didn’t much care for being rowed up or in a too-rigid circle. As she remembered from her own youth group days and as a high school youth leader when in college, a casual setting would be more conducive to building relationships and drawing out participation.
Garrett’s eyes brightened. “Awesome idea. This place is perfect.”
“You want the kids to meet here?” Luke’s disapproval of her plan was clearly evident. “What’s wrong with the fellowship hall where they usually meet?”
Garrett gave his cousin an incredulous look. “The remodel, remember? It starts Monday and the place will be torn up for weeks. This is much better than resorting to a Sunday school classroom.”
“But—”
Garrett turned to Delaney, cutting Luke off. “I don’t have any objections. This place is spacious and centrally located. The kids will love it. I’ll get the word out.”
Luke pinned Garrett with a doubtful look. “Don’t you think you should run it by the church board first?”
“Mmm...” Garrett narrowed his eyes as if in deep thought, then shook his head. “No.”
An unsmiling Luke wagged a finger at him. “One of these days, buddy, you’re going to overstep your bounds as an interim pastor and find yourself shown the door.”
Interim pastor? He wasn’t the real deal? Had he overstepped his bounds by bringing her on board two days ago?
Unfazed, Garrett grinned as he pulled out his cell phone and read an incoming text message. “You’d be leading the lynch mob, I assume?”
“Guarantee it.”
Garrett held up his phone. “Hey, looks like I’m late for a meeting. I’ll leave you two here to work out details for the move. Think you can handle that, Luke, without causing too much trauma to your schedule?”
* * *
“I can handle it.” Luke gave Garrett a steady look as he walked him to the door, Delaney trailing along behind.
The pup was getting way too big for his britches these days and, as usual, he was doing his best to push his older cousin’s buttons. To Luke’s irritation, Garrett maintained, as did the rest of the extended family, that he spent too much time working at Hunter Ridge Enterprises. And seeing to the never-ending needs of his kids.
Like it was any of their business. Little did they know that if all went well, he’d soon be out from under their scrutiny.
But why was Garrett fobbing off the youth volunteer on him? The way he was all smiles and bending over backwards to accommodate her this afternoon—peppermint tea?—it appeared he intended to keep her to himself. Then again, maybe the interim pastor of Christ’s Church didn’t see him as competition for the much younger lady’s attention. It reminded him of a situation when, as a kid, Garrett had left a favored toy in the protective custody of their aged grandpa.
With a wave of his hand, Garrett headed out the door. “I’ll take a rain check on that tea, Delaney. But stop by my office tomorrow morning and we’ll get the paperwork completed.”
As soon as he’d departed, she spun toward Luke, her expression uncertain. “Please don’t feel obligated to help me move because your cousin is...pushy.”
She thought Garrett was pushy? Perceptive. “I don’t mind. It’s just—”
“That you’re a big boy and prefer making your own decisions?” Mischief lit her eyes and, in response, he felt the tug of his own somewhat rusty smile.
“I’ve done that for quite a few years.”
For ten more than she had.
“It’s bad enough that you had to come over here to plug in a microwave.” For a moment she covered her face with her hands, her expressive eyes peeping at him from between ringed fingers. “How embarrassing.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. Like I said, it’s my fault. And if I hadn’t wanted to rib Garrett in person, I could have enlightened him over the phone.” But if he’d told him over the phone, he wouldn’t be standing here right now talking to their pretty new tenant. Had that possibility played a part in his decision to see to the microwave in person?
Naw. He’d wanted only to give his cousin a hard time. He’d take care of business here and be on his way. Chloe, his youngest, would be arriving any time now and expect him to be at the office after school on a Thursday afternoon.
He gave Delaney a reassuring nod. “I’ll take care of the appliances upstairs and make sure things are in order with the hot water heater and the furnace. It gets chilly around here some nights.”
“I’ve always loved that about Arizona mountain country.” She opened her arms wide as if to encompass the world around her, a spontaneous gesture he’d observed earlier when she’d claimed the rental property as her own. “You regulate how cool you want to be by how wide you open a window.”
“You said you were originally from Canyon Springs?”
She shrugged. “I moved there when I was fourteen.”
Something flickered through her eyes and he sensed a story untold. But he wouldn’t press her for details. The less he knew about their new tenant’s personal life, the better off he’d be. Although...if she’d be hanging out with Anna and Travis and the youth group this summer, it might be worthwhile to get to know her better. A parent had to be proactive these days when it came to who you allowed to influence your kids. Delaney was awfully young to be taking on responsibility for the group.
He cleared his throat. “So, how would tomorrow afternoon work for you to retrieve the rest of your belongings?”
She tilted her head. “You’re sure?”
“I’m good with it. After lunch? I could pick you up at one o’clock.” If Garrett couldn’t tag along to help with the sofa, he’d get one of his friends in the neighboring town to assist, then recruit another family member back here to unload.
“I’ll be ready. And thanks.”
“No problem. But I guess I’d better finish up and get on out of here so you can get settled in.” He turned away, intending to head to the loft, then tensed as he glimpsed a colorful flier atop Delaney’s luggage by the door. He motioned toward it. “Where’d you get that?”
“What?” She turned to see what he was referring to. “Oh. I found that tucked in my door. Haven’t even looked at it yet.”
She picked it up. Flipped it over. “It looks as if someone plans to run for town council. There’s a preliminary campaign gathering Monday night.”
Someone intended to run for an opening on the town council all right. Sunshine Carston. An outspoken young woman who settled in town a couple of years ago and rallied a growing number of local artists to take a more active role in the community. She’d been a thorn in the side of quite a few longtime Hunter Ridge residents.
He slipped the flier from Delaney’s fingers and glanced down at the photograph of the woman who would be his mother’s
