and so had Emily’s attitude.
Emily put the telephone back in place. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I sound like a jealous witch, don’t I? I don’t mean it. I’m glad everything is going so well for you, I really am. I’ve just got cabin fever, I suppose.”
Kaye nodded. “I know, Emily. It seems as if winter will never end, doesn’t it?” But she didn’t forget the outburst, and she didn’t think that Emily did, either.
*****
She found the house on Friday. It clung to the side of a hill in the steepest and newest section of Henderson Heights. The house was only three years old, Brendan told her, but its cedar-shingled exterior had weathered to a silvery grey that blended in with the maples and oaks that surrounded it. It really didn’t look like a large house at all from the outside, but she walked from room to room with glee, counting bedrooms and imagining herself following a day’s routine in these beautiful surroundings.
The kitchen was smaller than she had hoped for, but the view was superb. The carpeting in some of the rooms was a peculiar shade of pale pink, but that, she told herself stoutly, could be changed in a hurry. To balance that disadvantage, though, there was a huge glassed-in porch that she knew instinctively would be her favorite room.
She stood on the balcony outside the master bedroom, staring off across the tree-lined valley. Just now it was blanketed with snow, and it was beautiful. But in summer, she thought, it would be perfect here. There would be birds to watch, and squirrels to feed, and something new to notice every day.
The house was empty, which meant they could start to work as soon as the paperwork was done, and they could set an early wedding date. Graham will be pleased about that, she thought.
The wind sweeping up through the valley was cold, but she didn’t notice it until Brendan came out on to the balcony beside her. It wasn’t until she felt his warmth that she started to shiver, and then she began to laugh at herself.
“ And I thought I couldn’t be happy with anything but an old house,” she said. “Brendan, thank you. This is it.” She gestured toward the valley. “It’s perfect.”
“ The setting is wonderful, isn’t it? Of course, there are some things to be done, but with three full levels it’s got space for you to work with.”
“ Can I sign the papers?” she asked. “I’d hate for someone else to come along and buy it, now that I’ve finally found it.”
“ Don’t you think Graham should see it first?”
“ Oh—of course. How silly of me.” She shook her head in confusion. “Perhaps tomorrow? “I know it’s Saturday, but it’s hard for him to get away from the office during the week.”
“ Fine,” Brendan said. “I don’t mind working weekends in a good cause.”
“ And a new BMW would be a very good cause,” Kaye murmured innocently. “We’re going to look at rings right after lunch tomorrow—could we meet you here at the house at two?”
“ That’s fine with me. Now, shall we lock up and go have a drink to celebrate?”
She smiled up at him, a child’s happy grin. “Let’s!”
“ Where would you like to go?”
“ Not anywhere close to the plaza,” Kaye said. “I feel guilty enough about not rushing straight back to work for the rest of the afternoon.”
Brendan grinned. “One of many advantages of selling property,” he said. “I can set my own hours, and no one complains.”
“ Including weekends and evenings,” Kaye pointed out. “Doesn’t your family mind?”
“ No family. Just a neighborhood tomcat who keeps an eye on me, and lets me know when I’m late coming home.”
She twisted around in her seat. There was no stuffed animal in the back of the car. “I would have sworn that you were hauling a teddy bear around last time I rode with you.”
“ Oh, that. It was my niece’s—she left it here last weekend. I understand it caused something of a storm in
Emily put the telephone back in place. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I sound like a jealous witch, don’t I? I don’t mean it. I’m glad everything is going so well for you, I really am. I’ve just got cabin fever, I suppose.”
Kaye nodded. “I know, Emily. It seems as if winter will never end, doesn’t it?” But she didn’t forget the outburst, and she didn’t think that Emily did, either.
*****
She found the house on Friday. It clung to the side of a hill in the steepest and newest section of Henderson Heights. The house was only three years old, Brendan told her, but its cedar-shingled exterior had weathered to a silvery grey that blended in with the maples and oaks that surrounded it. It really didn’t look like a large house at all from the outside, but she walked from room to room with glee, counting bedrooms and imagining herself following a day’s routine in these beautiful surroundings.
The kitchen was smaller than she had hoped for, but the view was superb. The carpeting in some of the rooms was a peculiar shade of pale pink, but that, she told herself stoutly, could be changed in a hurry. To balance that disadvantage, though, there was a huge glassed-in porch that she knew instinctively would be her favorite room.
She stood on the balcony outside the master bedroom, staring off across the tree-lined valley. Just now it was blanketed with snow, and it was beautiful. But in summer, she thought, it would be perfect here. There would be birds to watch, and squirrels to feed, and something new to notice every day.
The house was empty, which meant they could start to work as soon as the paperwork was done, and they could set an early wedding date. Graham will be pleased about that, she thought.
The wind sweeping up through the valley was cold, but she didn’t notice it until Brendan came out on to the balcony beside her. It wasn’t until she felt his warmth that she started to shiver, and then she began to laugh at herself.
“ And I thought I couldn’t be happy with anything but an old house,” she said. “Brendan, thank you. This is it.” She gestured toward the valley. “It’s perfect.”
“ The setting is wonderful, isn’t it? Of course, there are some things to be done, but with three full levels it’s got space for you to work with.”
“ Can I sign the papers?” she asked. “I’d hate for someone else to come along and buy it, now that I’ve finally found it.”
“ Don’t you think Graham should see it first?”
“ Oh—of course. How silly of me.” She shook her head in confusion. “Perhaps tomorrow? “I know it’s Saturday, but it’s hard for him to get away from the office during the week.”
“ Fine,” Brendan said. “I don’t mind working weekends in a good cause.”
“ And a new BMW would be a very good cause,” Kaye murmured innocently. “We’re going to look at rings right after lunch tomorrow—could we meet you here at the house at two?”
“ That’s fine with me. Now, shall we lock up and go have a drink to celebrate?”
She smiled up at him, a child’s happy grin. “Let’s!”
“ Where would you like to go?”
“ Not anywhere close to the plaza,” Kaye said. “I feel guilty enough about not rushing straight back to work for the rest of the afternoon.”
Brendan grinned. “One of many advantages of selling property,” he said. “I can set my own hours, and no one complains.”
“ Including weekends and evenings,” Kaye pointed out. “Doesn’t your family mind?”
“ No family. Just a neighborhood tomcat who keeps an eye on me, and lets me know when I’m late coming home.”
She twisted around in her seat. There was no stuffed animal in the back of the car. “I would have sworn that you were hauling a teddy bear around last time I rode with you.”
“ Oh, that. It was my niece’s—she left it here last weekend. I understand it caused something of a storm in
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