smoothing the soft white linen across her thigh.
“So—” Bunny turned her assessing gaze to rest squarely on her guest, “—how long do you plan on staying in town? I know how real estate is. It’s not something you can be away from for long.”
Danielle cleared her throat. “There are people in my office to handle my clients, if necessary.” She neglected to mention Tina Welch. There was no one to help Tina while she was gone.
Bunny lowered her chin, her perfectly sculpted bob didn’t move. Her lips spread into a thin line. “That’s okay with you? Handing your clients over to your coworkers?”
Danielle ran pinched fingers along the edge of the cloth napkin on her lap. She imagined this was how insects felt under a microscope. “My sister needs me now.”
Bunny gave her a knowing smile. As if saying, “You were never around for her before.” Or perhaps Danielle was projecting her own feelings onto Bunny.
“I’ll juggle everything I can until things settle down,” Danielle said, searching the stairway for any sign of Patrick’s return. “And I will be making a short trip to Atlanta this week.”
“Really? So you don’t have plans to move back to Mayport?” Bunny lifted a pale brow, skepticism etched on her features.
“No, not at all.”
Bunny gave a quick nod and rose to her feet. She gathered a few plates and disappeared into the kitchen. Picking up a few dishes of her own, Danielle followed. Bunny grabbed a flowered apron from the hook near the sink and draped it around her neck. She tied it at her waist and smoothed her hands down the front.
“Dear, Ava seems to have taken a liking to you.” Bunny turned on the faucet and let the water run over her fingers. “She invited you for dinner. Now she wants you to take her to the fall festival at church.”
Heat crept up Danielle’s neck and checks “I don’t mind taking her.”
“I’d go myself, but I have to work.” Bunny hiked her chin with a sniff.
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
Danielle opened her mouth, then shut it again, realizing Bunny wasn’t looking for an answer.
“My son and granddaughter have had enough loss in their lives. They don’t need you flitting in here, into their lives, then leaving when it suits you.”
“I have no intention of staying in Mayport, Mrs. Kingsley—” Patrick’s mother flashed her a look and Danielle immediately corrected herself, “—um, Bunny. I never pretended otherwise.” Nervously, she bit her lip, then quickly schooled her expression. She felt fourteen again, trying to gain approval of the woman next door who always seemed to look down her nose at her.
Bunny grew up with Danielle’s mom. Her mother’s reputation colored Bunny’s perception of her. She wanted to tell Bunny she was in no way, shape or form, her mother. But it didn’t matter. People in a small town would think what they wanted to think. Why bother wasting her breath trying to convince Bunny otherwise? She didn’t plan on sticking around anyway.
“As long as we understand each other.” Bunny plugged the sink and pumped some dish detergent into the water. Thick, sudsy bubbles filled the sink. Bunny tossed a glance over her shoulder. “I’ll be sure to keep Jenny in my prayers,” she added, by way of dismissal.
“Thank you,” Danielle whispered as tears threatened. “I better check on Gram.”
“Daddy, one more kiss.” Two pink-clad arms extended from a sea of stuffed animals. Ava’s strong arms clasped around Patrick’s neck and pulled him down, forcing him to come face-to-face with some Disney character. He never denied his only child one more hug. He was aware she was growing up, and soon she probably wouldn’t give him the time of day.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, smelling the fresh minty scent of toothpaste. “Night. God Bless.”
“Dad…?” She let the word hang out there.
“Yes?” he encouraged her. His own father was distant, but his mother had made up for what
“So—” Bunny turned her assessing gaze to rest squarely on her guest, “—how long do you plan on staying in town? I know how real estate is. It’s not something you can be away from for long.”
Danielle cleared her throat. “There are people in my office to handle my clients, if necessary.” She neglected to mention Tina Welch. There was no one to help Tina while she was gone.
Bunny lowered her chin, her perfectly sculpted bob didn’t move. Her lips spread into a thin line. “That’s okay with you? Handing your clients over to your coworkers?”
Danielle ran pinched fingers along the edge of the cloth napkin on her lap. She imagined this was how insects felt under a microscope. “My sister needs me now.”
Bunny gave her a knowing smile. As if saying, “You were never around for her before.” Or perhaps Danielle was projecting her own feelings onto Bunny.
“I’ll juggle everything I can until things settle down,” Danielle said, searching the stairway for any sign of Patrick’s return. “And I will be making a short trip to Atlanta this week.”
“Really? So you don’t have plans to move back to Mayport?” Bunny lifted a pale brow, skepticism etched on her features.
“No, not at all.”
Bunny gave a quick nod and rose to her feet. She gathered a few plates and disappeared into the kitchen. Picking up a few dishes of her own, Danielle followed. Bunny grabbed a flowered apron from the hook near the sink and draped it around her neck. She tied it at her waist and smoothed her hands down the front.
“Dear, Ava seems to have taken a liking to you.” Bunny turned on the faucet and let the water run over her fingers. “She invited you for dinner. Now she wants you to take her to the fall festival at church.”
Heat crept up Danielle’s neck and checks “I don’t mind taking her.”
“I’d go myself, but I have to work.” Bunny hiked her chin with a sniff.
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
Danielle opened her mouth, then shut it again, realizing Bunny wasn’t looking for an answer.
“My son and granddaughter have had enough loss in their lives. They don’t need you flitting in here, into their lives, then leaving when it suits you.”
“I have no intention of staying in Mayport, Mrs. Kingsley—” Patrick’s mother flashed her a look and Danielle immediately corrected herself, “—um, Bunny. I never pretended otherwise.” Nervously, she bit her lip, then quickly schooled her expression. She felt fourteen again, trying to gain approval of the woman next door who always seemed to look down her nose at her.
Bunny grew up with Danielle’s mom. Her mother’s reputation colored Bunny’s perception of her. She wanted to tell Bunny she was in no way, shape or form, her mother. But it didn’t matter. People in a small town would think what they wanted to think. Why bother wasting her breath trying to convince Bunny otherwise? She didn’t plan on sticking around anyway.
“As long as we understand each other.” Bunny plugged the sink and pumped some dish detergent into the water. Thick, sudsy bubbles filled the sink. Bunny tossed a glance over her shoulder. “I’ll be sure to keep Jenny in my prayers,” she added, by way of dismissal.
“Thank you,” Danielle whispered as tears threatened. “I better check on Gram.”
“Daddy, one more kiss.” Two pink-clad arms extended from a sea of stuffed animals. Ava’s strong arms clasped around Patrick’s neck and pulled him down, forcing him to come face-to-face with some Disney character. He never denied his only child one more hug. He was aware she was growing up, and soon she probably wouldn’t give him the time of day.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, smelling the fresh minty scent of toothpaste. “Night. God Bless.”
“Dad…?” She let the word hang out there.
“Yes?” he encouraged her. His own father was distant, but his mother had made up for what
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