Chapter 6 #2
“I don’t mind at all. It’s great that you were able to step in and look after the place. Let’s do the heavy stuff first, and then we can follow up with boxes.”
Carson went to the small trailer attached to the back of his car and unlocked the doors. With the two of them, it only took a short time to bring Lily’s furniture to her bedroom.
“We need to make the bed for her,” Keaton suggested. “That would be more inviting.” He chuckled. “As an artist, I’m all about the setting.”
They returned to the trailer and made several trips, bringing in suitcases and clothes, as well as boxes of Lily’s bedding, books, and toys.
The two men quickly made the bed. While Carson hung clothes in the closet and filled the dresser drawers, Keaton arranged books and toys on the shelves.
He glanced around the room. “She’s going to be happy to see everything from our old house in place here. Thanks so much, Keaton. At the very least, I owe you a few beers. Even dinner.”
“There’s a great craft beer place which opened last month. Bayside Brewery. Take me there, and I’ll collect on the debt you owe me,” Keaton said, smiling. “Dotty would be happy to watch Lily.”
“You have kids?” Carson asked.
“No. I’m not sure I even want any. I didn’t have the best childhood. I grew up in foster care, and it was pretty rough.”
“So did my wife,” he said quietly. “I’m a widower.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Does Lily resemble your late wife?” Keaton asked.
He nodded. “I see a lot of Angie in Lily. Sometimes, it’s a great thing. Other times, it hurts like hell.” Then he sighed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to dump on you, especially since we’ve just met.”
Keaton placed a hand on Carson’s shoulder and squeezed. “It’s good to have you as a neighbor, Carson. And hopefully, as a friend. I’ll let you get to the rest of your unpacking.”
The men traded cell numbers, and he thanked Keaton and saw him out before going next door.
He didn’t want to take advantage of Dotty’s hospitality by leaving Lily too long with the older woman.
A long driveway ran between his house and Dotty’s, and he had seen her and Lily enter a door off it.
He went there now and knocked, and Dotty answered.
“Done already?”
“Lily’s room is all set up. I just need to put my clothes away, and I can do that after she goes to bed tonight. Thanks for watching her, Dotty.”
“I suppose you’ll be wanting to put her in home daycare or preschool,” his neighbor said.
“She was in preschool in Houston. She’s at an age where I think the socialization is important.”
“I can think of a couple in Driftwood Bay. A little girl down the street goes to Happy Hearts, and her parents are pleased with it. It’s only about five minutes from here. You might want to see if it has any openings.”
“Happy Hearts,” he repeated. “Thanks for the tip.”
Lily appeared. “Binky made friends with Ginger. Miss Dotty said I can go with her when she walks Ginger.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Dotty said. “I never had kids but always wanted them. I’ve been a widow for over ten years now and am the unofficial grandma of the street. If you ever need me to watch Lily, just let me know, Carson.”
“Actually, I am going to need to find someone beyond preschool hours to watch her. I’m the new basketball coach at the high school. Once the season begins, we have night games and a few tournaments on the weekends. I need a reliable, permanent sitter for those times.”
“Look no further than next door,” his neighbor said cheerfully. “I’d be happy to watch Lily. She can come to my house, or I’d be happy to watch her at yours. That might be easier. That way, she could have her bath, brush her teeth, and go to bed at her usual time in familiar surroundings.”
Dotty patted Carson’s forearm. “We can talk about it later. Basketball season is several months away, but just know if you have other things going on, I’m always happy to sit with Lily.”
“Thank you, Dotty.” They exchanged cell numbers and then he looked to his daughter. “Let’s go get Binky.”
They went to the backyard, and Carson saw the two dogs curled up together on a patio lounger, fast asleep.
“Don’t wake up Binky, Daddy,” Lily said. “Can he stay here for his nap, Miss Dotty?”
“He sure can. I’ll bring Binky back after he and Ginger are up and about again.”
Carson smiled gratefully at the older woman and ushered Lily out the backyard gate.
He took her inside the house, walking her through the rooms downstairs.
“They have a TV, Daddy. Do they have Frozen?”
He had asked Pete if they got the Disney+ streaming channel. Pete had told him no but said he would see that it was added.
“They do. You can watch your movie in a few minutes. Let’s go look at your new room first. It’s upstairs.”
“Ooh, I like a house with stairs,” Lily said, scampering up them to the top.
She found her room. “This is so big, Daddy. Bigger than Houston. We can have a picnic here with my dolls.”
She raced to her drawers and opened them, seeing that each one held the same things as before. Lily ran to him, and he scooped her up, giving her a tight hug.
“I like Driftwood Bay,” she told him.
“I do, too,” he agreed, taking her downstairs and finding the remote.
Once he turned on the TV and queued up the movie, he said, “I’m going to let you watch this while I go unpack my clothes. Okay, Peanut?”
“Okay,” she said, her eyes fixed upon the screen.
Carson went to his bedroom, finding that all the drawers in the dresser had been emptied.
The closet had two-thirds of it freed up, which turned out to be plenty of room to hang his clothing.
He was happy to have met Dotty Williams, thinking the older woman would not only be a good neighbor but a terrific sitter for Lily.
He also had enjoyed meeting Keaton Maxwell and hoped that he might make a friend in the artist.
His cell chimed, and he pulled it from his pocket, seeing he had a text from Mila.
I hear you’ve already arrived. That’s the small-town network for you!
Hope you and Lily had a good trip from Houston and she’s happy to be in DB.
Mom is looking forward to having you two for dinner tomorrow night.
My brother and SIL are also coming with their 2 kids, so Lily will have playmates.
Holler if you need anything before then.
Just reading her text caused a warmth to rush through Carson. While he would never forget Angie, he was ready to leave his old life behind in Houston and start a new one in Driftwood Bay.
He texted back, asking for the address and time and if he could bring anything. She replied, telling him they would eat at five-thirty and to be there around five so the kids could play a little before dinner. Mila said an appetite was the only thing he should bring.
Carson sent a thumbs up emoji and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He had always been a careful, cautious man, weighing options and deliberating before he made important decisions. For the first time in years, however, his heart was overruling his head.
He looked forward to seeing Mila tomorrow night—and hoped it might be the start of something good for both of them.