Page 15 of Blessings in Disguise

“Let’s go, then.”

They drove separately to the suburbs and turned onto Woodbriar Lane. The houses were unique and mostly modern, with treed lots. She pulled into the driveway of a cedar sided structure and then into the garage where she waited for him.

He joined her. “The outside of the house is beautiful. And the lot is so dense with trees. It’s like somebody picked up the house and deposited it among them.”

“Thanks. I love the setting.”

They went in through the entrance from the garage. He sniffed. “I can smell barbecue chicken. It makes my mouth water.” His stomach grumbled in consent. She laughed.

She led him down a hallway passing a closet, a laundry room and a bathroom. It opened to a space which spanned most of the back. “Wow.”

She smiled. “Thanks. I love this house. There’s a finished basement too.”

The kitchen led into a large family room with skylights. Hardwood floors ran though that space and into a dining room which peeked out through a wall on the other side of the house.

Off the kitchen was a big porch with the doors open to screens. It was furnished with a rattan couch and chair and tableand chairs for eating off to the left. A deck surrounded it and a pool off that. He asked, “Do you like to swim?”

“Very much. It feels wonderful after a hard day at work.” She gestured to the house. “I have extra swimsuits here for guests.”

He frowned. Hmm, he didn’t like the sound ofguests. Probably men.

“No one has worn the men’s trunks.”

He cocked his head. “You read my mind.”

“Your face actually. How about you go change in the laundry room where the suits are in a closet and I’ll go upstairs to put on mine then make us gin and tonics.” He started away and she called after him, “Get a towel for yourself.”

Light-hearted, she climbed the curved oak staircase up to her bedroom, changed into a one-piece black Speedo, threw on a gauzy coverup and grabbed a towel. She met him outside at the pool with the drinks. She could see him clearly as it was still daylight. Tall and fit, he wore red trunks and kept on his yellow shirt. He took a glass from her then sat on one of the chaises facing the pool. She dropped down in another chaise next to him. “To us,” he said holding her gaze.

She was hit with a wash of desire. The air seemed charged. “To us.”

They sipped. “Is it too strong for you? I don’t measure amounts.”

“No, it’s perfect.” He faced her. “So tell me why a young, single woman would buy such a big house.”

“I’m 40. Not so young. And I bought it when I put down roots in Westwood. What’s your house like?”

“I live in our family home, an old Victorian. It’s big, too. When we inherited it, Maisy and I redid the whole thing. Then she left when she married Jackson.”

“What about Freddie?”

“Maisy and I were going to adopt him together but once she found Jackson and moved out, I stepped back so they both could adopt him.”

“Was that hard?”

“Yeah, it was.” Sadness filled his voice. “I still see him a lot, but he often has other plans in their neighborhood so I have to be flexible.” He shrugged. “I do what’s best for him.”

“It seems to me that you do what’s best for everybody.”

“Hmm.” He cocked his head. His hair was sandy blond and thick, and a lock fell down onto his forehead. “Tell me about your family.”

“I was born in England where my parents taught at Oxford.”

“Oh. You don’t have an accent.”

“They moved back to the states when my sister got sick.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. What does she have?”

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