Hometown Love (6 page)

Across from him, his mother signaled to Nicole that she wanted more coffee. “I have an even better idea. I’ll stop at Quinn’s and pick them up. Text or call me when you get home and I’ll bring them over. That should save you some time tonight.”

He appreciated his mother’s offer, but he didn’t want to make more work for her. As a high school guidance counselor, the start of school was already a busy time for her. “I got it, Mom.”

“Please,” she said with a wave of her hand. “It won’t take me long and it’ll give me a chance to see this cutie again.” She squeezed Grace’s shoulders.

***

Hanging up the phone, Jessica rubbed her forehead over her left eye. Of all the distributors she worked with, Jansen was the worst. They often didn’t get her orders when promised and their sales staff had no clue. Unfortunately, they were the only company in New England that carried the line of light fixtures Mrs. Osborne wanted. If the company still didn’t get the order in by the end of the week, maybe she’d just call other stores in the area and buy them. For now though, she’d leave things as they were.

After grabbing two aspirins from her desk and washing them down, she left her office. So far, she’d spent most of the morning and early afternoon cooped up at her desk. Although she had employees who stocked shelves and helped customers, she liked to spend time in the store itself. She found the time not only let her make sure things got done the right way, but also allowed her to connect with her employees and customers. One of the reasons people came in was because they liked Quinn’s welcoming atmosphere as opposed to the impersonal environment found at the box stores.

“Can I help you find something, Mrs. Rizzo?” Jessica asked the high school principal’s wife when she came around the corner.

“I need two things. Some mousetraps, but not the ones that kill the mice. Do you have any of those?”

“We have both the catch-and-release kind and the more traditional type in aisle three.”

“And something Donald can use to mount my new mirror in the bathroom.”

“You’ll find mirror-mounting hardware in aisle five.”

“Great. Thanks.” Mrs. Rizzo headed toward aisle three.

Jessica stopped once more to chat with a customer before making it to the registers. Prepared to start a conversation with Patti, a long time employee, she paused next to the battery display she restocked. Before she could utter a single word, Mrs. Ellsbury entered the store.

“Jessie! Just the person I wanted to see.”

She couldn’t guess what Mack’s mother needed. “What can I help you with?”

“Grace mentioned you were holding some things aside for her. I want to pick them up along with the paint.”

Before they’d left the store, she’d placed the packages on her desk. It had been the only way to reassure Grace they’d still be available when she came back. “There in my office.” Jessie gestured for Mrs. Ellsbury to follow. “Did Mack and Grace decide on a color?”

Judging by Mrs. Ellsbury expression, that tiny detail had slipped her mind. “Come to think of it no, but I think I can manage. Do you know what they were thinking?”

Jessie grabbed the items Grace picked out as well as the color samples she’d left behind. “This is what she liked. Mack was trying to convince her to go lighter.”

Mrs. Ellsbury looked through the various shades. “Maybe I better let Mack get the paint.” She looked back up. “I will take these now.”

Together, they headed for the front registers again. “I had breakfast with Grace this morning. She couldn’t stop talking about you. She wanted Mack to let her stay with you again.” Mrs. Ellsbury placed the items she held on the counter.

“She’s a sweet little girl. I told Mack anytime he needs help to just ask.”

The smile on the other woman’s face broadened. “I’ll remind him.” Mrs. Ellsbury leaned forward a bit and dropped her voice. “He’d never admit it, but sometimes I think he finds being a single parent difficult. I’m so glad he has good friends like you to help him out.” She patted Jessie’s hand as she spoke.

Heat burned the back of her neck at the compliment and she wanted to contradict the woman. They were more like friendly acquaintances than friends. “That’s the great thing about this town,” she said. “Everyone helps everyone else.”

Mrs. Ellsbury stood upright. “Perhaps, but Mack wouldn’t trust his Grace with just anyone in town.”

Without a good response, Jessie handed Mrs. Ellsbury her change.

