Home For Keeps

“Lily is the problem. I told you about the mural. When I tried to talk to Angela about defacing private property, it turned into something else. She admitted she thought I took her mother from her. I explained what happened, but at the moment she’s obsessed with feeling abandoned. I have no idea where this is coming from. Teenage imagination, I guess. I just don’t see how I can bring another woman into the mix right now.”

“Angela might not like it at first, but she’ll come around. She has before. You dated several women while you were in school.”

“None were serious.”

“So this Grace Huber...” His mother cleared her throat. “You could be serious about her?”

Caleb started. Not a question he’d asked himself. Not one he wanted to explore too deeply right now. “Mom, you’re jumping the gun. I like her, but I haven’t even asked her out on a date.”

“Then maybe it’s time you did something about that.”

CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_c1e3ec91-2470-54c3-82e4-20c2420effd4)

“I WANT A big stack of pancakes with lots of whipped cream,” Taylor announced as they left Heather’s van parked just down the street from the co-op. “With cherries on top.”

“I’m not sure they have whipped cream, sweetie, and I know they won’t have cherries,” Heather told the child. Then she explained to Grace. “Cherries on top are her new thing. Rick bought a big jar of maraschino cherries to put on everything...mashed potatoes, broccoli, cottage cheese.” She grinned, probably thinking of her hunky new husband. “He’s spoiling both twins.”

“We’re not spoiled.” Addison slipped her hand into Grace’s and smiled up at her like a little angel. The eight-year-old looked incredibly cute with a missing tooth. Grace smiled back and squeezed. “I just want mine completely plain,” the girl said. “Not even syrup.”

Taylor made a face. “Yuck.”

“Come on,” chided Heather. “People have different tastes. Just because you like whipped cream doesn’t mean Addison has to like it.”

“O-o-okay.” Taylor flounced along, then tossed her head. “But pancakes are better with whipped cream.”

“No, they’re not,” singsonged Addison.

Heather frowned. “Shh!”

They stepped up on the sidewalk and walked toward the co-op about a block away. There were so many cars parked in downtown Sparrow Lake that they’d had to hunt for a space, because of the festival. Heather spoke to several people they met on the way, introducing Grace, who appreciated the friendly gesture. Not that she would be able to remember all the new names.

A whizzing sound made all of them glance behind them. A boy on a skateboard approached swiftly, drawn by a very large, spotted Great Dane on a leash. As the dog and skateboard whizzed past in a flurry of huge paws and wheels, Heather drew Taylor closer, keeping her out of the way.

The little girl stared openmouthed. “Wow!”

“We could do that with Kirby!” cried Addison.

“No, we’re not getting a skateboard so you can hitch it to the dog,” Heather told them firmly. “It’s too dangerous.” She turned to Grace. “And that kid is a danger, too. He could have knocked us off the sidewalk!”

Grace merely nodded, smiling, but the twins continued to jabber about the big dog until they reached the co-op building, an old storefront with an entrance refinished with brick. A line of people stood outside, waiting to go in.

“Wow, Pancake Day must be popular,” murmured Grace. She’d dressed down for the occasion, as Heather had suggested, forgoing her usual business attire for loose black trousers, a short-sleeved blue cashmere sweater and a leather moto jacket.

Heather nodded. “Free food. Don’t worry, the line will move fast. There are at least two pancake stations set up.”

“Ooh,” said Addison. “I smell sausage.”

“And bacon,” added Taylor.

“Yes,” agreed Heather. “You can have both if you want. Consider this ‘dunch’ or ‘linner,’ okay? We won’t need anything else but a small snack before you go to bed tonight.”

The line did move quickly and they were soon inside, heading down a hallway toward the main room. There, long tables had been set up for people to sit and eat, and other tables formed a barrier near the walls where grills were being manned to cook mounds of pancakes and breakfast meats. As they approached the nearest pancake station, Grace glanced back at the townspeople already eating, laughing and chatting. All the cooks were men, people she’d seen around town and who Heather had said were employed by the co-op or the creamery. Two tables were set up with butter and cream...but no whipped cream. Taylor stood on her tiptoes and looked around. Addison laughed and did a little whirl.

Grace grinned. “They sure have a lot of energy.”

“You’d think some of it would wear off as they get older, but the girls just seem to find more,” Heather said with a laugh.

“There’s ice cream over there,” Taylor told her mother. “Vanilla soft-serve.”

“Well, maybe we can get you some of that,” said Heather.

The twins stopped talking as they both got plates of pancakes. Addison ordered a stack of two but Taylor wanted three.

“Honey, I think two will be enough for you. Those pancakes are pretty big.”

“I want three!”

“You’d better eat them.” Heather lowered her voice in an aside to Grace. “Or not. I don’t want her to get sick.”

Grace just laughed and ordered a stack of three for herself. She also got three strips of bacon and three sausage links.

Then they turned toward the tables in the center of the room, most of them already full. Apparently the whole town turned out for Pancake Day, so Grace looked for the one face she would be happiest to see.

Disappointed.

Apparently the whole town had turned out except for Caleb Blackthorne.

As they sat down, Heather began introducing her to the people around them, and if they owned or operated a business, she included that information, as well. Grace tried to mentally keep track of everything Heather told her, but she feared she’d already forgotten half of what she’d been told. Then Heather realized they’d forgotten drinks and got up to fetch glasses of milk for the girls and two cups of coffee for themselves.

Taylor dug into her food hungrily. She’d gotten a cup of soft-serve ice cream, which she dumped on top of her pancakes. Addison cut her plain pancakes into dainty pieces and chewed equally daintily. Grace wondered how two sisters born at the same time could be so different.

“Slow down,” Heather told Taylor, “or you might end up with a tummy ache.”

Grace spread fresh creamery butter on her pancakes and laced them with syrup. “Yum. I can see why so many people turn out for Pancake Day.”

Heather bit into a piece of crisp bacon. “It’s not just the food, it’s the sense of community, of everyone taking a short break from work to celebrate spring with friends and family and catch up with people they don’t often get to talk to.”

Looking around, Grace saw so many smiles, heard so much laughter, that she couldn’t help but grin. Never having experienced anything like this in Milwaukee, where neighbors didn’t necessarily even know each other—Grace was acquainted with only one other woman in her condo building—she responded to the positive energy in the room. There were a lot of things she liked about Sparrow Lake, and the feeling of community just went to the top of her list. She imagined that even if you lived alone, you would never have to be lonely in a friendly town like this.

Heather had been right about her coming to the event. Several people wanted to know how the green community was faring, and others asked what her plans for the future might be. Lots of interested questions from potential residents or simply people who might help spread the word to friends in nearby towns. People came and went, but the twins went back for second helpings, so, content to stay awhile longer, Grace fetched another cup of coffee.

Just as she brought it back to the table, she looked up to see a familiar face. Three familiar faces, in fact. Caleb had arrived with Angela and Kiki. They had just filled their plates with food and were looking around for a place to sit. As if he knew she was staring at him, Caleb turned in her direction. Their gazes met and her stomach did a little flip when his lips turned up in a big smile aimed her way. She waved. Then Angela saw her, and the girl’s lips tightened.

“C’mon,” Grace heard Caleb say to his daughter and her friend. “There’s room over there.”

Over there was across from her and Heather and the twins. Grace sent him a welcoming smile. “Hi, Caleb.”

“Grace, Heather...good to see you, both,” he said as he set down his food.