Page 55 of Buried Roots

And how did my mother die?Ifthe obituary I found belongs to my actual mother, which I still don’t know. None of it makes sense, and it’s getting more maddening as pieces of the puzzle seem to scatter instead of fitting together.

A knock at the door is a welcome relief from my thoughts. After I usher Owen inside and get him seated, I bring out the food.

We sit to eat, and Owen says, “This looks amazing.”

“Yeah, well, it’s spaghetti. So, I expect aLady and the Trampmoment at some point.“ I shoot him a wink.

“Done.” He takes a second and scans the kitchen. “You’ve really done something here.” He looks down. “Even the old hardwood floors look spanking new. The place looks incredible.”

“Thanks. Wait until you see the lighting touches that were installed in every room yesterday. It changes the whole atmosphere.”

“I bet.” After we both sit, he tries a bite. “So, you can cook.” He closes his eyes. “Seriously. This is the best spaghetti I’ve ever had.”

“I’d take credit, but I learned out of necessity.”

His eyes darken and he studies me. After he pats his face with his napkin, he reaches over and takes my hand. “You have a high-functioning adrenal medulla.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s what mediates the fight-or-flight response. You’re a fighter.”

His words bring the butterflies, but it’s hard for me to take compliments. I’m trying to be better about that, so I just say the truth. “Just like you. Animal whisperer. Mechanically inclined, super handy guy. Demon exorcist.”

His lips tick up, his cheeks turning a shade of pink as he looks around. “I just can’t believe how much bigger the place looks all opened up.”

He hasn’t seen inside the place since Wednesday, and a lot of progress was made.

“It does.” I carry on about how fun it’s going to be to decorate each room in its own unique style, keeping it classically Southern now that it’s going to be a state landmark. And the newly refurbished library—on top of the many books Lily had, more classics have been brought in from Violet Moon’s public library.

I also have to show Owen my proudest creation. After we finish eating, I grab his hand. “Come with me.” I take him to the spiral staircase at the back of the house and open my palm toward the new banister.

“No way.” His eyes bulge. “Is that the same horse that’s on the foyer step banister?”

“Yup. I matched it.”

“Same detail, same stain—everything.” He runs a finger over it. “How?”

“Last week, I made a silicone mold of the other one, then used that as a template to create the shape and grooves. Then I eyeballed the details.” I sigh. “I installed this yesterday, and matching the stain was a bitch.”

“So. Labor intensive.”

“Yup. That’s why you don’t see this kind of work in homes anymore. At the same time, we should.”

Owen looks at me adoringly. “I love seeing your badassery.”

I smile before continuing on, telling Owen about Bo’s idea for a barn out by the lake, complete with outdoor seating so guests can spend summer evenings by the lake under starry skies. “That’ll have to be done at a later time, though. I hope the city of Violet Moon decides to add it.”

He nods enthusiastically, and I love how he seems genuinely interested in hearing me ramble on about my passion. When I finally stop talking, Owen simply says, “Come to Ma’s house for dinner on Sunday.”

Oh, boy. This again. “You and Demon have something in common. You’re both bulldogs.”

He raises a brow. “True. We also both scratch our balls. What’s your point?”

I roll my eyes. “My point is that Sunday dinner’s family time. I don’t want to intrude.”

He meets my eyes with a shy glimmer when he says, “Yes, it is family time. I want you to be around my family.”

My heart flutters at his words. The offer’s so simple, but so complicated. There are a million things all rolled into saying yes, and I just can’t do it. Not yet. I manage a smile when I say, “Next week. Promise.”

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