A Change of Heart (6 page)

Her brow creased. “What kind of wager?”

“You take a look at where I grew up, and we go see where you grew up. We’ll compare, and whoever had it worse wins.”

“I don’t think so.” She tensed up again, and he caught the panic in her eyes as she cast him a furtive glance.

“It’s not like that, Cory. We’re coworkers. I’m just trying to be a friend here and help you feel welcome.” It bothered him way too much that he made her nervous and afraid. “I would never do anything to harm you. You can keep your finger on the pepper spray for the entire trip. What do you say to a wager between friends?”

She relaxed a bit. “What’s the ante?”

“The loser buys the winner lunch at the truck stop outside of town. They make the best burgers and shakes. Jenny’s diner can’t compare when it comes to the truck stop’s burgers and fries.” Cory bit her lower lip, and the gesture tugged at the corners of his heart.

“I’m
going
to win, but can it wait until I get my first paycheck just in case you grew up in a chicken coop or something?”

He laughed again. “It’s worse than a chicken coop. I’m going to win, and sure—we can wait. Not a word about it until you’re ready.” He held his hand out. “Shake on it?”

She hesitated, staring at his hand. He kept it extended and
held his breath. Finally, she lifted her chin and slapped her palm against his for a brief shake. Feeling her small hand in his, and the fact that she trusted him enough to touch him, sent a thrill careening through him.

He leaned over, picked up a rock and tossed it into the river. “Noah was living in the carriage house when he and Ceejay fell in love. Ryan lived there when he and Paige fell in love. Come to think of it, everyone who has lived here has fallen in love and found their happily-ever-after, even my ancestor.”

Shoot. Maybe I should’ve moved in here a few years ago.
He could’ve—right after Paige broke his heart by choosing Ryan over him. He should be over that by now, but like everything else, the hurt was one more irritating daily reminder that he didn’t cut it. He blew out an exasperated breath and steered his thoughts back to happier territory.

“Tobias Lovejoy married a woman who was traveling west with his group. He meant to go all the way to Texas and start a ranch. My great-great-great-grandmother was searching for her fiancé, who’d left for Texas right after the war, swearing to send for her once he’d filed for his land grant. The guy never did send for her, and she was determined to find out what happened to him.”

He tossed another stone into the river. “The story goes that the axle on her wagon broke right here. They stopped to fix it, and she and my great-great-great-grandfather fell in love and married. They built their first cabin where the carriage house now stands. Maybe Noah is right, and there’s some kind of magic here.”

“Crap.” Cory blinked and looked over her shoulder at the carriage house. “Do you think Wesley would trade apartments with me?”

At first he thought she was teasing, but one look into her wide eyes, and he knew she was serious.
Idiot!
He should’ve quit while he was ahead. “Uh, I don’t know. I suppose you can ask.”
Don’t ask.
Ted wanted her to stay right where she was. He wanted her to let the magic of this place heal her the way it had Noah and Ryan. He wanted that for her in the worst way.

CHAPTER THREE

S
OME KIND OF MAGIC HERE?
And wasn’t she just superstitious enough to let Ted’s nonsense about this place send her into a tizzy? She studied the willow tree growing close to the Ohio’s bank, then the river itself, meandering around the bend, anything to keep from looking at Ted. Nope. She couldn’t get drawn into the warmth and sincerity she’d glimpsed in those wonderful gray eyes of his, nor could she acknowledge the mutual attraction simmering between them. Just thinking about getting close to a man gave her that familiar skin-crawling prickly sensation.
Time to go.

Still, what kind of man suggests you keep your finger on the nozzle of a can of pepper spray so he can take you somewhere?
Someone pretty special, that’s who, and wasn’t it just too damn bad that she’d been wrecked for
special
? Plus, Ted was her boss. Never a good idea to blur that boundary.

“I should head up to dinner. I don’t want to keep your aunt waiting.” Cory wrapped her arms around her middle and turned to leave. “Thanks for everything. You’ve been very kind.” He fell into step beside her, and she put a little more distance between them.

