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“Curse of the oldest,” he said with a wry smile.
“What curse? It’s charming.”
“It’s time consuming. My grandfather built it for my grandmother when they married and worked on it all his life. The house has become an ongoing project for all of their kids and grandkids.”
“And the oldest?”
“Gets to learn the value of home ownership and all the maintenance effort that goes with it.”
“Family matters.”
“Yeah,” he said, getting out of the car.
She understood the importance and value of family. In fact, she was grateful for that common denominator connecting her big city past with her current small town situation. She thought it might be the one element that helped her fit in and kept her from going stir crazy around here.
Following him to the porch, she thought the Morris family did excellent work. The steps didn’t creak, the paint wasn’t chipped, and the windows gleamed. “You’ve put in a lot of time.”
“Tell me about it. The oldest kid does get the benefit of free labor and is always the job supervisor.” He grinned, clearly pleased with a provision he’d used without regret.
“Does the second in command do the gardening? Those topiaries are fun.”
He glanced back over his shoulder as he pushed open the front door. “That’s my grandma’s influence. Again, we all have to learn. My grandparents are do-it-yourself types with a wide streak of whimsy.”
“I like them.”
“The grandparents or the plants?”
“Both,” she said, with a grin. A sudden rush of happy barking from the back of the house had her hesitating on the doorstep. “Should I wait for introductions?”
“You’re safe with me,” Carson said, over the canine greeting. He’d dropped to one knee, letting a dark spaniel turn in ecstatic circles, roll onto his back for a belly rub, and then jump up to repeat the process. “This is Sheldon.”
She took a step closer. “Nice to meet you, Sheldon.”
At the sound of her voice, the dog glanced up at her with an expression that could only be defined as a smile. He looked to Carson and at some signal she didn’t see, the dog rushed forward. She leaned down and got a face full of wet dog nose.
“No licking.”
She didn’t care and it seemed to make the dog happier. “He’s fine.”
“Give him an inch, he’ll take a mile,” Carson warned.
“That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?” She talked a little nonsense while she stroked the sleek body and soft ears. “He’s gorgeous. What breed?”
“He’s a Boykin Spaniel.” He snapped his fingers and the dog rushed to his side, butt wriggling. “Let the lady breathe.”
“I wouldn’t think your job allows for a dog.”
“Maybe in a busier office you’d be right. But he’s my buddy. Softest mouth and fastest learner of his litter.”
“Those are good things?”
“Definitely.” Carson was grinning now, an expression she found too charming. “You wouldn’t know it now, but he’s silent and still in the boat when we’re duck hunting.”
She’d have to take that on faith since Sheldon didn’t seem inclined to exhibit calm anytime soon.
“Let me give him a chance to run while I pack.”
With another of those imperceptible signals, Sheldon bolted out the front door and Eva took a minute to look around.
