Some Bright Someday (Maple Valley #2) - Melissa Tagg Page 0,19
donuts. But no, she could hardly leave the kids here alone, not with the possibility of them running off again. She couldn’t pile them into her car either. Cade would need a car seat and probably Vi too and—
She stopped in the middle of the room, a sudden realization trekking through her. Something was off about the room. It was different. It was . . . clean. Not clean as in dusted and vacuumed, but clean as in no boxes. Not a single one. No displaced knickknacks either. No pile of newspapers on the chaise lounge.
She started moving again, fingers still closed around Vi’s hand. She gasped as they stepped into the music room. Same thing—no boxes or bags or stacks. None of the untidy chaos she was used to.
What . . . who . . . how?
And why did this jacket smell like something spiced and woodsy? She glanced down. Oh, it wasn’t her jacket at all. It was a hooded sweatshirt. Lucas’s probably.
The slam of a screen door echoed through the house. She darted toward the kitchen once more, pacing her steps solely for the sake of little Vi at her side.
She halted in the doorway at the sight of Mara and Marshall together in the center of the kitchen, plopping a heap of overflowing grocery sacks on the island counter. Mara broke into a grin and unzipped her fleece coat. “Hey, you’re awake. And the kids are too, I see.”
“And you’re . . . here.” The overly long sleeves of Lucas’s hoodie dangled at her sides. Colie had already settled into the breakfast nook, Cade on her lap and a look of impatience etched into her face. Violet ran over to them. Jenessa looked back to Mara.
Marshall gave a small wave. “Morning, Jen.” He came around the counter to squeeze his fiancée’s shoulder. “I’ll get the rest of the bags.” He left through the kitchen’s side door.
“I don’t understand. What are you doing here?”
Mara opened a sack and started pulling out items. “Well, you’ve got company. And according to Lucas, there wasn’t much in your fridge, so we thought we’d get you stocked up. Don’t even try to protest or insist on paying me back.” Her grin widened. “Besides, Marshall paid.”
Jen plodded to the counter as Violet joined Colie. “But . . . why? Did you make the coffee, too?”
Mara shook her head. “I think Lucas got it ready and used the delay-brew setting.”
The coffeepot had a delay-brew setting? And wait . . . Lucas. The cleaned-up rooms. That was his doing, wasn’t it? Goodness, he had to have spent half the night here. Maybe the whole night.
She dropped onto a stool, thoroughly flummoxed, tangled hair flopping about her shoulders.
Mara pulled a bag of apples from a sack. “We just got a few staples. It was Lucas’s suggestion. I only saw him for a minute this morning before he left to take someone to the airport. Some guy from out East who checked in yesterday. He knows him, apparently.”
Lucas had someone in town visiting him? He hadn’t mentioned that last night. Must be the reason he hadn’t shown up for the engagement party. “It’s weird to think of Lucas having friends other than us. And talk about a fast visit. The guy just checked in yesterday and he’s already leaving?”
Mara shrugged and carried an armful of produce to the fridge. “I think Lucas left a note for you.” She nudged her head toward the refrigerator door, where a magnet held a scribbled message in place.
Jen slid off her stool and retrieved it, before opening the door for Mara.
Took care of the broken window. And the bat. But now I owe you a badminton racquet. It didn’t survive the fight. —L
All the puzzlement of this morning dissipated in the wake of her laughter now. And her gratitude. “I’ll never be able to thank him for all of this.”
Mara peeked around the refrigerator door. “Veggies in the bottom drawer?”
Jenessa nodded. Mara rose and closed the fridge. She marched to the coffeepot, pulled a cup from the mug tree nearby, filled it up, and handed it to Jenessa.
“I don’t know how I ended up with friends like you guys.”
Mara went back to unpacking groceries. “I do. You came waltzing into my world when I didn’t even know how much I needed you. Marsh would say the same.”
“Waltzing, huh? According to Lucas, I barreled into his life and demanded he become my friend.”