window. "It's got possibilities, Jeremy."
"It does. Do you think it's going to go fast?"
Marianne shrugged. "I hate to predict these things,
but honestly ... maybe."
Mary Beth laughed. "I guess it will all depend on
how long you want to think about it. And how long
you want to live at home," she said softly, with just
enough edge that Jeremy had to laugh.
Like him, he knew Mary Beth loved her parents
dearly ... but would never want to live with them for
any length of time.
"There is that," he said, mentally calculating how
much money he'd managed to save over the passed
two years. He'd made very good money waiting tables
at an exclusive restaurant outside of Columbus, and
even managed to add to it by working as a tutor while
he was student teaching. It wasn't a large amount by
anyone's standards ... but it was just enough to pay
the down payment on a very small home.
Jeremy was just about to try and figure out how
much he could earn over the summer when he noticed
Dinah walking up the sidewalk with Bryan. She had
on crisp white shorts and a tan T-shirt, gold earrings
in her ears, and black sunglasses. She looked slim and
chic. Young and vibrant ... anything but a toddler's
mom. As she approached, she set Bryan on the ground
and let him lumber in front of her.
And then finally they were in the Mill, as well.
"Look who's here," Marianne said with a smile.
"Hey there, Bryan! I like your overalls."
"Say thank you," Dinah said to Bryan before smil ing at Mrs. McKinley. "Hey there, Marianne. How are
you?"
"I'm fine. Just sitting here with Mary Beth and Jeremy Reece ... I believe you know each other?"
Jeremy watched as her easy smile became stilted,
all in the time it took her to meet his gaze. "Hey."
"We've been house hunting. What are y'all up to
today?"
"We've gone on a little bike ride, and now we're
getting set to go to the store for a while."
"Won't you join us?"
Dinah glanced at Jeremy. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," he said, unable to do anything but stare at
her.
Her cheeks turned rosy. "Well, then, let me just go
order some drinks and I'll be right there."
"We'll take Bryan, Di," Mary Beth said, already
scooping up the toddler and talking to him.
Jeremy's heart felt like he'd just run two miles.
There were so many thoughts running through his
head, he didn't know what to think. All he did know
was that it was pretty uncomfortable sitting with Dinah
and Bryan with his sister-in-law there. And Mrs. McKinley, who was friends with Dinah's mom and his.
No telling what was going to get back to his parents.
Yeah, right. Everything was sure to get back to his
parents!
"Jeremy," Marianne said, as if on cue.
"Yes?"
"I just want you to know that I think it's great that
you and Dinah met each other. You both have such
amicable personalities."
He glanced at her in surprise. For once, Marianne
looked completely serious, earnest. "Each of you
needs someone who's bright and sunny. Steady. You
would do well together."
"You don't think the age difference matters?"
"Sure it does," she said with some surprise. "But
doesn't everything? I've yet to come across a couple
who have nothing to overcome. P'all's differences just
happen to be easy to spot."
He was prevented from saying anything by Dinah's
approach. She held a cup of juice in one hand and a
mug of steaming hot coffee in the other.
"Tell me about the houses," she said with a grin.
To Marianne, she said, "Jeremy told me earlier that he
was looking for a place with character."
"I'd dare say he found it," Mary Beth said, handing
Bryan over to Dinah as she sat down. "Jeremy found
the greatest place over on Maple." She went on to
describe it, her mother adding details here and there.
Jeremy kept quiet, choosing to give his attention to
Bryan. The little boy didn't seem to mind being stared
at, at all. In fact, the boy seemed to like him just fine.
He made a note to himself to bring Bryan a box of
animal crackers
"It does. Do you think it's going to go fast?"
Marianne shrugged. "I hate to predict these things,
but honestly ... maybe."
Mary Beth laughed. "I guess it will all depend on
how long you want to think about it. And how long
you want to live at home," she said softly, with just
enough edge that Jeremy had to laugh.
Like him, he knew Mary Beth loved her parents
dearly ... but would never want to live with them for
any length of time.
"There is that," he said, mentally calculating how
much money he'd managed to save over the passed
two years. He'd made very good money waiting tables
at an exclusive restaurant outside of Columbus, and
even managed to add to it by working as a tutor while
he was student teaching. It wasn't a large amount by
anyone's standards ... but it was just enough to pay
the down payment on a very small home.
Jeremy was just about to try and figure out how
much he could earn over the summer when he noticed
Dinah walking up the sidewalk with Bryan. She had
on crisp white shorts and a tan T-shirt, gold earrings
in her ears, and black sunglasses. She looked slim and
chic. Young and vibrant ... anything but a toddler's
mom. As she approached, she set Bryan on the ground
and let him lumber in front of her.
And then finally they were in the Mill, as well.
"Look who's here," Marianne said with a smile.
"Hey there, Bryan! I like your overalls."
"Say thank you," Dinah said to Bryan before smil ing at Mrs. McKinley. "Hey there, Marianne. How are
you?"
"I'm fine. Just sitting here with Mary Beth and Jeremy Reece ... I believe you know each other?"
Jeremy watched as her easy smile became stilted,
all in the time it took her to meet his gaze. "Hey."
"We've been house hunting. What are y'all up to
today?"
"We've gone on a little bike ride, and now we're
getting set to go to the store for a while."
"Won't you join us?"
Dinah glanced at Jeremy. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," he said, unable to do anything but stare at
her.
Her cheeks turned rosy. "Well, then, let me just go
order some drinks and I'll be right there."
"We'll take Bryan, Di," Mary Beth said, already
scooping up the toddler and talking to him.
Jeremy's heart felt like he'd just run two miles.
There were so many thoughts running through his
head, he didn't know what to think. All he did know
was that it was pretty uncomfortable sitting with Dinah
and Bryan with his sister-in-law there. And Mrs. McKinley, who was friends with Dinah's mom and his.
No telling what was going to get back to his parents.
Yeah, right. Everything was sure to get back to his
parents!
"Jeremy," Marianne said, as if on cue.
"Yes?"
"I just want you to know that I think it's great that
you and Dinah met each other. You both have such
amicable personalities."
He glanced at her in surprise. For once, Marianne
looked completely serious, earnest. "Each of you
needs someone who's bright and sunny. Steady. You
would do well together."
"You don't think the age difference matters?"
"Sure it does," she said with some surprise. "But
doesn't everything? I've yet to come across a couple
who have nothing to overcome. P'all's differences just
happen to be easy to spot."
He was prevented from saying anything by Dinah's
approach. She held a cup of juice in one hand and a
mug of steaming hot coffee in the other.
"Tell me about the houses," she said with a grin.
To Marianne, she said, "Jeremy told me earlier that he
was looking for a place with character."
"I'd dare say he found it," Mary Beth said, handing
Bryan over to Dinah as she sat down. "Jeremy found
the greatest place over on Maple." She went on to
describe it, her mother adding details here and there.
Jeremy kept quiet, choosing to give his attention to
Bryan. The little boy didn't seem to mind being stared
at, at all. In fact, the boy seemed to like him just fine.
He made a note to himself to bring Bryan a box of
animal crackers
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