Can't Hurry Love (Sunshine Valley #1) - Melinda Curtis Page 0,138
as he cut the engine. “That has to be at least a mile.”
“He’s always loved to walk.” Paris let his gaze roam over the house. It was smaller than he remembered and in need of new paint. The rosebushes that the Jensons loved so much were unruly and unkempt. He was in his seventies now though. The man Paris knew as a child had been middle-aged and full of energy. Things changed. He looked over. “All right. Let’s get this over with. If he yells at us, we’ll know he’s okay. The buddy system, right?”
“Right.”
Except with each passing second spent with Lacy, the harder it was for him to think of her as just a buddy.
* * *
Lacy had never been to Mr. Jenson’s home before. She’d known that the Jensons kept foster children once upon a time, but it surprised her that one of them was Paris.
“Strange, but this place feels like home to me,” Paris said as he stood at the front door.
“How long did you live here with the Jensons?”
“About six months, which was longer than I lived with most.”
“Makes sense why you’d think of this place fondly then.” She wanted to ask more about his parents, but it wasn’t the time. “Are you going to ring the doorbell?” she asked instead.
“Oh. I guess that would help.” Paris pushed the button for the doorbell with his index finger and let his hands clasp back together in front of him.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think Mr. Cool was nervous,” she commented.
“Mr. Cool?” He glanced over. “Any relation to Mr. Clean?”
This made her giggle until the front door opened and Mr. Jenson frowned back at them.
Lacy straightened. From the corner of her eye, she saw Paris stand more upright as well.
“Mr. Jenson,” Paris said. “Good morning, sir.”
“What are you doing here?” the old man barked through the screen door.
“Just checking on you. You missed a class that I put together just for you.”
“I hear you were trying to kill people at the library yesterday,” Mr. Jenson said, his frown steadfast. “Good thing I stayed home.”
“Mrs. Townsend is fine,” Paris informed him. “We just checked on her at Sweetwater Memorial.”
“And now you’re checking on me?” Mr. Jenson shook his head, casting a suspicious glare. “Why?”
Paris held up his hands. “Like I said, I missed you in yesterday’s class.”
Mr. Jenson looked surprised for a moment, and maybe even a little happy with this information. Then his grumpy demeanor returned. “I decided it wasn’t worth my time.”
Lacy noticed Paris tense beside her. “Actually, the class is free and taught by a professional,” she said, jumping in to help. “We’re lucky to have Mr. Montgomery teaching at Sweetwater Library.”
Mr. Jenson gave her a long, hard look. She was prepared for him to take a jab at her too, but instead he shrugged his frail shoulders. “It’s a long walk, and my legs hurt yesterday, okay? You happy? I’m not a spring chicken anymore, but I’m fine, and I’ll be back on Monday. If for no other reason than to keep you two off my front porch.” Mr. Jenson looked between them, and then he harrumphed and promptly slammed the door in their faces.
Lacy turned to look at Paris. “Are you sure you’re remembering him correctly? I can’t imagine that man was ever very nice.”
“Did you see him smile at me before he slammed that door though? I think he’s softening up.”
Lacy laughed, reaching her arm out and grabbing Paris momentarily to brace her body as it shook with amusement. Once she’d realized what she’d done, she removed her hand and cleared her throat. “Okay, our well-check visits are complete. Mrs. Townsend and Mr. Jenson are both alive and kicking.”
“I guess it’s time for me to keep my end of the deal now,” Paris said, leading her back to his truck.
Lacy narrowed her eyes. “But my reunion isn’t until next Saturday.”
“Yes, but I’m guessing you need to go shopping for something new to wear, right? And I can’t wear jeans and an old T-shirt.” He opened the passenger door for her.
“You can wear whatever you want,” she told him as she stepped inside. Then she turned to look at him as he stood in her doorway.
“I want to look my best when I’m standing beside you. And I hear that Sophie’s Boutique is the place to go if you want to dress to impress.” He closed the door behind her and walked around to get in the driver’s seat.