Erik twisted his neck around to get a better look at his daughter’s face. “Heidi.”
“Heya, Heidi,” Lars whispered, touching her tiny hand. “You did good, little brother.”
Erik raised his eyes, not about to be distracted by pleasantries. “So…Jane, huh? I just about fell over when I heard you were bringing a girl.”
“She’s not a girl, not like one of the park girls.”
Jenny glanced over at Kat and Jane flanking Paul on the picnic bench, and rolled her eyes at her brothers. “Please, no stories about park girls today. I highly doubt Kat and Jane would appreciate hearing about your wildcatting days, boys.”
Sam winked at Lars from over Jenny’s shoulder, grinning. “Someday you two are going to have to tell me all about it, though.”
“Sam Kelley, do not encourage them.”
Sam pressed his lips to Jenny’s neck. “Leave ‘em alone, woman.”
“So…” Erik prompted, rolling his eyes at his sister and shaking his head in disgust. Erik had lived in close proximity to Jenny and Sam for a while after they were first married, and had told Lars many tales of Jenny and Sam not being able to keep their hands off each other. While Erik found this incredibly gross, Lars, who was more laid back, just sort of shrugged. Good for Jenny-girl. That’s what marriage should be like. That’s what I’d want mine to be like.
He glanced up at Jane again then shrugged off his premature thoughts.
“So what? She came in last weekend with a magazine crew. Assistant to Samara Amaya, who also happens to be her cousin.”
Jenny raised her eyebrows. “The Samara Amaya, the supermodel….is your Jane’s cousin.”
“Yup. Anyway, me and Jane hit it off from the start. Her cousin’s a total bi—” He looked at Jenny and for a moment it was like looking at his mother. He chose a different word. “Well, she’s a rhymes-with-stitch, and Jane quit her job yesterday. So…”
Sam interjected. “Jane quit her job?”
Lars nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t asked her yet, but I want—I want her to stay.”
Erik’s mouth dropped open. “Seems kind of quick.”
Lars’s eyes connected with Jenny’s and she tilted her head the way all the Lindstroms did, covering one of Sam’s hands with one of hers and smiling gently at Lars because she understood, because she knew.
“Shut up, Erik,” she said, tender eyes only for Lars. “It happens when it happens. Fast, slow, doesn’t matter. You can’t control how you fall for someone.”
Jane and Kat had moved to the white-painted porch and Jane was holding baby Dagmar on the swing, chatting with Kat, who sat on her left, with Maggie on her right. Lars watched as she leaned down and brushed her lips on the sleeping baby’s forehead then turned to Kat, smiling at something she said. It was as though she’d been part of his life, his family, forever. She fit in every bit as well as he’d hoped she would, and his longing for her to stay doubled, tripled, multiplied to such a degree, he started to wonder—in a very real way—how he would handle his disappointment if she wouldn’t stay, and how in the world he’d ever get over her.
“It happened, Jen,” he whispered, his yearning heart full of love, laced with worry. “I already fell.”
***
“She’s going to be hungry in a little bit. You don’t mind holding her a little longer, Jane?” asked Kat, who wanted to go inside to warm up a couple of bottles.
“Not at all!” sighed Jane, who was finding she loved the warm weight of the baby in her arms, which sort of surprised her, since she’d spent almost no time around children in her life. Actually, it was probably being surrounded by a family—people of all ages from Mr. Lindstrom to baby Dagmar—that felt so poignant, so inclusive, so good.
Kat winked at Jane and Maggie then headed inside, followed swiftly by Erik, who—in Jane’s opinion—handed Heidi off to his father rather quickly and suddenly to join his wife.
As the screen door clanked shut behind Erik, Jane turned to Maggie and grinned. “Well,” said Maggie, laughter in her voice and wide green eyes merry. “I guess we can figure out what’s goin‘ on in there!”
“Probably the same thing that was going on at Nils’s place all weekend,” said Jane, peeking up at her friend with a sassy smile.
“Och! You’re so fresh, Janie!”
“Am I right or am I right?”
“Can you keep a secret?” asked Maggie, eyes dancing.
“Yes! Of course!”
She forgot she was holding the baby for a moment and lurched closer to Maggie. Dagmar shifted in her sleep, one eye fluttering open as Jane held her breath. Thankfully, she settled back into sleep.
“Well, so can I,” whispered Maggie with a chuckle.
Jane looked over at Nils, who sat beside his father on the picnic bench, across from Lars and Paul. Jenny and Sam hovered by the edge of the table, all of them laughing at something Mr. Lindstrom had just shared. Lars was taller and blonder than Nils, a little less stocky and more athletic. He looked up at her suddenly, his face brightening just for her, his smile changing just slightly from familial to sexy, as he bit his bottom lip. Jane’s heart fluttered as she turned back to Maggie.
“Looks like I wasn’t the only one.” Maggie grinned at her teasingly, but her voice was serious and warm when she continued: “He looks happy. So do you.”
“It’s still new,” said Jane quietly.
“What ended up happenin’ with your cousin?”
“He refused her.”
“Did he, now?”
“He did.”
Dagmar stirred again, and Jane transferred the baby to her shoulder, briefly wondering how much time she had before the child started wailing for her bottle. She rubbed the infant’s back instinctively, hoping to give Kat and Erik a few more minutes together.
“Your aunt Lily…” started Jane, and then thought better of her question. She’d only known Lars for a week. He wasn’t going to ask her to stay in Gardiner. That would be crazy. Staying would be crazy too, even if he asked. You didn’t meet someone, fall in love with them and decide to stay with them over the course of a week, did you? Of course not. Crazy.
“Mmmm?”
“I’ve been thinking about her.”
“What’ve you been thinkin’, then?”
“That she was very brave. But she moved here for an adventure.”
“Not a man,” said Maggie perceptively.
Jane turned to look at her. “Would it be crazy?”
Maggie shrugged. “Sometimes you have to take a chance on crazy. Maybe crazy could be the best decision you ever made. Maybe crazy would change the entire course of your life.”
“Like your Aunt Lily coming here,” said Jane.
“Aye. And me too. You’d be surprised, Jane, by the decisions I’ve made.”
“Like what?”
Maggie glanced at Nils again, then sighed and shook her head. “We’re talkin’ about you.”
“It should be impossible for me to care about him this much in such a short amount of time.”
“Bollocks,” said Maggie. “Nothin’ is impossible when it comes to love.”