Home For Keeps. Lynn Patrick

      As he spread the butter and jam, he realized his mother was staring at him intently. “Something on your mind, Mom?”

      “So what’s going on with you lately? Terese Kistler said she saw you with the Huber woman walking through Green Meadows yesterday. Were you making peace over Angela?”

      The reminder of their private walk through the development warmed Caleb inside. “As a matter of fact, Grace offered to give me a tour of Green Meadows, so I could see how it’s progressing. I was very impressed.”

      “With the development or with Grace?”

      He didn’t hesitate. “Both, actually.” Though he’d already realized his attraction to the woman was hopeless until he straightened things out with his daughter.

      “Oh, I see.”

      “No, you don’t.” He quickly tried to backtrack before his mother made a big deal of it. “We simply have a lot in common. Environment-wise, that is.”

      She raised her eyebrows and gave him a challenging expression. “So you don’t actually like Grace? As a woman, I mean.”

      “Yes, I like her.”

      “Then you’ll ask her out.”

      He shook his head. “The timing is all wrong.”

      “Because she’s seeing someone else?”

      “No. Well, maybe. I don’t know. I didn’t ask. It’s not her, it’s me.” He sighed and set his acorn bread back on the plate. “Rather, it’s Angela.”

      “So Angela doesn’t like her.”

      “Angela doesn’t really know her.” But that didn’t prevent Caleb from assuming the worst. He couldn’t count on anything when it came to his daughter these days.

      “Then what’s the problem?” his mother asked.

      “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

      “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.