Was that pity in his eyes? Maggie wondered if she’d let her little bit of sadness show. She didn’t mind, of course. He and his brothers did say they wanted to get to know her. She was going to miss the ocean. It had been a part of her life for as far back as she could remember. But she didn’t want anyone to think she was feeling sorry for herself.
So she gave him a smile and said, “Surprise me.”
“I hope to.” He started to head back to the bedroom, then stopped and turned back to her. “It’s only about a four and a half hour drive to Galveston from here. Galveston is on the Gulf coast. Sometimes the waves can be lively, and you can smell the salt in the air. It’s not the Atlantic, but it might do.” He gave her a half smile.
Yes, it just might .
Maggie’s gaze stayed on Richard as he left the room. She recalled overhearing Julia chatting with Tracy about her brother the first time she came to Lusty, for Ginny’s engagement party.
Maybe Richard wasn’t as clueless as his sister thought.
The sound of female voices drew her attention to the front door.
“Boy howdy, you’ve done a lot in one morning.” Ginny came in carrying a large shopping bag. Accompanying her niece were Ginny’s future mother-in-law, Samantha Kendall, and Kate Benedict.
“I have to say one thing for the brothers Benedict. When they set their minds to something, it gets done.”
Ginny grinned. “That’s how Kendalls do things, too.”
“Oh, now this looks very homey.” Kate came and stood beside Maggie as she took in the room.
Maggie turned her attention to the older woman, even as she wondered why Ginny and Mrs. Kendall headed toward the back of the house and the master bedroom.
“I’m not sure if there’ll be occasion to actually use the fireplace.” Maggie gestured toward the lovely mantel. “I don’t know how cold it gets here. But I thought we could get an electric fireplace insert.” She smiled at Kate. “The one I had back in New Jersey allowed you to enjoy looking at the ‘flames’ without the heater being on. But if a chill nipped, then the heat it produced was just fine.”
“What a grand idea! You could have the ambiance of a fire anytime you wanted it.” Kate beamed at her. “It’s nice to see this old house coming back to life.”
“I know it was used as a place to care for those injured in war, but the house has a happy feeling to it.”
“Yes, I’ve always thought so. Right from the first moment I set foot over the threshold.”
If Maggie had known Kate Benedict better, she might have pressed for tales of what it had been like in Lusty all those years ago.
She had a feeling Grandma Kate had led a very interesting life.
“That’s a lovely view out that window, isn’t it? Soon all the wildflowers will be in full bloom. They’re dotted all through that field. Yellow and blue and sometimes white and pink. It’s a very pretty picture in the summer. ”
Maggie thought it was a very pretty picture right now. She could see blue and white flowers beginning to show their happy little faces.
“That’s good to know. I was thinking of putting a chess table right there under that window. Perhaps an oak one to match the card table I already found.” She pointed to the lovely square table she’d placed under the windows that looked out from the front of the house onto the wide porch.
“That would be a good place to play cards. I think you’ve definitely got a knack for creating a restful yet interesting space.” Kate took in the bookshelves, lovely dark wood but, at the moment, empty. “There’s not a house in Lusty that doesn’t have boxes of books tucked away in the attic. I’ll put the word out. Some folks will jump at the chance to lend them to you.”
“Thank you. That would be great! I’ll pick up some bookplates so I can keep track of book ownership.”
Kate grinned. “That sounded like something Richard would say.”
“Did it?” Perhaps that was one of the
So she gave him a smile and said, “Surprise me.”
“I hope to.” He started to head back to the bedroom, then stopped and turned back to her. “It’s only about a four and a half hour drive to Galveston from here. Galveston is on the Gulf coast. Sometimes the waves can be lively, and you can smell the salt in the air. It’s not the Atlantic, but it might do.” He gave her a half smile.
Yes, it just might .
Maggie’s gaze stayed on Richard as he left the room. She recalled overhearing Julia chatting with Tracy about her brother the first time she came to Lusty, for Ginny’s engagement party.
Maybe Richard wasn’t as clueless as his sister thought.
The sound of female voices drew her attention to the front door.
“Boy howdy, you’ve done a lot in one morning.” Ginny came in carrying a large shopping bag. Accompanying her niece were Ginny’s future mother-in-law, Samantha Kendall, and Kate Benedict.
“I have to say one thing for the brothers Benedict. When they set their minds to something, it gets done.”
Ginny grinned. “That’s how Kendalls do things, too.”
“Oh, now this looks very homey.” Kate came and stood beside Maggie as she took in the room.
Maggie turned her attention to the older woman, even as she wondered why Ginny and Mrs. Kendall headed toward the back of the house and the master bedroom.
“I’m not sure if there’ll be occasion to actually use the fireplace.” Maggie gestured toward the lovely mantel. “I don’t know how cold it gets here. But I thought we could get an electric fireplace insert.” She smiled at Kate. “The one I had back in New Jersey allowed you to enjoy looking at the ‘flames’ without the heater being on. But if a chill nipped, then the heat it produced was just fine.”
“What a grand idea! You could have the ambiance of a fire anytime you wanted it.” Kate beamed at her. “It’s nice to see this old house coming back to life.”
“I know it was used as a place to care for those injured in war, but the house has a happy feeling to it.”
“Yes, I’ve always thought so. Right from the first moment I set foot over the threshold.”
If Maggie had known Kate Benedict better, she might have pressed for tales of what it had been like in Lusty all those years ago.
She had a feeling Grandma Kate had led a very interesting life.
“That’s a lovely view out that window, isn’t it? Soon all the wildflowers will be in full bloom. They’re dotted all through that field. Yellow and blue and sometimes white and pink. It’s a very pretty picture in the summer. ”
Maggie thought it was a very pretty picture right now. She could see blue and white flowers beginning to show their happy little faces.
“That’s good to know. I was thinking of putting a chess table right there under that window. Perhaps an oak one to match the card table I already found.” She pointed to the lovely square table she’d placed under the windows that looked out from the front of the house onto the wide porch.
“That would be a good place to play cards. I think you’ve definitely got a knack for creating a restful yet interesting space.” Kate took in the bookshelves, lovely dark wood but, at the moment, empty. “There’s not a house in Lusty that doesn’t have boxes of books tucked away in the attic. I’ll put the word out. Some folks will jump at the chance to lend them to you.”
“Thank you. That would be great! I’ll pick up some bookplates so I can keep track of book ownership.”
Kate grinned. “That sounded like something Richard would say.”
“Did it?” Perhaps that was one of the
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