“Don’t mention it. If you need anything else, let me know.” Ted gestured to the patio doors. “Let’s go in through the back. I want to say good-bye to Jenny and the kids.”

“You go on. I’m going to put my stuff in the carriage house first.”

“I can wait.”

“That’s OK. Go on without me. I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”
Please take the hint. Please go away
. They stopped at the carriage house door, and she hoisted her duffel bag to her shoulder. “Thanks again for all your help.” He sent her another one of his I’m-confused looks. Or was it disappointment she saw in his expression? Pity? Probably pity.

“Right.” He backed away, keeping her in his sights. “See you tomorrow.” Finally, he turned and headed for the house.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Cory opened the carriage house door and nudged the cardboard box through with her foot. She locked the door behind her and took her duffel back to the bedroom. The carriage house was the nicest place she’d ever lived. She could hardly believe her good luck. Hardwood floors, great leather furniture, a nice flat-screen TV mounted on the living room wall with a recliner set up in front of it—and she had the place all to herself. For the first time in her life, she had a place of her own.

Someone had cleaned recently, because the apartment sparkled and smelled fresh and lemony. She dropped her duffel on the old-fashioned chenille bedspread and pulled the blankets back. The sheets felt new to her touch, and the scent of laundry soap and dryer sheets floated up around her. Sweet.

A wave of gratitude washed through her. The Langfords didn’t know her at all, and yet they’d come to her aid at one of the lowest points in her life. She had to come up with a way to
thank Noah and his wife—her mom and Brenda too. If it wasn’t for their intervention, she would still be unemployed and hiding out. Once she had a few paychecks under her belt, she’d take her mom out to dinner somewhere nice. Somewhere where her mother would be the one waited on for a change. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and punched in Brenda’s number while making her way back to the living room. “Hey, Bren.”

“Hey, Cory.” Brenda’s cheerful voice filled her ear. “How was your first day?”

“It was good. Did you know Bunny lives in the building where we work?”

“Yeah, that’s what he said. He and his dog do double duty. Since he can’t sleep at night anyway, they’re also security for Langford & Lovejoy.”

“Makes sense. I got to meet Rex today. Nice dog. Bunny said I can keep Rex with me during the day if I need to, and everyone is fine with that. I don’t think I’ll need to, though. I share an office with Paige Malloy.” She glanced around at her surroundings again, her gaze catching on the beaded picture of Indiana’s state bird and state flower hanging on the wall above the breakfast nook. “Wait until you see where I’m living. You won’t believe it. Are you free any evening this week? We can do dinner, and I can show you my new place.”

“Sure. I don’t work on Thursday. What time do you get off? I’ll pick you up at Langford & Lovejoy.”

“That would be great. I get off at five. I’d better go. I’m having dinner with the Langfords’ aunt tonight.”

“Cory.” Brenda paused. “You sound good.”

“Thanks. I’m glad you pushed me into this. It’s great to be working again. I gotta go. I’ll see you on Thursday.”

“I’m looking forward to it. See you then.”

They ended the call, and after taking one more look at her new digs, Cory headed to the main house. She knocked, and Lucinda slid the patio door open for her. The garlicky scent of Italian food filled her senses. “Smells good in here. Can I do anything to help?”

“Keep an eye on Micah, so I can put everything on the table.” Jenny put the toddler down. “He’s at that age where he gets into everything.”

“I’m setting the table,” Lucinda announced. Her chestnut hair had been pulled into a wavy ponytail. “Toby’s upstairs washing his hands. I already washed mine.”

“Thank you so much for inviting me to eat with you.” Cory followed the towheaded little boy around the kitchen, ready to intervene if he got into something he shouldn’t.

“You’re welcome.” Jenny’s warm gaze settled on her. “What do you think of the carriage house?”

The older woman bore an uncanny resemblance to Ted. They had the same kind eyes and curly hair, though Jenny’s had turned mostly silver. “It’s really nice.” The toddler swatted her hand away as she tried to keep him out of the dog’s water dish. “I love it. Somebody cleaned in there recently. Do you know who I should thank?” She glanced toward Lucinda.

