Brambleberry House: His Second-Chance Family

A few moments later, she closed her apartment door and headed down the stairs. The elusive scent of freesia seemed to linger in the air and she wondered if that was Abigail’s way of greeting the newcomers. The whimsical thought had barely registered when Anna’s door—Abigail’s old apartment—slowly opened.

She instinctively gasped, then flushed crimson when Will walked out, a measuring tape in hand.

What had she expected? The ghostly specter of Abigail, complete with flashy costume jewelry and a wicked smile?

“Hi,” she managed.

He gave her an odd look. “Everything okay?”

“Yes. Just my imagination running away with me.”

“I was double-checking the measurements for the new moldings in Anna’s apartment. I’m hoping to get to them in a week or so.”

“All done with the stairs, then?”

“Not quite. I’m still going to have to stain them but the bulk of the hard work is done.”

“You do good work, Will. I’m very impressed.”

“My dad taught me well.”

The scent of freesia seemed stronger now and finally she had to say something. “Okay, tell me something. Can you smell that?”

Confusion flickered across his rugged features. “I smell sawdust and your apple pie baking. That’s it.”

“You don’t smell freesia?”

“I’m not sure I know what that is.”

“It’s a flower. Kind of light, delicate. Abigail used to wear freesia perfume, apparently. I don’t remember that about her but Anna and Sage say she did and I believe them.”

He still looked confused. “And you’re smelling it now?”

She sighed, knowing she must sound ridiculous. “Sage thinks Abigail is sticking around Brambleberry House.”

To her surprise, he laughed out loud and she stared, arrested by the sound. “I wouldn’t put it past her,” he said. “She loved this old place.”

“I can’t say I blame her for that. I’m coming to love it, too. There’s a kind of peace here—I can’t explain it. Maddie says the house is friendly and I have to tell you, I’m beginning to believe her.”

He shook his head, but he was smiling. “Watch out or you’ll turn as wacky as Sage. Next thing I know, you’ll be balancing your chakras every five minutes and eating only tofu and bean sprouts.”

She gazed at his smile for a long moment, arrested by his light-hearted expression. He looked young and much more relaxed than she had seen him in a long time, almost happy, and her heart rejoiced that she had been able to make him smile and, yes, even laugh.

His smile slid away after a moment and she realized she was staring at his mouth. She couldn’t seem to look away, suddenly wildly curious to know what it would be like to kiss him again.

Something hot kindled in the blue of his eyes and she caught her breath, wanting his touch, his kiss, more than she had wanted anything in a long time.

He wasn’t ready, she reminded herself, and eased back, sliding her gaze from his. No sooner had she made up her mind to step away and let the intense moment pass when she could swear she felt a determined hand between her shoulderblades, pushing her forward.