Zero Visibility by Georgia Beers

her eyebrow. “Okay then.” She backed away, shaking her head. As an afterthought, she added, “Um, be careful up there.”
    He grunted again.
    “Nice talking to you,” Emerson muttered under her breath as she headed back into the warmth of the cottage, returned to the bedroom, and closed the blinds and the door.
    A little while later, Emerson entered the lobby area of the main house. Mary was at the computer, concentrating hard on whatever she was reading. She glanced up, smiled.
    “Good morning, Emmy.”
    Emerson bristled at the nickname that very few people called her, but managed to smile back. “Morning.” Before she could say any more, the door opened and Gordie came bounding in, followed by his owner. He made a beeline for Mary, whose voice raised in pitch by three octaves.
    “There’s my handsome boy,” she cooed. “Guess what I have for you. Guess. Go on.” He trailed her back into the kitchen as Emerson watched them go, shaking her head.
    “Yeah, he has that effect on the ladies,” Cassie said with a grin. She leaned a forearm against the counter. “Hi.”
    “Hey.”
    Their gazes held, and it occurred to Emerson that nobody else had such intense, direct eye contact as Cassie. Holding her gaze was fun. Sizzling. Kind of sexy. Cassie wore her usual wind pants and fleece pullover. Today’s was bright blue, a color that looked great on her. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she had light gloves on that she pulled off finger by finger as Emerson watched.
    “Chilly this morning,” Cassie commented.
    “I know. I went out to yell at Mr. Gruffton for scaring the crap out of me.”
    “Mr. Gruffton?” Cassie snorted.
    “That’s what I always called him when I was a kid.”
    “It fits.”
    “Right?” Emerson asked, her eyes wide.
    Mary and Gordie returned. “What’s right?” Mary asked.
    “That Jack’s name should be Gruffton instead of Grafton,” Cassie filled her in.
    Mary chuckled, then waved the girls off, trying not to smile. “Now, now. Be nice.”
    “He put the ladder against the house and started cleaning the gutters while I was running around naked,” Emerson told her. “He nearly gave me a heart attack.”
    “I doubt he would’ve noticed, honey,” Mary said with a dismissive wave as Cassie raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
    “Well. Still.” Emerson cleared her throat.
    “He’s having a hard time,” Mary said then, her voice softening. “Your mom was like a daughter to him. He’s known her since she was a child. He’s grieving.” She put a warm hand on Emerson’s arm and squeezed. “Cut him a little slack.”
    Emerson nodded, feeling guilt settle over her.
    “Caroline asked him several weeks ago if he could check her gutters,” Mary said, turning wet eyes back to the computer screen as she absently petted Gordie’s head. “So…” She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug.
    A beat of quiet passed.
    Cassie tapped the counter. “So. What needs to be done today?”
    “Hey, before you get into that, I need a favor,” Emerson said, her focus on Mary. With a grimace, she explained the situation with her rental car. “With Mom’s car already here, I don’t need the rental and it’s costing me a small fortune.”
    “How long are you staying?” Mary asked. “I thought you’d be heading out soon.”
    Emerson hesitated, looked from Mary to Cassie and back. “I’m not sure yet.”
    “Well, we’re fully booked this weekend. I’m not sure about getting away for that long…”
    “I can do it,” Cassie said. Both women looked at her. “What? I’ve got enough people on at the store tomorrow. They won’t miss me. Gordie and I like drives.”
    “What do you mean you like drives?” Mary said, confused. “You don’t even have a car.”
    “You don’t?” Emerson asked, surprised.
    With a shrug, Cassie explained, “I don’t really need one. I walk or bike everywhere I need to be around here. If I’ve got to drive someplace, I borrow one of