Page 66 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

When their eyes locked, he didn’t think either was thinking about Mike and Mallory anymore. He was still learning how to go on. Maybe she was too.

Her gaze swung back to the boxed bed he’d been examining. “Let’s get that one.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

***

A rush of cold air brushed Laurel’s arms as she entered the apartment building and headed toward the mailboxes. Gavin was on her heels, toting Emma in his arms.

As she checked for mail she tried to see the place through his eyes. The building was tastefully decorated in neutral colors. She’d chosen the apartment for its convenient location, amenities, and open floor plan. The complex was nice, attractive, and well kept, but it wasn’t the most luxurious place in town. She could’ve afforded more—the sale of their house had netted her a nice nest egg. But she had yet to touch it. She enjoyed the security of having money in reserves.

She gathered the few pieces of mail and started up the steps, her legs a little unstable. When she’d agreed to let Gavin come to Asheville with her, she hadn’t thought it through. Hadn’t consideredhow it might feel to have him in her space. When she’d gotten the call about Mallory, she’d left in such a hurry . . . she couldn’t even remember if she’d left it clean. Too late for that.

“Why didn’t you ever buy a house?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just never had the time to look for one.” That was only partly true. The whole thought of settling down in an empty house made her feel lonely. At least in an apartment there were people around her. Noise. In an apartment, she wasn’t really alone.

She stuck the key in the knob and gave it a twist. Warm, stale air greeted her. She went straight to the thermostat and adjusted it.

“Hot,” Emma said.

“We’ll fix that in a hurry,” Laurel said.

Emma squirmed in Gavin’s arms. When he set her down she scooted toward the entertainment center and tugged open the bottom drawer.

“You keep toys for her here?”

“Mallory brought her at least once a month,” she said quietly. “We’d make lemonade and take her swimming, then put her down for a nap in my bed.” Her heart gave a strong tug at the memory. There would be no more lazy Saturdays with Mallory. No more dishing about the Riverbend rumor mill or the cute Italian guy who lived in building three.

Laurel went through the mail Brandon had set on her kitchen island. Mostly ads with a few bills in the mix. Although she expected to return home permanently any day, she tucked the bills and the new edition ofHorticulture Magazineinto her purse.

When she finished, Emma was working a simple puzzle and Gavin wandered through the apartment, taking it in.

She tried to see the place through his eyes. It was a blend ofold and new—her old married life and her new single life. New colorful pillows adorned their old gray leather sectional. Candles Mallory had given her as a house-warming gift embellished their old coffee table.

Gavin had picked up the one photo of Jesse she kept on a floating shelf. It had been taken at his third birthday party, which they’d hosted in their backyard. The snapshot captured joy on his face in that instant after he’d blown out his candles.

“He was a cutie,” she said. “Those big brown eyes, that dimple...”

Gavin’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Yeah. I keep his picture on my nightstand. I don’t want to forget the way those eyes could sparkle when he was up to no good.”

“He used to think he was so sneaky.”

“His face gave him away every time.” He set the photo down and moved on to the sun-loving plants lining the living room window: hibiscus, papyrus, and croton as well as sweet basil, thyme, and aloe vera.

Laurel knelt and inspected the croton’s leaves, then moved on to the others. They were faring nicely in her absence.

“Who’s been taking care of your plants?”

“Brandon—he lives in the next building.” She pinched a few dead blooms from the hibiscus.

“Friend of yours?”

“Good friend. I met him the day I moved in. He’s been very helpful.”

A shadow flickered in Gavin’s jaw as his muscles clenched. “I’ll bet.”

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