Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66861 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66861 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
I’d been picturing Spencer’s family living here for generations, but now I adjusted that mental image to Raphael’s. “And your sister’s married to Spencer?”
His expression stilled, and I immediately regretted my question. “She was.” His tone spoke volumes. It was obvious that he’d loved his sister a lot—and that she had passed away.
My heart ached for him, and then Lucas, Charlotte, and Spencer too. The kids weren’t even that old. I wondered how long it had been since their loss.
Spencer brought over my tea. I wasn’t sure if he’d heard my question about his late wife, but I hoped not. Feeling a bit awkward, I searched for a less depressing topic.
“What time do your kids get home?”
Spencer checked his phone. “Soon. I’ll walk down and meet them in a few.”
“I’ll do it,” Raphael said, still studying the medicine, notes, and prescriptions in front of him.
“They walk home from school?” That was surprising, since it seemed like this place was pretty far from the center of town.
“No, the bus drops them off at the base of the hill,” Raphael said. “Some days, I go meet them down there and walk them back. Other days, they stay at the afterschool program until Spencer’s ready to leave.”
Guilt filled me as he studied a pamphlet that the people from the hospital had sent with me. “I can do that.”
“Don’t bother,” Spencer said, from behind the kitchen island.
“Why not? It’s my medicine.” I didn’t mean it in an argumentative way. Clearly, I needed all the help I could get. But I was curious as to what he meant.
Spencer grinned. “Yes, and you have every right to read all about it yourself. But Raphael’s relentless. If there’s something to learn, something new in his orbit, he has to study it. That’s just how he’s built. By this time tomorrow, he’ll know more about your leg injury than the people who set the cast.”
Raphael smiled but didn’t look up from what he was doing.
Spencer brought over a plate. On it were apple slices, baby carrots, a hardboiled egg, and a blueberry muffin. “Thanks. That looks healthy.”
He chuckled as he took a seat at the table. “That’s what Charlotte always says, and she doesn’t mean it as a compliment.”
After swallowing the meds that Raphael had left out for me, I started in on the apple slices. Raphael got to his feet. “Speaking of my niece, I should head out. You’ll like Charlotte and Lucas. They’re good kids.”
Something tugged at my memory as he left the house. “Charlotte and Lucas… those names sound familiar.”
Spencer frowned. “I mentioned their names yesterday, but maybe you were tired.”
“No, it’s not that … it’s like I’ve heard those names before I moved here.”
“Ah, yes,” said Spencer. “My wife was a huge Jane Austen fan. Charlotte Lucas is a character in Pride and Prejudice.”
“I think I read that in high school,” I said. “Was that her favorite character?”
“No, she just loved the book and liked how the names sounded together.” Spencer stood up, possibly in an effort to change the subject. “The twins will be here in about twenty minutes.”
“Twins,” I repeated. “I thought they were twins when I saw them at the park, but they were too far away to be sure.”
A shadow crossed Spencer’s eyes. Maybe he wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened at the park? “Did you want anything else to eat?” he asked.
“No, thank you. This muffin is really good, though.”
“Nana made it,” Spencer said, and then clarified. “She’s our next-door neighbor.”
“The one who knitted the socks?”
“Yes. She’s an unofficial grandmother to the kids and, well, to the rest of us, too. How are you feeling?”
He asked right as I bit into a carrot, so it took me a while to answer. Plus, my brain felt foggy again. Pain meds had their place, but I was glad this hadn’t happened last year. No way I would have been able to keep up with homework or take an exam with my mind this fuzzy. “I’m pretty tired.”
He nodded. “Then let’s get you settled in the bedroom. That way, you can meet Charlotte and Lucas when they get home, and then take a nap.”
It sounded like a good plan to me—until I tried to push up from the table without thinking about it. I stopped instantly. Not only did my leg hurt, but a lot of other body parts did, too.
“Definitely time for some rest,” Spencer observed. He bent down and picked me up again. Were all elementary school principals this strong? Dr. Meyers, the head of my grade school, certainly hadn’t been. He hadn’t smelled this good, either.
Or, well, I hadn’t paid any attention to how he smelled. But Spencer smelled great. I wasn’t the best at identifying colognes or aftershaves, but the scent reminded me of a fresh pine forest.