Holly Jacobs - Here with Me

“How do you know what’s going on over here? I’m across the park from Snips and Snaps for goodness sake. Do you have a telescope over there or something?”

“Good eyes. It’s genetic. My great-grandmother Hazel lived to be ninety-eight and never needed glasses. She claimed she didn’t need hearing aids either, but the woman was deaf as a post. Did I ever tell you about the time she—”

The shop’s door opened again and a couple came in, interrupting Pearly’s story. Which was sort of a relief as Pearly’s stories could easily take an entire afternoon for the telling, what with all the twists, turns and tangents she put in them.

“Welcome to Singer’s Treasures,” Lee called out. “Let me know if I can assist you in any way.”

“Thank you,” the woman said.

“Well, Pearly, I guess that story’s going to have to wait.”

“Fine. You can dodge the story of how Hazel lost her bloomers on Main Street, but only if you tell me about the mystery man.”

Lee should have just admitted defeat the first time Pearly had asked. To the best of her knowledge, no one had ever dodged her for long.

“His name’s Adam Benton. He rented my cottage.” Again, a feeling of familiarity swept over her as she mentioned his name.

She had to be imagining a connection. After all, what woman in her right mind wouldn’t want a connection to a gorgeous man like Adam Benton?

“He’s staying out at your place?” Pearly asked.

Lee could just imagine how Pearly could distort that particular slant on the story, so she quickly tried to set it to right. “Not my place, the other cottage.”

“Well, well, well.” Pearly studied her a moment, then broke out in a huge grin. “Well, I do like the sound of that. Another Perry Square match could be in the making.”

“You said he had a woman and a baby in the park. He’s probably married and bringing the whole family out.”

“Nah. He didn’t touch the lady once. He just nodded at her when he came out of here. I don’t think there’s anything between them.”

“They probably were just fighting, or maybe she had all she could do to handle the baby.”

“Or maybe it was his sister and niece, and he’s single. I like the sound of a nice-looking, single man living with you.”

“Not with me, next to me.” Pearly looked as if she were going to argue, so Lee continued, “Don’t get any ideas, Pearly Gates. Just because you’re in love, doesn’t mean I will be. I’ve tried a relationship in the past, and it’s obvious I don’t have what it takes. Plus, I like my life just as it is.”

Pearly had come back from a trip to Europe with a new boyfriend. Not quite a new boyfriend. An old boyfriend she’d rediscovered. Their story was the talk of the Square.

Pearly had gone to a small European country, Eliason, for a wedding, and had discovered her childhood sweetheart had been an ambassador to the country for years before he’d retired. They’d picked up their tumultuous relationship and when Pearly had come back to Perry Square, the ambassador had followed.

“Sure, you love your life,” Pearly said, still grinning. “I loved mine as well. But even though finding my Buster has changed it, it’s a change for the better.”

“Pearly—” Lee started to warn her, but at that moment her customers came up and asked about a painting. While she answered them, Pearly sneaked out.

The coward.

Lee didn’t even want to hear the rumors that would be flying up and down the square before tomorrow’s breakfast.

Pearly Gates would make a mountain out of this molehill.

Another match?

Ha.

Perry Square might have had a number of matches of late, but Lee Singer wasn’t about to join the ranks. She was wise enough to learn from her mistakes.

There was absolutely no way she was matching with anyone.

Not even if her new tenant was one of the best-looking men she’d seen in a long time.

The next day, Adam Benton got out of his SUV and breathed deeply, then exhaled slowly. He studied the twin cottages. They looked exactly as he remembered them. Two one-story buildings with well-weathered clapboard siding and huge front porches complete with rockers and tables.

As he drank in the sight, he felt as if he were coming home, which was ridiculous. Home was New York.

This?

The cottage just outside Erie in Northeast Pennsylvania was just a place where he used to live near this girl he used to know.

And that girl, Mary Eileen Singer, had never really liked him much.

He smiled and acknowledged she had every right not to like him. He’d tormented her with all the gusto a young boy could.

A loud squawk from the back of the SUV announced that Jessie was ready to be set free.

“Hey, there, kiddo,” he said as he worked the myriad of hooks and buckles that locked the baby into the car seat.

Actually, now that Jessie was mobile, he should probably start thinking of her as a toddler.

“Here we go,” he said as he lifted her out of the car.

Jessie immediately arched her back, her nonverbal cue that she didn’t want to be held. He set her down and she squealed with delight.

“Don’t eat the grass,” he warned as her chubby fingers grabbed a large hunk and started pulling.

She giggled, not the least bit intimidated. “What on earth am I going to do with you?”

That’s what this break was all about—figuring out what to do about Jessie.

He remembered all those years ago. His parents had died, and he’d gone to live with a foster family. Then one day, his social worker had announced she’d found his uncle, and that this unknown relative had agreed to let Adam come live with him.

He hadn’t been thrilled about going to New York. But over time, he and Paul had sort of meshed. Adam had continued living with his uncle while he’d gone to college and things had been great. Two single guys in the city.

A year after Adam started, Paul met Cathie.

Adam remembered those first few months Paul had dated her. Adam had been obnoxious.

That seemed to be a theme in his past—obnoxious.

He hoped he’d grown out of it.

He watched as Paul and Cathie’s daughter picked the grass and let it run through her fingers.

She didn’t seem to be too affected from her loss. Adam, on the other hand, was reeling from losing Paul and Cathie two months ago.

They were the only family he had—except for Jessie, their daughter. His cousin and goddaughter.

Adam Benton might know how to handle himself in the business world, but he wasn’t equipped for this, for dealing with an eighteen-month-old.

Jessica Aubrey Benton was his responsibility.

Paul and Cathie had trusted him to raise her.

When the lawyer had told him, it had shocked him. He’d assumed they’d named Cathie’s folks Jessie’s guardians.

Cathie’s parents had assumed the same and had been equally shocked.

But Paul and Cathie had named him guardian in their will. Their choice still didn’t make sense to Adam. But he’d picked the toddler up from her grandparents just two weeks ago, determined to take some time with her and decide what to do.

He shook his head as he watched Jessie gleefully wiggle her fingers in the long grass.

Give him a room full of corporate execs. Give him a computer system that needed to be created from scratch…that he could deal with.

Even give him the new computer chip that he hoped would put Delmark, Inc. on the road to success and he was in his element.

Yes, Adam Benton could cope and plan on par with just about anyone when it came to business matters.

But Jessie?

He just wasn’t sure what to do with her.

He loved her, but he wasn’t prepared for taking over her care on his own.