“Mack will be in later this week for paint. He told Grace he’d paint this weekend while she sleeps over my house.”

Once again, Mrs. Ellsbury’s comments left her at a loss for words.

“When you see your grandmother, tell her I said hello. I’m going to try to make it for quilting club on Sunday. Will you be stopping in?”

Jessie had learned to make quilts because her grandmother wanted to teach her, not because she enjoyed it. In all honesty, she found it a tedious endeavor, and over the past year, she’d joined her grandmother and grandmother’s friends less and less on Sundays. “I’m not sure yet. Maybe.”

“Well maybe I’ll see you then. Thanks again.”

“Plans for the weekend?” Dakota Smith asked as he walked alongside Mack Friday night.

Mack pushed open the door to the stairwell. “Painting. I promised Grace I’d get her room done while she stays with my mom.” He also needed to get more unpacking done. Other than the boxes he’d emptied last weekend, he’d yet to tackle anymore. Time just hadn’t been on his side that week despite his best efforts.

On his way out as well, Dakota followed him down the stairs. “Stop by on Sunday. Josh and Bruce are coming to watch the game,” he said, referring to two other agents in the building.

He doubted he’d have the time, but he appreciated the invite. When he’d first made the transition from his position as a detective with the Boston police department to task force agent with the FBI, he’d worried whether or not it’d be a good fit. Other guys on the police force who’d worked with the FBI complained about the bureau. They claimed the agents considered local law enforcement good for nothing but handling crimes beneath them. In his three years working with the agents in Boston, he’d found none of that true. Sure, as with every job there were the jerks, but overall, the agents considered the task force officers part of the family.

“I promised Grace I’d take her someplace special Sunday night to celebrate starting school on Monday.” Mack stopped at the second floor where the daycare center was located.

“What happened to starting school after Labor Day? We have almost three more weeks left in August.” Dakota moved toward the next flight of stairs. “Wish her luck. And have a good weekend.”

Most nights, Mack could get in and out of the daycare center in a matter of minutes. After being there all day, Grace wanted to go home. Tonight though, was a different story. Despite her complaints about going, she insisted on giving everyone a hug before leaving. He could understand her sentiment. She had spent more time with the daycare employees and other children than she had with him in the last few years. Still, Friday night traffic out of the city always proved heavy and tonight’s rain would only add to it.

“Can we stop and get the paint before Grammy’s?” Grace asked from the backseat as Mack took the exit off Route 1 an hour later. As he’d expected, traffic had been slow going since he’d pulled out of the parking garage. Thankfully, he’d grabbed Grace’s overnight bag before leaving the house that morning.

“Up to you. It’ll mean you get to Gram’s later.” Other than grabbing some take out and watching a movie, he had no plans for the night ahead.

Silence came from the backseat, a sure indication that Grace was considering his answer. “Let’s get the paint first.”

Two nights earlier, they’d decided on a color. Still Mack wondered if his daughter was going to use this opportunity to get a different color. She’d wanted a much darker shade of pink called Fabulous Fuchsia, but it was so bright he feared it would keep her awake at night. He’d wanted the Baby Girl Pink, a shade that would merely give the walls a hint of color. However, he’d conceded and promised she could get the Cherry Blossom Pink, the color Jessie had suggested the previous weekend. He’d also promised to paint the room so it looked like her cousin Brianna’s. He’d asked Erin to send him a picture of Brianna’s room to use as a sample.

By the time Mack and Grace pulled into the parking lot, the rain had stopped. Or at least it had stopped for the moment. The weather forecast called for rain off and on all night and much of tomorrow. In true child-like fashion, Grace skipped through all the puddles in the parking lot, soaking both her sneakers as well as her legs, though it didn’t bother her.

Once inside, he expected Grace to head straight for the paint area, but instead, she made a beeline for the back of the store. Mack followed behind, always keeping Grace in sight. While North Salem was one of the safest places he knew, that didn’t mean Grace couldn’t get herself into trouble.

