a cup of milk from spilling and cut up more pieces for Sam before he took his first sip of beer.
“You live right down the street, right?” he asked.
“Seven blocks,” she said.
“You walked?”
“I did.”
“You should come back to Woodmont with the boys and me. We can give you the first look at the greenhouse all cleaned out.”
“You’ve finished the sealing?”
“Not quite, but the interior has been scrubbed clean. Elaine has a good eye for projects like this.”
Mention of Elaine had her coiling a piece of cheese around her finger. “What do you think you’ll do with the space once it’s restocked?”
“She’s warming to the idea of holding events at Woodmont and talked about hosting smaller weddings inside the greenhouse.”
“I thought the Carters were well off.”
“Maybe at one time. Dr. Edward Carter was not good with money. It’s either sell to developers or generate income with the property to maintain it properly and cover the taxes.”
“Did you ever see yourself overseeing weddings?”
“I did not. But I love the property. It deserves to be enjoyed. Like I said, come and see it.”
She took a long sip of her soda. “Sure, I’ll come back.”
“Great,” he said with a genuine grin.
The kids finished, and when the check came, Colton insisted on paying. He also insisted the boys visit the bathroom, explaining the drive home could be long if someone had to go. The four piled into his truck, the boys in their booster seats and her in the front seat next to Colton.
The drive back to Woodmont took less than twenty minutes, but by the time Colton turned down the long driveway, the boys had both fallen asleep. Colton parked in front of his cottage.
“Carb overload works every time,” she said, though she did not feel the least bit tired. She felt energized and glad she was not at home alone.
She unhooked Sam from his booster and hefted him up. He did not wake and wrapped his arms around her neck, nestling his nose against her chest. He was a solid kid and heavier than she had imagined, so she was not moving as quickly as Colton, who bounded up the steps with Jeff into the house. The boys’ room was outfitted with twin beds already turned down for the night.
“Just take off his shoes and pants,” Colton said.
“I’ve done this before,” she said, tugging off a pint-size Spider-Man shoe as well as a blue sock.
“Not your first rodeo,” he said, grinning.
She removed the second shoe and sock and placed the sneaker beside the other at the foot of the bed. After unsnapping his jeans, she tugged off the oversize pants and then slid him to scoot under the covers. He rolled on his side and popped his thumb into his mouth.
“Is that okay?” she asked.
“It’s one of those habits we’ll have to break, but not tonight.”
He dimmed the lights, switched on an overhead fan, and turned on a green night-light.
In the hallway, she glanced at a collection of pictures that had been taken of the boys when they were babies. “They’re cute.”
“I fell hard for both of them.” He paused to study a picture of the boys. “I’ll call Mom and see if she can come sit with them so we can go see the greenhouse.”
“I don’t want to trouble her.”
“She’s still at Woodmont. She always works late at the house when the family isn’t there. Says she’s getting it back under control.”
“As long as she doesn’t mind.”
His cell phone was already to his ear. He quickly asked Margaret if she would come up for a little while, and she agreed. He grabbed two longneck beers from the refrigerator, twisted off the tops, and handed her one.
“We can sit outside,” he said.
“Too pretty an evening to waste.”
He opened the front door for her, and she took a seat in one of the rockers. As she passed by him, she caught the scent of him. It was not really cologne but a man’s scent. It vaguely reminded her of Jeremy. Colton’s scent was rougher around the edges—in a good way, like handmade paper or frayed jeans.
“Do you get a chance to sit out here often?” she asked.
“Some nights when the boys are asleep. Lately I’ve used the time to catch up with vendors and contractors.”
She took a long sip. “Never a dull moment.”
Footsteps crunched on the path, and a security light clicked on, lighting the pathway.
Margaret rounded the corner, her head bowed as if she was concentrating on the ground. When she looked up