sure he gets what he deserves.

I take my sandwich and sit on one of the steel chairs, the metal cold even through my jeans. It’s a beautiful autumn day, the air on the cool side, but the sun still shines through the trees, as if spotlighting nature’s orange, yellow, and red tapestry of leaves. Growing up here, I’m used to seeing Harvest Falls like this, but looking out at the view from the manor, it’s as if I’m seeing it for the first time. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

I feel her eyes on me as I take a bite of my cheeseburger sub.

“It is.” Her voice sounds cautious.

I turn toward her. “What?”

“Just didn’t peg you as the sentimental guy.”

“I’m only noting how beautiful Harvest Falls is.”

She smiles like she’s figured out a big secret of mine. Let her think that. Let her believe she has me all figured out.

“It is pretty,” she muses. “Sometimes I just want to pinch myself. I can’t believe I actually did it. That I’m here. Let me tell you the bravery it took for me to tell my whole family I was moving north with nothing but whatever could fit in my car.”

“To a house you hadn’t seen before.”

“Exactly,” she confirms instead of getting prickly about reminding her that she bought the manor sight unseen. “They think I’m nuts. But this would convince them.” She sets her food down and takes out her cell phone. I rarely see it in her hands. Something new from someone her age because they’re usually attached to the hip with all of their devices.

She snaps a picture and smiles down at her screen.

“Do you want me to take one of you? Maybe sitting on the railing with the trees in the background?”

She peers at me skeptically.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

“You’re being unnaturally nice.”

“I’m nice,” I scoff, even though I have no reason to be offended by that statement when it comes from her.

“I have grass coated in pumpkin spice that would disagree with that statement.”

I forgot I did that. Damn, I really am a dick.