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Before he could open his mouth to greet Robin, her daughter bum-rushed him with the widest smile he’d ever seen and hugged him around the waist. “You found it!”
Jack stilled, unsure what to do for a second. Then he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Abby’s small frame and gave her back a couple of pats before she stepped away.
He handed her the superhero lunch box with an approving nod. “You have good taste, kid. These are some of my favorite heroes.”
Abby continued to beam at him as she clutched it to her chest. Then she spun around, showing him her backpack. “It matches. They were a set, so I was sad I lost it.”
Jack reached out and fingered the broken buckle. “Ah, yep. Looks like this part cracked.”
Abby’s face had fallen when she turned around, removing the backpack so she could see what he meant. “Oh, no.”
“I’m sure it’ll be easy to fix, though. Just order another buckle online and then take it to an alterations place or something. They’ll probably be able to put it on for you.”
The girl brightened and turned toward her mom, which caused Jack to finally look up at her too. She stood on the sidewalk watching their exchange with wide eyes, her mouth slightly parted. And when their gazes met, Jack’s throat went so dry he was forced to clear it.
“Hey,” he said when he finally recovered.
Robin looked at Carolyn, who stood on the porch, tapping away on the tablet she’d carried with her all afternoon. Then her eyes flicked up to the house behind them, over to the inn, and finally back to Jack’s face. “Are you buying this house?”
“Yeah. Carolyn saved the best for last.” Jack quirked a brow as he said it, unable to help himself.
“I see.”
“Wait, so you’re gonna be our next-door neighbor?” Abby asked, bouncing with glee.
“I— What?” Jack looked between Abby and her mother.
Robin slowly lifted a finger and pointed to the house next door, in the opposite direction of the inn.
“You live right there?” Jack asked.
How had he never realized that? He’d known they lived close to the inn because they were always on foot, but they seemed to walk everywhere, as did many people in this town.
“Sure do.”
Jack’s mind reeled at this revelation. She’d be right next door? It’d been hard to get her out of his mind even from Philly, and now she’d be in the house ten feet from his? He swung around to examine the distance between the two houses. Okay, sotwentyfeet. Not much better.
For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how he felt about it. More importantly, how wouldshefeel about it? Would they stand around and chat about the weather like neighbors probably did in towns like this? Would she ask him to borrow a cup of sugar or to help her with a leaky sink? That idea excited him, but then another thought crossed his mind.
He respected that she didn’t want to date a cop. He got it. But what would it be like to continue his search for a woman whodidwant him while living right next to the woman he wished would give him a chance?
“Okay,” Carolyn said from behind him, making him jump, “I’m going to pop back by the office, then head home. Jack, do you have any questions for me before I get things started?”
They’d already discussed the listing price, and she knew he was willing to offer the full amount, so he didn’t think there was much more to discuss before she drew up the contracts. He shook his head and told her so, then thanked her for her time and for helping him find the house.
Carolyn said her goodbyes, leaving Jack alone with Robin and Abby, allowing the full weight of the situation to settle over him. He’d be running into this woman a lot more than he’d thought. It was the perfect house, and yet, something deep in his gut made him want to chase after Carolyn and tell her that, on second thought, maybe they should keep looking.
There might be another house just like this one, a few houses in the other direction of the inn. Then he wouldn’t be in such close proximity to the woman who’d been able to drive him wild with a simple smile since the day he’d met her.
But… no.
He’d moved here to be close to Holly and her growing family, and Carolyn had said the house being so close to the inn was why she’d saved it for last. Surely, if there was another house just as close but on the other side, she would have already told him. Giving up this house because of the woman who lived in the one beside it would be dumb. Plain and simple.
Jack headed down the porch steps as Abby skipped ahead of him, and when he got within reach of Robin, his stomach clenched as the warm scent of her reached his nose. It was sweet, and if he wasn’t mistaken, it was a cross between waffles and gingerbread. He didn’t know much about perfume or anything, but he was abigfan of a sweet breakfast.
He sniffed the air between them. “Why do you smell like a bakery?”
Robin opened her mouth to respond, but Abby beat her to it. “It’s the lotion I bought her for Christmas last year. My school has a Christmas market for kids, and we get to use real money to buy presents for our parents.”
