nowadays.” She patted Athena’s arm. “I’ll be in the library if you need me. I probably won’t be up when you come home. But I’ll leave the door unlocked. I never lock it anyway.” She stroked the head of the little dog in the carrier that she had on her shoulder.
“Is it okay if I put this on the counter for now?” Athena asked Mrs. Hudson.
“Of course, dear. Put it wherever you’d like. I told you as long as you’re here, this is your home too.” Mrs. Hudson smiled benignly at Athena, then gave a little wave as she walked away.
“Thank you,” Athena said before turning to Preston. “Follow me and we’ll take it to the kitchen and give it some water.”
Preston followed her down the hall, through the dining room, and into the kitchen, where there was a small light on over the sink. Athena turned on brighter lights when she stepped in and pointed to a side counter.
“You can set it here.” She moved to the sink and grabbed a small cup. “I can’t believe you brought a plant. I love it.” She hadn’t quit smiling since she’d seen it, and he believed it. It made his heart feel good and right that he’d chosen wisely.
“Mrs. Hudson seems like a really nice lady to live with.”
“She is. I think... I think she’s lonely. I’m glad things worked out that I could stay a little longer. Her children include her in almost everything, and she has her grandchildren almost every day after school, but there’s definitely a void in her life after losing her husband of so many years. I don’t think that’s something that you get over quickly.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” He lifted the plant up while Athena put a plastic lid underneath it and then carefully dribbled water around the base of the tree. “Maybe she should sell the farm and move to a retirement community. She might be happier.”
“I don’t think so. She loves this house, and she loves the farm. I don’t know. I think...” Athena looked around and lowered her voice, stepping closer, her chocolate coffee scent familiar and beloved. “I think she might have a romance in the works.”
“Mrs. Hudson? She must be in her mid-fifties.”
Athena laughed. “That’s not old. That’s definitely not too old for romance.” He could hear the smile in her voice, see it on her face, and he held his hands up.
“I’m sorry. I guess you’re right. That just...maybe it’s me. It’s hard to imagine Mrs. Hudson with anyone but Mr. Hudson. And I guess I just assumed she’d live by herself for the rest of her life, never forgetting Mr. Hudson.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll never forget him, but I think she’d like to share her golden years with someone. There’s no rule that says you can only have one great romance in your life.”
Athena lifted her brows in question, but he couldn’t argue.
“She did everything she could for Mr. Hudson while he was alive, but I think, now that he’s gone, he’d want her to be happy and not lonely and sad. I’m sure he would encourage her to find someone else. If he were here.”
“I guess.”
Preston wasn’t too sure about that. He supposed that was probably what love was, wanting the person you love to be happy, even if it meant them finding someone new after you were gone. He didn’t want to think about that. He wasn’t there yet.
“There. I think that’s good,” Athena said, stepping back and admiring her plant. “Are you ready to go?”
“I sure am. Um... A slight change from yesterday when we talked about this...”
Athena stopped and turned, a half-smiling, half-apprehensive look on her face. “What’s that?”
“Nothing serious. I was telling Joyce that I was going to choir practice, and Liam asked if he could go. Which shocked me, because I didn’t know he had any interest in singing, but I said yes, because there is going to be a children’s choir that Blair will be working on downstairs. So if it’s okay with you, we’ll pick him up on our way there. I know that that kind of makes it that this isn’t a date anymore if we’re taking my kid with us, so can I make it up to you? After the birthday party.”
“You don’t have to make anything up to me. This is still a date.”
“Well, it’s not exactly my idea of a date.”
“That’s fine. It doesn’t have to suit your idea or anyone else’s. It can just be