Fortune Found Read Free

Fortune directly behind her on the stairs.
    Now she was far more conscious of where his eyes might be as they climbed the steps. And of what he might be thinking if he was at all interested in checking her out—which he probably wasn’t. But if he was, could he tell her butt wasn’t bad despite the baggy jeans?
    But those were not thoughts she wanted to be having. And trying to elude them, she finished the second half of the stairs at a quicker pace.
    Adam was waiting for them at the landing, his father’s brown eyes watching eagerly for Flint.
    The moment Flint reached the top, Adam said, “Iss over here,” and made a dash for the bedroom beside the nursery where Anthony was napping.
    Jessie and Flint again trailed her son into the small bedroom that had yet to be decorated but contained the necessities—a double bed, a nightstand complete with a lamp and a dresser upon which was an old television set.
    â€œWe live there!” Adam announced excitedly. He was standing at one of the bedroom’s two windows and pointing to the house next door.
    â€œAh, right. Coop mentioned that.”
    Jessie appreciated that Flint indulged the little boy by setting his suitcase down and joining Adam at the window.
    â€œSee?” Adam said when Flint got there. “Tha’s my mom’s window. You can see ’er when she puts on her ’jamas and stuff.”
    Out of the mouths of babes…
    It was an innocent-enough comment, so there wasn’t anything to actually be embarrassed by. And yet Jessie felt some heat rise in her cheeks. Possibly because she was picturing the kind of scene Adam was unwittingly portraying.
    Or possibly because it seemed as if Flint might be, too, because he turned a disarmingly devilish smile to her.
    â€œThat’s why we pull our shades when we undress, Adam,” Jessie lectured. “So no one can see us when we put on our pajamas.”
    â€œBut you could wave to each other,” Adam persisted. “Cuz wookit, tha’s yur room, Mama, I kin see it!”
    â€œYes, that’s my room,” Jessie acknowledged.
    â€œAnd we’ll be sure to wave to each other. Every night,” Flint assured, barely suppressing a grin.
    â€œOh, definitely,” Jessie agreed as if she, too, could joke about it when the truth was that she was having a silly schoolgirl image of peering at the handsome man just across the way.
    â€œAn’ wookit down there,” Adam said then, oblivious of the exchange between the adults. “Tha’s my gramma and grampa cookin’ on the barber-cue, and tha’s Ella an’ Braden an’ Beth’ny playin’ wis the hose—you kin see them all, too.”
    â€œI can,” Flint said.
    â€œAnd if Gramma and Grampa are cooking that means we’d better get home for dinner,” Jessie said, using the information to make her escape.
    â€œCan Fwint come?”
    â€œAunt Kelsey has other plans for Flint’s dinner tonight.”
    â€œCan I come back after dinner?” the tiny child asked hopefully.
    â€œAfter dinner you need a bath, so no. You’ll see Flint again soon.”
    â€œAs I understand it, we’re all going to be working on the house this week, buddy, so we’ll probably see a lot of each other.”
    Jessie recognized the expressions that crossed her son’s face as he decided whether to throw a tantrum or be appeased. In the end he drew an exaggerated breath, sighed it out with great effect and said a very reluctant, “Okay.”
    â€œCome on, let’s get going,” Jessie said, seizing the moment before he changed his mind and threw the tantrum anyway.
    â€œAnd Adam?” Flint added as the little boy trudged from the window to his mother. “I’ll be wearing tennis shoes like yours tomorrow, so don’t worry about the boots.”
    Jessie laughed lightly at that and said, “Thanks, that saves me a fight tomorrow