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Aunt Flora twisted her lips and sent her eyes toward the pressed tin ceiling. “Well, I don’t know the song, but I think that Pitbull guy sings it. You should come to class with me.”
“I’ll stick to yoga and running. I’m hopeless at sashaying.”
Aunt Flora snorted and sat down on the toilet lid. “We don’t sashay. We rumba, salsa, and do kicks. But stick to your boring exercise. Zumba is for the young at heart.”
“There’s an insult in there somewhere.”
“Phooey. The insult was right out front.” Aunt Flora smiled, revealing the gold crown behind her canine. The woman had a Cheshire smile and a wicked sense of humor… when she could still find it. “I saw that tall drink of water next door. Who is he? And where can I get one?”
“He’s Ben’s brother. I think. At any rate, he’s the kids’ Uncle Lucas. And I don’t think he’s for sale.” Addy tamped down the odd feeling stirring inside at the thought of the man who had so recently invaded her world. His presence was definitely unsettling, mostly because there was something about him that was sad. Lonely. Searching.
She knew how that felt. Two fellow travelers.
And yet she had no idea if her musings were true. He could have a wife at home, wherever home was. He might not be looking for someone. He might not be lonely. He might not be looking for…
No. She wasn’t looking.
Not really.
Although it would be nice to have a guy around to do things like stomp on palmetto bugs and fix the hinge on the laundry room door. And maybe for things like… sex.
“Pity. I’d take a dozen. He’s a good-lookin’ thing, if you ask me,” Aunt Flora said, plucking at the tight Lycra covering her thin legs. The tight leggings weren’t exactly flattering on a seventy-five-year-old bird-legged woman, but when had something like propriety ever stopped her flamboyant aunt? On second thought, Aunt Flora looked pretty wonderful in that sombrero and flamingo tights.
“I didn’t.” Addy shut off the water and cocked an eyebrow at her aunt.
Aunt Flora didn’t budge. “You could use a drink of water like that.”
“I could use a bath. I’m dirty, and the middle Finlay kid destroyed my new greenhouse two hours ago so I’m doubly stressed.”
“What?” Aunt Flora rose and jerked the blinds open, peering out in the inky darkness to where Addy’s greenhouse tilted like a drunk.
“Hey! I’m naked under this robe,” Addy said, pulling the collar closed and moving out of line of sight in case anyone peeped out the upper window of the blue house next door. Which never happened. That she knew of.
“Heh,” Aunt Flora said, shaking her head and pulling the blinds closed. “Wouldn’t want anyone to see you naked now would we? Might lead to dangerous things.”
“Aunt Flora.” Addy shook her head, laughing.
“Just saying.”
“I’m not afraid of it leading to dangerous things. I just don’t want to scar those poor Finlay children for life,” Addy said, trying to deliver her aunt the message she wanted to get on with her bath so the woman needed to skedaddle.
Aunt Flora made a face. “You have a beautiful body, sugar. Oh, and there’s a thirteen-year-old boy over there. If he should catch sight of a naked Addy Toussant then he’d be set up for failure his entire life, for you my dearest, are the loveliest of women. And it’s a good thing he hasn’t caught sight yet. I don’t need boys with binoculars falling out of treetops.”
Addy snorted. “That’s so inappropriate. And you’re too good at flattery.”
“I’m a pro. It’s what I do.” Aunt Flora rose, grabbed Addy under her chin and gave her a squeeze. “But I’m not liar.”
“I left you some soup on the stove. Should still be warm, but if you need it hotter, use the microwave this time.”
Aunt Flora stilled. “I know very well how to light a fire on that stove. Been doing it since you were knee high to a grasshopper, and anyway, I didn’t cause that fire.”
“I know,” Addy said, laying a soothing hand on her aunt’s forearm. “Put that out of your mind. I’m going to take a bath, and then we’ll watch your boyfriend Mark Harmon inNCIS,okay?”
Aunt Flora nodded, but the damper remained. Addy wanted to kick herself but knew her role as semi-caretaker of her aunt meant she had to step on Flora’s toes at times. Her aunt had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and though she still functioned well enough to drive familiar distances and conduct her daily living, she had suffered some setbacks, most recently, a small kitchen fire when she left the oven mitt on the burner. “Yes, that sounds nice. Enjoy your bath, dear.”
The door closed and Addy twisted the lock behind her aunt, craving the solitude of fragrant water and her own thoughts. She stepped into the tub and settled back into the delicious warmth that embraced her. The scent of lavender soothed her and almost made her forget the intensity of Lucas’s dark eyes.
Lucas.
