Page 2 of One Kind Hand

“Hey, Charlie-girl.” Eugene knocked his knuckles on the hood of her SUV as he rounded the vehicle then leaned against the rear driver side door. “Heading home?”

“Yeah, I’ve had enough of watching Isabel and Jackson make out in the main office.”

Eugene laughed, a kind warmth in his eyes that always made Charlie feel welcome. “I don’t think they can help themselves.”

Charlie smacked her hands together. “Like magnets.” She shoved her hands into her pockets and leaned next to Eugene. “What was Isabel’s grandmother like?” The woman had died when Isabel was small as had Isabel’s parents, and Eugene had stepped in to raise Isabel.

And Charlie really.

Eugene’s gaze wandered to the sky which was gray today. “My Anna was a one-of-a-kind woman. I knew the moment I saw her coming out of a convenience store that I’d met an angel.” He put his hand over his heart. “She had all this blond hair that went on for miles and her laugh was the prettiest song.”

“So poetic.” Charlie squeezed his forearm.

“A beautiful woman will always inspire a man to compose poetry,” Eugene said. “Even if he’s never written a line before.”

Great. Now she had to add is a poet to her too-specific list of qualities she was looking for in a guy.

“She wouldn’t go out with me at first though,” Eugene said with a smile.

“She wouldn’t? Who wouldn’t want to snag you, Eugene?”

He raised his eyebrows. “I know, right?” Chuckling, he said, “Anna was only in Vermont for the summer and she didn’t want to start a relationship with a local. Made perfect sense, but I wasn’t the sort of guy to listen to perfect sense.” He patted his chest. “Not when the heart tells me something different.”

“So you pursued her?” Charlie had probably listened to a trillion Eugene stories, but she’d never heard this one and she was fascinated.

“Perris are not quitters.” Eugene straightened so he was no longer leaning against the SUV and he squared his shoulders. “I just happened to be everywhere she was so she kept getting reminded of how irresistible I was.”

“Irresistible or annoying?”

Eugene shrugged. “Same difference.” He rocked back on his heels. “After one week of me popping up all over town—thank God Maplehaven is small—she finally gave in and let me buy her a maple creemee ice cream cone.”

“Reel her in with ice cream. Devious.”

“You betcha. Worked like a charm. By the end of the summer, she was so smitten with me that she begged her parents to move to Vermont. She was an only child and a little bit spoiled so they agreed and bought a house in Canville that winter. We spent that Christmas together and every one after that until she passed.” He sailed another glance up to the sky. “I know she still celebrates Christmas with me.”

Charlie swiped a finger under her eye, hoping Eugene wouldn’t notice how his story had touched her, but of course the man saw everything. He pulled her into one of his famous Grandpa Eugene hugs and she sniffled against his flannel jacket.

“You’re a beautiful person, Charlene Moyen,” he whispered, “and somewhere out there is another beautiful person who is perfect for you. He could be walking out of the next convenience store at any time.”

“Thanks, Eugene.” She gave him a final squeeze and stepped back. “What are you up to this afternoon?”

He pointed in the direction of the new construction. “I’ve got a few things to deal with on the build.” He put his hands up before Charlie could speak. “I know, I know. Don’t overdo it. I’ve been behaving, Charlie.”

“Good. Keep it up. We all need you.” Charlie had been as worried as Isabel when Eugene had a heart attack a few months ago. It was yet another reminder, like her mother, that life was fragile. You had to make the most of it because so many things could make you have to slow down before you were ready. Charlie didn’t fear dying.

What she feared was living with limitations.

She bid Eugene farewell and climbed into her SUV. She yanked her phone out and did a quick search on Austin Rayhill for the hell of it. Scrolling through the images that popped up had her groaning aloud. Several shirtless photos made her bite her bottom lip.

Then the tuxedo shots nearly soaked her undies.

Charlie’s mind wandered to a scenario in which her chopper did get chosen to be in Austin’s next movie. Would she get to meet him? Would he have cause to wear a tuxedo? Would he have cause to not wear anything?

A shiver of pleasure wiggled through her and she almost dropped her phone when it buzzed with an incoming message.

Litton PD: Are you free to assist on a rescue?

Litton was in New Hampshire and Charlie could be there in no time with her chopper.