“Me and Mommy.” The little girl beamed, and her large brown eyes sparkled. “Mommy did most of the work, but I helped. I dusted and swept.”

“I sure do appreciate all your hard work.” Cory lifted a squirming Micah and brought him over to his high chair. “Does he have a bib handy?”

“I’ll get one for him.” Lucinda headed for the kitchen drawers next to the sink.

Jenny placed a large ceramic bowl of spaghetti and meatballs
on the table and walked back to the fridge. “Noah tells me you were a communications specialist in the army.”

“That’s right. I was stationed in the Kandahar Province in Afghanistan near the airfield. It was my job to make sure headquarters maintained contact with the FOBs in the region.”

“What’s an FOB?” Lucinda fastened the bib around Micah’s neck just as Toby walked into the kitchen.

“FOB stands for forward operating base. It’s where soldiers are sent on their missions.” Toby’s shirt was soaked, and his hands were still dripping. “Looks like you managed to wash your shirt along with your hands.”

He broke out in an adorable little-boy grin, revealing a dimple on his right cheek. His coloring was more like Noah’s, with the green-brown eyes and straight tawny-blond hair. Taking his place in the chair next to Lucinda’s, he continued to study her with curious eyes.

“Toby is messy,” Lucinda declared without a hint of judgment in her voice. “Daddy says he’ll grow out of it, but I don’t think he will. He’s always been messy.”

“Messes are fun.” Toby threw his hands in the air, sending water droplets flying.

“I hope you wiped up after yourself, young man.” Jenny set a bowl of salad and a basket of garlic bread on the table and sat down next to Micah’s high chair.

“Yup. I did, but then I played with the water some more.”

“I’ll bet you left the towel on the floor.” Lucinda flashed Toby an exasperated big-sister look.

Toby nodded, his face serious. “I did.”

Cory chuckled. “Can I help you fill your plate, Toby?” He nodded again and peered up at her while she dished out a pile of the spaghetti and added a piece of the garlic bread to his plate.

“You’re pretty,” he blurted.

“And you’re a charmer.” She ruffled his hair and took her seat.

“You
are
pretty,” Lucinda confirmed.

Her breath hitched. She didn’t feel pretty, nor did she want to. She shoved the unwelcome thoughts away. “Everybody has been so kind since I arrived.”

“Perfect is a special place.” Jenny set a small dish of food on Micah’s high chair tray. “All you have to do is be open to what comes your way, and things will change for the better.”

“I don’t know about the place. I only know about the people. I have a great job and an amazing apartment, not to mention wonderful neighbors.” She grinned at Lucinda and Toby.

That’s all there was to it. If Jenny’s words were in reference to the supposed magic this place held, Cory didn’t want to hear it, not the falling-in-love part anyway. Healing would be good, but she had nothing to offer to anyone in the love department. She was already a shipwreck with an empty cargo hold. She didn’t need more holes in her hull.

“How was your first day at work?” Jenny asked.

“Good.” She helped herself to salad. “We had lunch at your diner today. It’s really cool. I love the retro look.”

“Retro?” Jenny laughed. “That diner has always looked the way it does now. I’ve just never updated.”

“Ryan said it’s a tradition to take new hires there for lunch.”

“That’s true. The L&L crew eats lunch there on a regular basis, and Wesley comes in for breakfast most mornings. I think he has a little thing for my assistant manager.” The laugh lines around her eyes creased. “At any rate, Noah and Ted’s business has certainly stimulated Perfect’s economy. When they have one of their sample sales, the whole town benefits.”

“L&L is definitely one of a kind. I’m glad to be there.” So
true. Even though she’d told Ted she could get a job anywhere, the thought of working for a large corporation with a bunch of civilians sent a shudder down her spine. Where else would she be able to keep a retired military working dog by her side, just so she could feel safe? And despite her discomfort with the other male veterans who worked there, at least they knew exactly what it was like to be deployed to a place like Iraq or Afghanistan. It wasn’t their fault she associated anything having to do with the armed forces with what had happened to her.