snow.
“Gramps!” Josie cried.
* * *
A burst of panic blasted Josie’s chest. Gramps had fallen. He might be ill. He had a bad heart and she feared he’d left his medication at home. A nauseating lump settled in her stomach.
Paying no heed to the knee-deep snow, she lurched forward, and would have run to her grandfather if Clint hadn’t held out a hand to stop her.
“He’s okay. Trust me. Just watch a minute.”
At that moment, Gracie pounced on Gramps. He caught the child and rolled, tickling her and laughing. Gracie shrieked, her voice rising through the treetops.
Josie relaxed her stiff shoulders, her heart still thumping madly. She glanced at Clint. “How did you know he was okay?”
Clint shrugged. “It’s a game they’ve played before.”
Understanding filled her mind. Memories washed over her as she listened to her grandfather’s deep chuckles. When she’d been young, he’d played with her in much the same way. Making her feel loved and wanted. Helping her forget her sad childhood back at home.
“I guess I’ve missed a lot of fun times with my grandparents over the past few years. I’ve been too busy with work.” Though she didn’t want Gramps to get overly tired on this excursion, she was glad to see him having fun.
“You’re making up for it now.” Clint’s words sounded a bit reluctant.
She turned, her gaze resting on him as he lifted his chain saw from its case. He used an Allen wrench to move the bar out and tighten up the chain. With a knit cap pulled low across his ears and his blunt chin sporting a hint of stubble, he looked completely masculine and content to be up on this mountain cutting trees.
“Better late than never, huh?” she asked.
“It’s never too late with family.” He spoke without looking up.
His words brought her a bit of comfort. And standing there in the forest, her feet cold in the snow, Josie realized her family meant everything to her now. Once Gramps was gone, she’d have no one left. No husband or children to call her own. And maybe that was for the best. Remembering her parent’s ugly divorce, she decided being alone was preferable to being miserable in a bad marriage. Wasn’t it?
She contemplated Gramps as he pushed himself up, brushed the snow off his blue coveralls, then followed Gracie over to inspect another tree.
“I worry about him.” Josie spoke absentmindedly.
Clint looked up from his task. “That’s as it should be, but I think he’s doing okay.”
“I don’t agree. Not after spending two solid days cleaning his grubby house. I want him to move to Las Vegas with me. If he will, I’ve scheduled him to move into an assisted-living center in mid-January.”
Clint dropped the Allen wrench, his brow creased in a startled frown. The wrench disappeared into the snow and he plunged his hand down to retrieve it. “I doubt he’ll like that. It won’t fit. Not for a man like Frank.”
Hearing her own fears voiced out loud did little for Josie’s self-confidence. Maybe she’d said too much. Maybe she shouldn’t confide in this man. But she couldn’t help feeling drawn to his open kindness.
“Have you told Frank about your plans?” Clint asked.
She shook her head, her eyes meeting his. “Not yet. I haven’t found the right time. I’m hoping to convince him it’s for the best. Then I plan to start boxing up his things while I’m here.”
“And what about his house? I understand it’s been in your family a long time.”
She lifted one shoulder. The thought of never returning to Gramps’s home made her feel suddenly sad, as if she’d be losing an old friend. “Keeping the house isn’t as important as Gramps. I thought we could either close it up, rent it out, or sell it. It depends on what he wants to do.”
Clint didn’t respond. From his glum expression, she felt his disapproval like a leaden weight. And she didn’t like that. For some reason, this man’s opinion mattered to her.
“Have you asked the Lord
“Gramps!” Josie cried.
* * *
A burst of panic blasted Josie’s chest. Gramps had fallen. He might be ill. He had a bad heart and she feared he’d left his medication at home. A nauseating lump settled in her stomach.
Paying no heed to the knee-deep snow, she lurched forward, and would have run to her grandfather if Clint hadn’t held out a hand to stop her.
“He’s okay. Trust me. Just watch a minute.”
At that moment, Gracie pounced on Gramps. He caught the child and rolled, tickling her and laughing. Gracie shrieked, her voice rising through the treetops.
Josie relaxed her stiff shoulders, her heart still thumping madly. She glanced at Clint. “How did you know he was okay?”
Clint shrugged. “It’s a game they’ve played before.”
Understanding filled her mind. Memories washed over her as she listened to her grandfather’s deep chuckles. When she’d been young, he’d played with her in much the same way. Making her feel loved and wanted. Helping her forget her sad childhood back at home.
“I guess I’ve missed a lot of fun times with my grandparents over the past few years. I’ve been too busy with work.” Though she didn’t want Gramps to get overly tired on this excursion, she was glad to see him having fun.
“You’re making up for it now.” Clint’s words sounded a bit reluctant.
She turned, her gaze resting on him as he lifted his chain saw from its case. He used an Allen wrench to move the bar out and tighten up the chain. With a knit cap pulled low across his ears and his blunt chin sporting a hint of stubble, he looked completely masculine and content to be up on this mountain cutting trees.
“Better late than never, huh?” she asked.
“It’s never too late with family.” He spoke without looking up.
His words brought her a bit of comfort. And standing there in the forest, her feet cold in the snow, Josie realized her family meant everything to her now. Once Gramps was gone, she’d have no one left. No husband or children to call her own. And maybe that was for the best. Remembering her parent’s ugly divorce, she decided being alone was preferable to being miserable in a bad marriage. Wasn’t it?
She contemplated Gramps as he pushed himself up, brushed the snow off his blue coveralls, then followed Gracie over to inspect another tree.
“I worry about him.” Josie spoke absentmindedly.
Clint looked up from his task. “That’s as it should be, but I think he’s doing okay.”
“I don’t agree. Not after spending two solid days cleaning his grubby house. I want him to move to Las Vegas with me. If he will, I’ve scheduled him to move into an assisted-living center in mid-January.”
Clint dropped the Allen wrench, his brow creased in a startled frown. The wrench disappeared into the snow and he plunged his hand down to retrieve it. “I doubt he’ll like that. It won’t fit. Not for a man like Frank.”
Hearing her own fears voiced out loud did little for Josie’s self-confidence. Maybe she’d said too much. Maybe she shouldn’t confide in this man. But she couldn’t help feeling drawn to his open kindness.
“Have you told Frank about your plans?” Clint asked.
She shook her head, her eyes meeting his. “Not yet. I haven’t found the right time. I’m hoping to convince him it’s for the best. Then I plan to start boxing up his things while I’m here.”
“And what about his house? I understand it’s been in your family a long time.”
She lifted one shoulder. The thought of never returning to Gramps’s home made her feel suddenly sad, as if she’d be losing an old friend. “Keeping the house isn’t as important as Gramps. I thought we could either close it up, rent it out, or sell it. It depends on what he wants to do.”
Clint didn’t respond. From his glum expression, she felt his disapproval like a leaden weight. And she didn’t like that. For some reason, this man’s opinion mattered to her.
“Have you asked the Lord
Similar Books
