“Thanks,” he told her, lifting it out with a look of happy anticipation.
She held her breath a little, watching his face.
“No way,” he said again when he saw what else was in the bag. “You brought Scrabble?”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d have time to play,” she said.
“I see what this is,” he said teasingly. “You think now that you’re all grown up, you can finally beat me. Don’t you?”
She laughed, feeling relieved to slip back into their old banter.
“I’m putting on some coffee, then we’re eating pie and playing this,” Ransom said firmly. “You can stay awhile, right?”
“I was hoping you’d drop me in town when you pick up the kids,” she said.
“Sure,” he said. “Where’s the car?”
“In the shop,” she told him, hoping he didn’t ask any follow-up questions that would force her to mention Jensen. “Bad alternator, I think. It just sort of gave out on me.”
“Well, whatever’s wrong, let’s fix it,” he said. “I know it’s an old car, but it’s got some good memories.”
Warmth flooded Willow’s chest and she felt herself relax a little more.
Things might not be perfect between them, but this relationship was going to be just fine after all.
4
WILLOW
Willow awoke the next morning in her little apartment with sunlight flooding through the windows.
She sat up slowly, running a hand through her hair and feeling almost disoriented by the late hour.
I haven’t slept that well in forever.
It was probably the afternoon yesterday with her brother. It had been so long since they’d spent time together that wasn’t fraught with tension. But yesterday had been halfway to old times.
She smiled to herself as she got up and grabbed clothes to put on after her shower, thinking more about her visit with her brother.
Ransom had absolutely annihilated her in Scrabble, and it had put him in an excellent mood. They also ate half the pumpkin pie, drank a pot of coffee, and reminisced about the old times.
And though he hadn’t asked about her service, and she hadn’t wanted to bring up his, he did ask her abouther new job. And he told her about his own plans. When he dropped her off back at the apartment before school let out, she’d hugged him on impulse before hopping out of the car.
Things are going to be okay. We might not be back where we were just yet, but we’re going to get there.
Once she was showered and dressed, Willow headed to the door that led down to Carla’s Place.
Back when the house was remodeled to create the senior center, the interior staircase must have been relocated to the back of the house. It now opened into the kitchen, and as far as Willow was concerned, it was a great adjustment because it allowed the scent of coffee to drift up to her in the mornings.
Though she had her own kitchenette, she enjoyed sharing a cup of morning java with the folks downstairs. So when she grabbed her groceries at the Co-op last week, she also picked up some coffee and creamer to add to the donations in the downstairs kitchen. She had even slipped two of the pies she had bought into the fridge the other day when no one was looking.
“Oh, look who decided to join us,” Reggie Webb chuckled teasingly as she entered the downstairs area.
“What is that, your fifth cup?” Mrs. Lennox teased Reggie, taking the heat off Willow.
The two of them were regulars at Carla’s Place. Reggie was a talker, and he was here just about every day to chew the fat and learn all the new gossip around town.
Mrs. Lennox lived in the apartment building behind the little house. But she spent so much time here that Willow suspected her fixed income made it easier for herto spend the winter days here than pay to keep the heat turned up all day at her own place.
