Fortune Found by Victoria Pade Page B

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    â€œThey’re Worry People,” Flint explained. “You can give all your troubles to them, put them under your pillow when you sleep and forget everything that’s bothering you so you can rest.”
    Ella frowned suspiciously but seemed intrigued nonetheless. And to her credit, without her mother’s encouragement, she said a very solemn, “Thank you,” as if she had need to share her burdens and actually was grateful. Which made Jessie’s heart ache just a little.
    But all she could do was remind her other children to thank Flint before her parents finally did get them to go upstairs with their new treasures.
    â€œThat was very nice of you,” she told Flint when everyone was gone. Nice and touching and so thoughtful of him to have personalized each gift to each child. “You didn’t have to do that.”
    â€œI did it because I wanted to,” he said, using the empty bag as a trash receptacle to collect stray popcorn kernels and discarded napkins. As he did, Jessie tried not to notice for the millionth time tonight that the man could rock a pair of jeans like nobody’s business.
    But it wasn’t easy.
    Still, she tore her eyes away from his derriere and began to gather plates, bowls and glasses as Flint said, “I had nightmares as a kid. I hated to hear that Braden is suffering through that. And Ella… I think Ella has more worries than she should have. I wasn’t sure what to do for Adam and Bethany, so I just played it safe.”
    â€œIt was still really nice,” she said. Then, even though she had no desire to see him go, she said, “You don’t have to help with this stuff, too. If you want to get home or if you have somewhere else to be…”
    â€œActually, I was kind of hoping that if we got this cleared away in a hurry I might be able to talk you into showing me your studio.”
    â€œOh, you don’t want to see that,” Jessie demurred self-consciously.
    â€œYes, I do. What do you say? Can I earn my way into a private showing by emptying the trash?” He held up the small sack he’d been filling and she drank in the sight of him in a form-fitting white crew-necked T-shirt that accentuated his muscular, V-shaped torso divinely.
    And between how appealing he looked, the fact that he always managed to lighten her mood, and having brought her kids such kind and caring gifts, how could she say no to him?
    â€œOkay, but don’t have high expectations. I took art in middle and high school, but I’ve taken only a few adult classes at night school over the years, so it isn’t as if I’m trained or anything. I’m just a putterer.”
    â€œThen I want to see your putterings.”
    â€œWhy don’t you work on clearing up the games while I do the dishes, then I’ll show you my putterings?”
    Had that come out sounding suggestive?
    It had to her.
    And it must have to him because he grinned devilishly.
    But he also must have realized that she hadn’t intended to say anything suggestive because he let her off the hook with a simple, “It’s a deal.”
    She took the paper bag he offered and the dinnerware she’d stacked into the kitchen. With the trash disposed of, she stood at the sink to rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher.
    As she did, she took stock of her own appearance in her reflection of the window above the sink.
    She was wearing jeans, too, and a simple navy blue shirt that she’d chosen for the princess seams that allowed the blouse to hug her curves just a bit. Luckilyshe’d managed to spend an entire evening with her kids without having anything spilled on her, so there were no spots to worry about.
    She’d twisted her hair into a French knot in the back and left the ends to erupt in a bundle of curls at her crown, and that was still neat and tidy. And although the dark glass didn’t reflect too many details, she thought the