When Grace paused at the open office door, he figured he should’ve known she’d look to see if Jessie was around. Several times over the week, she’d mentioned Jessie and how she wanted to see her again. And each time she did, an image of Jessie formed, reminding him just how much she’d changed.

“Jessie,” Grace said from the doorway.

Through the glass windows, he saw Jessie glance up and smile.

“We’re getting the paint for my room,” Grace explained as he stopped behind her.

“That’s exciting. What color did you pick?”

Grace tilted her head back and looked up at him. “What’s it called again?”

“Cherry Blossom Pink.” He placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Nice choice.”

“I wanted a different one, but Daddy said no.” She sounded disappointed but resigned. “He promised to make the walls look like Brianna’s before we put up the princesses and puppies.”

The corners of Jessie’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t go into a full-blown smile. “I love Cherry Blossom Pink, Grace. I used it in my bedroom.”

“Really?” Grace’s voice perked up at the news. “I guess it will be okay.”

This time Jessie grinned. “Come on.” Jessie stood. “Let’s have Brian get that mixed for you.” She came around the desk and headed out with Grace joining her.

Forgotten for the moment, Mack followed behind, his eyes drawn to the petite woman in front of him. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a fitted t-shirt. The outfit once again drove home the physical changes in her, and he found it hard to look away from her cute backside.

Back in high school when she’d played soccer with his sister, she’d been a skinny little thing. The type that could blow away if it got too windy. Then in college, she’d gone the opposite direction and gained more than the traditional freshman fifteen. Now though, she’d reached a happy medium and he could see why Tony was interested. Not that he thought Tony should take her out. Sean was right when he’d said Jessie wasn’t Tony’s type. Nicole from the restaurant was better suited to Tony.

“How many cans do you want?” Jessie asked when they stopped next to the paint station where the same teenager he’d seen on his last visit stood.

“How many does it usually take?” He’d never painted inside before. In fact, he’d only painted once before and that had been a clubhouse his dad built him.

“Depends on the size of the room,” Jessie answered as she handed a color card to Brian. “I’d start with three or four cans and go from there. If the walls are a dark color you should use a primer first. If you don’t mind spending a little more per gallon, you can have this made using a base that has a primer in it.”

If it meant saving some time, he’d spend the extra money. “Give me four cans with the primer to be on the safe side. I’d like to finish this up this weekend.”

Jessie passed the instructions on to Brian. “Anything else you need?”

“Can you tell me how to make the walls look like this?” Mack pulled up the photo his sister had sent him and handed the phone over. Each wall in the room had been divided into two parts with the top half painted a solid pink. The lower half had a design to it.

“You can divide the wall in half by using painters’ tape. The rest they did using a combination of brushes and sponges.” She handed him the phone and pulled a discarded shopping cart closer to them. “Everything you need is down aisle seven. If I were you, I would also grab a paint edger for between the wall and ceiling. I always use one, and I always put painters’ tape around the trim.”

He considered Jessie’s answers. He’d assumed paint went on with a simple roller. He’d never heard of using a sponge for anything other than cleaning dishes or his car. “Tell me what I need and I’ll get it.”

“You’ve never done this before, have you?” Jessie asked as the swirl of the paint-mixing machine filled the background.

Mack shook his head while Grace skipped from one tile to the next beside him. “Never where it had to look nice.”

“If you want, I’ll put together everything you’ll need.” She reached for the shopping cart. “It’ll take me a minute.”

Jessie disappeared down an aisle in search of supplies. “How’s this?” Brian asked from behind the counter.

The color in the can appeared darker than it had on paper but it was still better than Grace’s original choice. “Fine, thanks.”

“I’ll get the others ready then.” Brian pounded the cover onto the can and then started on the next one.

“Can we go?” Grace asked, her excitement over getting the paint now replaced with excitement to get to her grandmother’s house.

“Soon.” He should have taken her straight to his mother’s and then came here regardless of what she had said. There was no place she liked better than her grandparents’ house especially if her cousin was going to be there.

