Page 5 of His Brown-Eyed Girl

Trying not to look intrigued by the conversation, Addy bent and started stacking shards of broken pottery in the plastic rolling bin she used for compost. Thankfully, it was empty and would make transporting all the broken pieces to the garbage easy. Her action directed the attention of both males to the task at hand.

Chris carefully set the bike down on the ground outside the greenhouse while Lucas shifted unbroken pots of delicate blooms to a concentric area in the one sturdy corner of the house. Wordlessly, Lucas picked up broken boards and handed them to Chris, jerking his head toward the two empty cans sitting at the back of her house. He moved elegantly for such a large man and the trepidation Addy had felt earlier came back. She didn’t like being penned inside the space with him.

“Sun’s about to set. Better work fast.” He placed the cans beside the shredded plastic and got to work in a businesslike manner. She pulled a rake from the small plastic cupboard on which part of the damaged greenhouse rested and did as he suggested.

After so many words spoken, silence was welcome, allowing each to his or her own thoughts, as they restored some order to the ruined greenhouse.

“Luckily we’re not expecting frost,” Addy commented, placing the final ruffled pink and green orchid in front of the rows sitting shiva over the broken pile of unsalvageable plants.

Lucas grunted in affirmation, picking up her ring of keys holding the small canister of pepper spray. He eyed it before passing it to her.

“I’m a single woman.” Her declaration wasn’t an invitation. Wasn’t a status update. It wasn’t even an explanation. Lucas was damn lucky she hadn’t had the keys in hand when he’d burst through the plastic earlier.

“Smart,” he said.

Chris sighed, obviously bored with the adult talk. “Can I take my bike home now?”

Lucas nodded. “I’ll take this pile out to the bin.”

A disturbance at the torn entrance drew Addy’s eye. Golden curls followed by one blue eye studied her.

“Can we haf choco-wate chip cookies?” Charlotte emerged fully into the opening, her big eyes fastened on Addy. The child looked hungry… maybe for more than chocolate chip cookies.

Addy was accustomed to being around kids since she had a dozen nieces and nephews, but she’d hardly said “boo” to the kids next door, though her great aunt Flora liked to chat them up occasionally. Charlotte looked a little lost under her uncle’s care, and an invisible string inside her heart plinked at the girl in her juice-stained T-shirt and mismatched pants.

Holding out a hand, Addy beckoned the girl. “You ready for some cookies?”

“Mm-hmm.” Charlotte nodded, reaching small grubby fingers toward Addy. “I wike cookies.”

The adorable speech impediment cemented the intent in Addy’s heart. Lucas needed help. “I like cookies, too.”

“Uncle Wucas don’t wike cookies. He wikes beer.”

Addy felt a giggle burble up inside her.

“Please don’t tell Sister Regina Maria. She already thinks I’m the very devil,” Lucas said, pushing the bin out into the encroaching darkness. Michael stood at the end of Addy’s drive, tapping on his cellphone, casting an occasional glance toward where Lucas tugged the plastic sheeting closed.

“Sister Wegina Mawia is my pwincipal,” Charlotte said, looking up at Addy with eyes the color of sea glass. Clear blue mottled with bottle green. Beautiful and trusting. But not when she looked at Lucas. Something about the big man scared the girl. Normally, Addy would agree. As a former victim of violence, she avoided large men. Even though she knew it was wrong to judge a man on his size, she couldn’t seem to help herself. Lucas was an oak tree.

“Sister Regina Maria sounds like a good principal. Is she nice?”

Michael joined them. “If dragons are nice.”

“She’s not a dwagon,” Charlotte admonished, her plump lips straightening in a line, her brow wrinkling into thunderclouds. “You a fart head. Chris said so.”

Michael laughed. “He’d know.”

Charlotte didn’t seem to know what to say. But Lucas did. “Michael, did you finish your homework?”

The boy gave his uncle a withering look.

“Did you?”

The boy still didn’t answer but instead tugged Charlotte’s hand away from Addy. “Let’s go home, Lottie.”

“Nooo,” the toddler screeched, pulling away from Michael. “I want cookies.”

“We got cookies.” The boy leaned over and picked up his sister, shooting Lucas a funny look. “If you don’t come with me, I’ll leave you with Uncle Lucas all by yourself.”

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