Page 33 of A Simple Life

“We get some bad ones here.”

“I already made a place in my closet. We hide together. I’m not a big fan either, so we camp out. I read to her, and we use a portable light and a radio for music. I try to make it fun. Distract her. The worst is when the power goes out and everything is dark and the lantern runs out of power and I’ve forgotten to buy more batteries.”

“What do you do then?”

“Sing to her.”

“Who sings to you?”

She turned her head and met my eyes. “No one. I have to be strong for her.”

In that moment, I realized how close we were sitting. Our thighs were pressed together, our shoulders touching. All it would take was the tilt of my head, and I could kiss her. The draw was strong, her closeness weaving a spell around us. I began to lower my head when I heard my sister’s voice behind us.

“John!”

I backed away from Quinn, creating some distance. Laura, Bob, and Cody appeared, towels in hand. “I figured I’d find you here. It’s hot and we—” Laura stopped midsentence. “Oh, you have company.” Her eyes grew wide when she realized who it was.

“Come join us,” I invited her.

Cody rushed forward, but Laura stood where she was. “Are we interrupting?”

“No,” I said easily, not wanting to upset Quinn. “We had a picnic, and we’re cooling off. Lots of room.”

“Hi, Laura,” Quinn greeted her.

“Hi, yourself. You know Bob.”

He waved, shucking off his shirt and following Cody into the swimming hole. Cody was chatting with Abby, no shyness between the two kids. Laura eyed me, then set down her bags, coming over to the spot we were sitting. Abby called to her mom, who went over to see what she wanted, and Laura slid into the water, giving me the once-over.

“You don’t usually have tenants over for a swim,” she muttered under her breath.

“She brought me lunch to say thanks for the swing I built and installed. It was hot. It seemed like the right thing to do.”

I was silent. “Besides, she’s not a usual tenant.”

“Farmer John! Come watch me do some handstands,” Abby called.

I stood, and my sister grabbed my hand. “We are going to talk later.”

There was no point in refusing. Laura would be relentless until she got what she wanted.

“Later.”

9

JOHN

We ended up grilling hot dogs, and with the leftover fried chicken and the tossed salad Laura had brought with her, we convinced Quinn and Abby to stay for supper. After, the kids sat on the steps, eating huge slices of ice-cold watermelon. The grown-ups ate theirs in a bowl. Far less messy but, judging from the laughter from a few feet away, far less enjoyable.

“You settling in all right?” Laura asked.

“Oh yes,” Quinn said. “She loves her school. The staff I hired, especially Tammy, have made it so easy. She takes the morning shift, I come in after taking Abby to school, and I get to pick her up. Our hours work well. If I have to stay late, Mrs. Grainger takes her, and I pick her up there.” Quinn shook her head. “A bit of a dream, how quickly our life has found a rhythm, to be honest.”

“What will you do for the summer?”

“I have her in a few camps. Swimming, a kids cooking camp, and a music one at the school. I’ll hire extra staff to cover the days I need to be at home. She can come to the restaurant if needed. Mrs. Grainger will take her at times too.”

“I can help out.”