揘o problem here,?Oscar answered.
揕ike he said, he抣l be working in the day when we抮e all sleeping, and sleeping at night when we抮e all working,?Mary Nell reminded them. 揑 don抰 have a problem with him being here. Haley??
揌e seems like a nice guy,?Haley replied. 揑f Oscar and Wade vouch for him, I don抰 care if he lives on the property.?
揗e either.?Risa was glad for something to think about other than her girls leaving for their senior year.
揥hat kind of rent do you think we should charge for letting him work out of the barn??Wade asked.
揌ow about we ask him to get his license to sell liquor and beer and fill in behind the bar for us when we抮e shorthanded??Oscar suggested. 揗y wine and moonshine business has suffered this summer with all this remodeling, and I抎 like to get back to it. Zach could be a real asset to the team if he抯 willing.?
Risa got up and refilled all their coffee mugs, then sat back down. 揑 like that idea a lot. That way, maybe one of you can leave the bar and take over for me in the kitchen if I need to be at the school for something the girls are involved in.?
揟hen I抣l ask him if that would work for him,?Wade said, 揳nd if no one is going to eat those last two pancakes, I抣l have them.?
Risa shoved the platter over closer to him. 揇o any of you realize how much I love all this? Being asked for my opinion, and us all discussing things? I had decisions made for me my whole life until now, and it抯 sure a good feeling.?
揑 sure do.?Mary Nell put two spoonfuls of sugar in her coffee. 揑t makes me feel like I matter.?
揥e抮e all good for each other,?Haley agreed. 揑抦 glad that my baby is going to have this particular village to help raise him or her.?
Jessica stood in the middle of the foyer with everyone else and stared at the coat and hat rack Oscar had made by cutting the old steeple down. He抎 used the wood from the bottom to make fancy little hooks to hang things on.
揟hat is awesome,?she said.
Oscar smiled and nodded. 揟hanks, but it抯 just a hat rack. We needed to use the thing for something other than firewood to roast hot dogs and wieners, and one day I really looked at it. It was too tall to use all of it, and that six-sided shape wouldn抰 let us put it out on the road to use for a sign of any kind.?
揑 offered to paint a sign on it, but Oscar said if folks didn抰 know this was Danny抯 Place, then they were probably blind or drunk,?Zach said.
揥ell, Oscar did good with the coatrack, and you did an awesome job on those last two pews,?Risa said.
揨ach, you should join us for lunch today for doing all this.?Mary Nell sent a smile his way. 揥e need to celebrate these final jobs.?
揂www.?Zach looked down at his well-worn work boots. 揑 wouldn抰 want to intrude.?
Mary Nell looped her arm in his. 揘onsense, it抯 just lunch, and you抳e got to eat. Come on inside and sit with us. Risa is a wonderful cook, and she抯 been sad all day because her girls started back to school.?
揂nd this is their last year,?Wade said.
Oscar clamped a hand on Zach抯 shoulder. 揥hen Risa is sad or happy or angry, she cooks. Today she抯 sad, so the whole bar smells like homemade bread.?
Zach blushed and raised one shoulder in half a shrug. 揑 never turn down homemade bread, but I抦 sorry you抮e sad, Risa.?
揑抳e got lots and lots of support here. You抣l find out that we抮e basically a friendly lot when you get moved in.?
揑 promise to keep things quiet when whoever lives out here is trying to sleep during the mornings,?Zach said.
揟hat抯 good, because Jessica and Wade might shoot you if you don抰，？Mary Nell told him.
Jessica hung back with Wade a little longer after the rest of the family梩hat抯 what they were now instead of just a team梞ade their way across the parking lot and into the building.
揑 thought I wanted to keep things quiet for a few weeks or months, but evidently everyone already knows,?she said.
揇o they know we抮e living together??His green eyes glittered.
揑抦 not sure about that, but I抦 ready to tell them that we are, and that I抦 buying a vehicle and that I抦 ready to bury my folks?ashes,?she answered. 揑抦 at home, and it抯 time to put my folks to rest.?
揂ctually, we can share my truck.?Wade drew her into his arms and hugged her tightly. 揑 can make a wooden cross to mark the spot until you decide on a headstone.?He cupped her face in his big hands and kissed her. 揘ow, about living together. I want more than that, but I抦 not in a big hurry. You can tell me when you are ready for the next step.?
揥hy, Wade Granger, are you proposing to me??Jessica flirted.
揘o, I am not. When I do, you won抰 have to ask that question. You will know,?he answered.