Finding Peace (Love's Compass #1) (5 page)

“No, it’s not that. I hate to intrude on a family dinner.”

“You wouldn’t be intruding. I know Lexi would be happy to see you again. And if you want entertainment, you can’t get better than meeting my Grams.” He watched her mull over his offer. “Please. It’s nothing fancy. Burgers, fries, and laughs.”

Laurie seemed to be scrutinizing Tuck and he realized he was holding his breath. She finally nodded her agreement. “I’m grateful for the invitation, thank you. And I wouldn’t dream of accepting any payment. When I meet a new family like this, I like to spend time with the child and see how we get along. I never charge for that first meeting.” She took a quick look at her calendar. “How about we schedule the photo shoot for two weeks after that?”

“That’s sounds great. I appreciate it.”

“Absolutely.”

Tuck filled out the contact information and gave her the address. When he handed the book back to her, their fingers brushed. The touch sent heat traveling up his arm. “Does five sound good?”

“That’ll work. Is it okay if I bring some chips and iced tea?”

Somehow, Tuck thought he would have agreed to mud pies and roasted squirrel if it meant Laurie would continue to smile at him like that.

~

“Did you call mom and dad?” Laurie’s sister, Chelsea, asked her over the phone.

Laurie rolled her eyes. “No, I didn’t. They would have worried and insisted on coming home. It’s completely unnecessary. I’m only telling you because you asked me if anything interesting had happened this week. You know me…”

“You can’t lie.”

“Exactly.”

“Fine, we won’t tell them. But you’re sure you’re okay? Should you install a security system or something?” Chelsea’s voice faded a bit on the other end of the line.

Laurie moved the phone from one ear to the other. She hadn’t even thought about a security system. It wasn’t such a bad idea. “Where are you?”

“At a coffee shop. I have fifteen more minutes and then I have to get back to work. I wanted to call – I know it’s been weeks. I’m sorry.”

They normally went for weeks – sometimes even months – without talking to each other. That wasn’t unusual. Chelsea apologizing, on the other hand, was. Laurie pressed the phone against her ear in an effort to hear her better. “What’s going on there?” The silence made her check the phone to verify that they hadn’t been disconnected.

“I hadn’t realized it had been so long since I called. That’s all.”

They had never been close, but Chelsea was still her sister. There had been times where she wished they had at least been friends growing up. It would have meant fewer lonely days at the least. “Well, I’m glad you did. You realize you can call me anytime if you ever need to talk, right?”

“I know, thanks. I’ve gotta run. Think about that security system, huh?”

“I will. Bye, Chelsea.”

“Bye.”

Laurie ended the call and set her cell phone on the counter. She imagined Chelsea running across town, a cup of coffee in her hand. She’d studied law, a major that had surprised everyone in the family. It didn’t seem to fit her younger sister. Maybe she had known her even less than she originally believed. Now she worked for a company in New York, and she realized she didn’t even know which one it was.

She pushed thoughts of her sister from her mind and changed into a pair of jeans and a brown sweater with golden flecks. Cold weather was her favorite because there was something about long-sleeved shirts and sweaters that expressed comfort to her. She ran a brush through her hair. Using her index fingers, she pulled part of it back and secured it with a clip. Satisfied with her appearance, she checked the time and headed out.

The address Tuck had given her was easy to find. The house looked like an old-fashioned farmhouse. It’s location in the neighborhood made it appear a little crowded and she could imagine it being the sole building on a large piece of land fifty years ago.

She held two bags of chips with one hand and a gallon of tea in the other. Her crutches in the car, she gingerly made her way up the steps. She pushed the doorbell and heard the soft chime echo back to her through the glass window.

Tuck approached the door and opened it. He smiled, his brown eyes crinkled at the corners. She took a breath to calm the giddy feeling that was running rampant in her stomach. “I’m glad I got the right house.”

“You did. Come on in.” He held the door open for her and Laurie limped past him and inside. He reached for the tea. “Here, let me take that for you. You should be using your crutches.”

