Page 35 of Taking The Shot

It looked like something out of a spa.

Pale ivory, green, and gray colors made it feel serene, and she noticed the small faint swirls on the tray ceiling, giving it a regal touch. There was a set of doors in the distance beside an alcove that had the light on and waiting. Stepping farther into the room, she stopped. Her hand drifted up to cover her mouth as her eyes climbed upward, stunned.

The alcove was a library in the shape of a castle turret. Rows and rows of deep polished wood encircled the walls as it carried upward to a small chandelier that glowed about five feet above her head. Stepping inside the alcove, she saw the ladder rolled to the side, and the tracks inlaid in the flooring to keep from scratching it – and stared. It had to be almost fifteen feet high, with one small circular window at the top.

“Do you know how many twist ties I removed last weekend unpacking all those toys?” Keith’s voice said gently behind her, and Constance turned, laughing, to look at his wry smile. “I don’t know how people do it. In my opinion, which amounts to a hill of beans, twist ties should be outlawed.”

“They really should,” she smiled, waving a hand as if to gesture or point at everything. “This is more than I ever imagined… and incredible.”

“Well, it just didn’t feel right dragging you across the country with the kids to some dump or fixer-upper,” he chuckled, handing her a glass of wine – which she accepted gratefully. She was exhausted, nervous, and a little overwhelmed.

“Did you see the deck?”

“No,” she scoffed in disbelief, looking at him in surprise. “I kind of fell in love with this alcove. You know it’s going to be filled with books in no time.”

“I hope so,” he smiled easily. “Books, trinkets, things that make you happy or feel at home.”

“I can’t believe this…” she admitted, her voice stunned and wavering slightly because this all felt like a dream. To go from a small two-bedroom apartment in a not-so-great part of town to this massive home, knowing she was being encouraged and welcomed to stay home with the children to take care of them, and his promises to provide just seemed like a far-off fantasy because it had been ripped from her before, and that made her pause. “Am I on the house deed?”

“Oh shoot,” Keith exclaimed softly – and her heart sank. He shut the door he was opening nearby and moved to the dresser quickly, yanking open the top drawer. He withdrew a manila folder, and she sucked in her breath as he looked at her. “Do you have a pen?”

“You’re kidding…”

“What? It’sourhouse but I told them that I would be late in filing the deed because I needed your signature.”

“You did?” she whispered, stunned and felt like she could cry.

He was setting her up and making sure she had a roof over her head if something should happen – which was something that she and Robert had never done. They never thoughtabout the future, but Keith seemed to think differently, always worried, always wondering, always planning.

“Yeah, Constance,” he began nervously, waving her over. “I shoved all this junk in here because I didn’t want it to look messy when you saw the place, but there’s a lot of paperwork in this drawer. Checks are arriving at the house next week. Here’s your debit card, there are accounts for Paige and Kayla, and…”

“Stop,” she whispered, staring at him – and his nervous gaze met hers as he slowly turned to look at her.

“Did I forget something or do something wrong?”

“It’s perfect,” she admitted, wiping her eyes and looking at him. “I just don’t have a pen, and I’m so tired that none of this will stick in my head. I feel like Cinderella and keep expecting the clock to strike twelve.”

And Keith hung his head, letting out a soft curse as he chuckled.

“What?”

He looked up at her, his eyes touching hers.

“I forgot to buy a wall clock for the house. I’ve been using the one on the microwave…” and a small warm smile touched his lips as she stared at him in awareness, feeling something blossom in her chest, tender and real, as they both laughed nervously. “It’s a lot to take in – and overwhelming. I was freaking out when I saw how much stuff was removed.”

“I could tell when you called.”

“That was the mild version,” he grimaced. “I yelled at our realtor – and sent him a massive gift basket as an apology.”

“It’s stressful moving.”

“You can say that again.”

They both stood there, looking at each other, before he looked away, nodding. He set the folder down on the dresser and then took her hand, pulling her forward.

“We’ve got our own private deck over here,” he began and smiled at her. “Maybe we can have coffee together sometime, but we’ll need to get some chairs…”

“This is so beautiful, Keith.”

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