“Here you go.” Jessie reappeared with various objects in the cart. “I added some plastic floor covering too just in case. But if you don’t want it, leave it here and I’ll put it back later.”

Mack eyed the items. “You’ve done this a lot I take it? Don’t suppose you want to come over and help me tomorrow?”

He was joking, though, with Jessie around, Grace’s room might actually come out looking like Brianna’s. But while he knew he wasn’t serious, Jessie didn’t. At least her expression suggested she didn’t.

“I can come by tomorrow around ten.”

Although he hadn’t expected that response, he wasn’t about to turn down the offer either. “If you’re serious, that would be great.”

“I’ll be by right after the gym.”

After the hardware store, Mack drove to his parents’ house where he found his younger sister and mother deep in conversation. Judging by the way they both clammed up the moment he walked in, they’d been talking about him. Although why he’d be the topic of their conversation escaped him.

“Grace forgot I existed the minute she saw Brianna.” Mack stopped at the kitchen table.

“Get used to it. It only gets worse as they get older,” his mother replied. “By the time she’s a teenager, she’ll only want you when she needs a ride somewhere.”

The idea of his little girl being a teenager downright scared him.

“Did you remember to set everything up with the school?” Erin asked.

“All taken care of. The bus will drop Grace off with you everyday.

Erin sighed and frowned. “I still can’t believe they’re both starting kindergarten on Monday.”

Mack shared his sister’s sentiment but kept the thought to himself. “Soon you’ll have another baby in the house, Erin. How are you feeling?”

Erin’s frown disappeared, and she ran a hand over her belly. “Good. I go back to the doctor next week.”

For several minutes he hung around catching up with his sister, but eventually she stood. “Marcus and I are going to the movies and dinner with friends. I’ll see you on Sunday, Mom.” She picked up her purse before addressing him. “Mack, I’ll see you on Monday.”

“I’m going to head out, too. Big plans myself with the couch and television tonight.” He expected a comment from either his mom or sister. Over the past six months, they’d been encouraging him to date more. Tonight, no such comment came from either of them.

“Good luck with painting tomorrow. I know you want to get that done and the house in order, but don’t work all day,” his mother said.

Mack dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Trust me, I won’t. After Jessie and I finish painting, I’ll call it a day.”

He didn’t miss the glance between him mom and sister.

“I wasn’t serious when I asked her, but I guess she didn’t know that. Besides I could use the help.”

“And Jessie can never say no when someone asks her for a favor,” his mother said.

“If you say so. Anyway, if you need me, just call.”

“We’ll be fine. I’ll bring Grace back home on Sunday.” His mom patted his arm. “Have a nice quiet night.”

***

Jessie dragged a brush through her wet hair, her upper arms protesting at the movement. Her personal trainer, Mary, had put her through a vigorous upper body workout that morning. She’d started seeing Mary once a week about nine months ago. The first month or so Mary had taken it easy on her, but then she’d started to push her more and more. To be fair, Jessie had told Mary she needed someone to push her, to keep her on target. Thanks to Mary’s workout routines and her own dietary changes, she now liked who she saw in the mirror. In fact, she’d shed twenty-five pounds and now fit into the same size clothes she’d worn her sophomore year of college.

Yup Mary’s butt-kicking workouts were worth a few sore muscles. Using the elastic band from her wrist, she tied up her hair in a short ponytail with several of the shorter pieces coming free. That was the only downside to her shorter hairstyle. Still, it would do for a day of painting. Jessie shook her head as she zipped up her bag. Why the heck had she even agreed to help him? Talking with him at the store wasn’t a big deal. Neither was a conversation at the block party where other people and his daughter had surrounded them. But stuck in a room with just him was another story. Already anxiety zigzagged through her body. Evidently, even though she was now an adult, Jessie still was affected by Mack as much as she’d been in high school.

“How long can it take?” Jessie asked her reflection in the mirror. Grace’s bedroom couldn’t be that big.