She lifted her eyebrows at him. “I brought them. I just didn’t use them to walk into the house.”

He chuckled, the deep tones of his voice washing over her.

“You are stubborn.”

She gave him a winning smile. “Very.”

“Everyone is this way. Follow me and I’ll introduce you.”

Voices grew louder as they walked through the living room and entered the kitchen. Lexi looked up and smiled, waving. Laurie returned the gesture while Tuck began the introductions. She met his mom and grandmother.

“You remember my big sister, Lexi. And this is my little sister, Serenity.”

Laurie nodded to them both. There was definitely a strong resemblance – especially comparing the women in the family. Patty was above average in height – she guessed around five foot eight – and both of her daughters were shorter by an inch or two. All three women had dark hair that was almost black and slightly fuller faces. Patty and Lexi had cut their hair short, but Serenity’s was all the way down to her waist. It looked like Grams probably did at one time as well. Her face was accented with wrinkles and every single one of them told the story of a woman who found humor in life.

A little boy ran through the kitchen from the backyard, and Tuck snatched him into his arms. “And this,” he said, ruffling the boy’s hair, “is Gideon – my awesome nephew.”

“Hi Gideon! It’s nice to meet you.” Laurie noticed the boy completely avoided contact and instead squinted his eyes and looked off into the distance. He resembled his mother with matching warm, cocoa-colored eyes. He struggled to get down and, once his uncle obliged, he ran out of the room.

Tuck stepped closer to Laurie, his chest just brushing her shoulder. She shifted her gaze to his in question.

“Gideon is non-verbal. It takes a while for him to get used to someone new.”

She nodded her understanding. “I don’t blame him at all. One of the families that I’ve taken pictures for has a little girl with autism. She takes mental images of everything. She gets overwhelmed with emotions that people express so she avoids eye contact. If she didn’t, her brain would get so absorbed filing those images away, she couldn’t focus on anything else.”

Serenity seemed to analyze her as though she hadn’t made up her mind about something. “I think that’s how Gideon sees the world, too. We get some eye contact from him as his family and his therapists do as well. But strangers are on his periphery.” She paused. “Tuck told us about your photography studio. If you found a way to take photos of my son, it would be amazing.”

Laurie accepted the glass of iced tea that Grams handed to her. “I’ll do my best. There have been a couple of families I wasn’t able to work with, but that’s pretty rare. He seems really sweet.”

“Thank you.” Serenity offered her a timid smile. “I think so, too. I’m going to go find him and see what he’s up to.”

She disappeared around the corner and Grams laid a hand on Laurie’s shoulder. “She’s real protective of him. She’s a kind girl and an amazing mom. You have to give her some time. She’s used to defending him when it comes to strangers.”

“I hope she sees he can be himself around me. My job as a photographer is to capture the true personality and joys of a child. I wouldn’t want Gideon to be anything but himself.” She looked to Tuck and caught his nod of approval. There was something else in his eyes that made her duck her chin before the heat could flood her face.

Patty pulled a plate of hamburger patties out of the fridge. “I’ve got the grill warmed up out back. Tuck, would you do the honors?”

“Absolutely.” He took the plate and set out for the backyard.

Laurie followed and was greeted by a black and white border collie. The dog sniffed her boots, wagged his tail, and looked up at her expectantly.

“That’s Rogue,” Tuck said, setting the plate on a little table and lifting the top of the grill. “He comes over here with me to hang out with the family.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Rogue.” She lowered herself into a lawn chair so that she could pet him, dodging the kisses that he tried to land on her face. “You sure are a pretty boy.”

Tuck snapped his fingers and Rogue was gone in a moment, standing happily by his person’s side. “Leave the lady alone, boy.”

“I don’t mind,” she said with a smile. She had always been fond of dogs, but had never had pets growing up. She might have adopted a dog by now, except she felt bad having one in her tiny apartment with no yard to run in. It didn’t seem right. 

