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“I heard the two of you playing.” Her smile warmed as her gaze held his, lingered, then moved to Aaron. “You’re sounding better all the time, honey.”
Aaron blushed, then jogged up the steps, shoving the guitar case in front of him. “Travis said I could have this ... it’s an acoustic and it’s a better size for me. The one I’m playing is so big, I’m struggling to make it work ... my hands and all.”
Isabel opened her mouth, then, after a pause, she closed it and just nodded. She rested a hand on Aaron’s shoulder for a brief moment. “I assume you told him thanks.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled at her, looking young and sweet and for all the world, the picture of the perfect child.
Isabel rolled her eyes. “Okay. Go on in and put it up, You need to check and make sure you’ve got your homework caught up before dinner, okay?”
Aaron heaved out a sigh and started for the door. He was almost there when he turned and came back for his other guitar.
“I’ll take it in, Aaron,” Isabel said.
Aaron shrugged. “I’ll come back and get it if you just want to put it inside.”
“Okay.”
After the boy disappeared, Travis said, “He’s got some natural skill, I think. And he’s determined.”
“It was kind of you to give it to him. I hope you didn’t spend much on it.”
“It didn’t cost much.” He offered a half-smile. “I had my brother send me one of our old ones. I had to go pick it up in Bangor the other day ...andI had to promise to go see him soon, and go back to California and see our parents.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from the woman who watched him so closely. “Zach ... he’s married now ... they’re expecting their first baby and I promised to get out there and see both him and Abby. And my baby brother and Marin. They’re expecting, too.”
“I read about it...both of them getting married. I can’t say I was surprised about Zach marrying Abby.”
He shot a quick glance and found that she was smiling.
“There was never anybody else for him,” Travis said with a shrug.Or for me.
A burst of raucous laughter burst out from behind them and Travis shifted and looked at the two teens playing ball at the house across the road.
Isabel’s strained sigh caught his attention and he looked over at her. “Problem?”
“No, I ... hell. I’m just hoping those two don’t end up being bad news for each other.” She scowled. “Brant would probably be an okay kid if his father wasn’t a dick. Jacob ... he’s already struggling.”
“They’re both lonely. Maybe they’ll be good for each other. They’ve been playing close to an hour straight and having fun.”
She went to respond, then cocked her head. “An hour. You’re sure?”
Brooklyn came tearing outside before he could answer and threw herself at him. “Mr. Travis! I haven’t seen you in days and days!”
“Days and days, huh, squirt?” He braced the guitar case against the post nearest him and bent over until he and the child were face to face. “Has it been that long?”
Brooklyn nodded so vigorously, that her tiara toppled off. He caught it before it could hit the ground and held it out to her. She grinned at him, displaying a new gap in her smile. “Look,” she said, poking her tongue into the empty space. “I lost a tooth. I got a wholedollarfor it. Why do tooth fairies want teeth?”
“Ummm ... because they’re creepy?”
“Travis!” Isabel glared at him even as she tried not to laugh.
“Well ... ” He shrugged, then looked at Brooklyn. In a fake, too-loud whisper, he said, “It is creepy. Do you want somebody buying your teeth?”
Brooklyn giggled and clapped a hand over her mouth. With her other one, she reached for his hand and turned to look at Isabel. “Can Mr. Travis stay for dinner?”
They both looked at each other.
Even as Travis started to make up an excuse, a wave of longing washed over Isabel and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
Travis stared at her.