She went back inside to talk to Patty, who was staying busy in the kitchen. She had noticed her shirt earlier and wanted to comment on it. It was cream with a field of bluebonnets painted in detail on the front. It could have been gaudy, but it had been done with taste. Laurie could practically smell the flowers in the spring sunshine. “That blouse is beautiful.”

Patty looked down at the image, looking pleased. “Thank you. Bluebonnets are my favorite flower. We have a whole bunch planted in one section of the backyard. When they bloom in the spring, I could spend hours outside, breathing in that perfume.”

“I completely understand. They are subtle, but lovely. Bluebonnets are a favorite of mine, too.”

Patty nodded her agreement. She rearranged a few things on the counter. “I tend to have everything planned out. The lettuce, tomato, and onion are already cut up.” She got some paper plates and cups off the fridge. “I think we’re just waiting for the burgers to be done. Let’s go out and visit a bit. I’m sure Serenity and Gideon will join us again in a moment.”

Patty and Grams went out first. Laurie moved to follow, but Lexi stopped her. “How’s your ankle?”

“It’s fine, thank you. Feeling better every day.” She bounced up and down a little to emphasize her words.

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s nice of you to come and meet Gideon. I know that professional portraits of him are something Serenity will treasure.”

“I’m looking forward to getting to know him. What does he like to do? What are his favorite foods?”

“He’s a very picky eater. We are blessed that he does like milk and will drink a vitamin breakfast mix every morning. He won’t eat meat or vegetables in general, though he loves tomatoes and fruits. Breads are a favorite as are pancakes. He won’t touch pasta.” Lexi paused in thought. “Oh! He loves animal cookies. He would live off them if Serenity let him.”

Laurie chuckled. “A boy after my own heart. Except mine have to have the frosting and little sprinkles on them.”

Lexi laughed out loud. “Those are the best!”

“How about interests?”

“He organizes everything by color or shape. Everything. But he does like trains. He has a small train set and plays with it all the time.” She led them outside. The sun warmed their skin despite the cool air. The smell of garlic floated with the smoke from the grill. Lexi led her to the small swing set in the corner of the yard. There was also a sandbox and that’s where she stopped. “He loves the sand. He can spend hours playing in it. I think the movement is soothing.”

Laurie surveyed the backyard. The grass was brown now that it was winter, but the fence was a lovely dark wood and could serve as a decent background. Some ideas started coming to her mind. “I think we could definitely use this area out here for photos. I’ve done a lot of portraits in a child’s room as well.”

The back door opened again and Gideon came running out, his short-cropped hair ruffling in the breeze. He threw himself onto a swing, draping his stomach over the seat as he used his legs to propel him forward. Once he was up as far as he could run, he pulled his legs off the ground and let it swing back again. His face displayed his joy as momentum moved him back and forth. When he started to slow down, he ran forward and began again.

Laurie had met a few special needs kids she couldn’t connect with in some way, but she didn’t think Gideon was going to be one of them. She caught Serenity watching them from the porch.

Sitting on the edge of the sandbox, Laurie reached for a cup that was lying half-buried. She scooped up some sand and smoothed the surface of an area at her feet. Slowly, she poured the sand from the cup to form the outline of a circle. By the time she had completed the shape, Gideon had abandoned the swing and was standing, watching her. “What do you think? Should we make another shape?” The boy didn’t move, but he didn’t object, either. “I agree. Hmm. I’m thinking a square would be good.” She smoothed out another area, shoveled up some more sand, and created the four sides. “There we go! Do you want to make a triangle?” He looked uncertain. “How about I help you?”

She leveled out an area and helped him fill his cup with sand. Then she put a hand over his and helped him pour sand out as a triangle took shape.

“Nice! That’s about the best triangle I think I’ve ever seen.”

The corners of his mouth turned upwards just a bit. Yes, taking photos of this sweet boy would be a lot of fun.