from the bag, examined it, then set it on the counter. Next year she was
going to try to grow her own.
"You know what I liked about this house from the first time I stepped
into the kitchen? It's the kind of place where it's easy to make
yourself at home. I wouldn't want that to change."
She continued to unload her bag, setting carefully chosen vegetables on
the counter.
Grace had to bite her tongue to keep from mentioning that Ethan didn't
care for mushrooms when Anna set a bag of them beside the peppers.
"It's your home now," Grace said slowly. "You'll want to tend to it your
own way."
"That's true. And I am thinking of making some changes. Would you mind
pouring that lemonade? It looks wonderful."
Here it comes, Grace thought. Changes. She poured two glasses, then took
the plastic cup from the counter to fill for Aubrey. "Here, honey, now
don't spill."
"Aren't you going to ask me what changes?" Anna wondered.
"It's not my place."
"When did we get to have places?" Anna demanded with just enough
annoyance to put Grace's back up.
"I work for you--for the time being, anyway."
"If you're about to tell me you're quitting you're really going to spoil
my day. I don't care how much progress women have made, if I'm alone in
this house with four men, I'll end up doing ninety percent of the
housework. Maybe not at first," she continued, pacing now, "but that's
just how it'll end up. It won't matter that I have a full-time job on
top of it, either. Cam hates housework, and he'll do anything he can to
get out of it. Ethan's neat enough, but he has a habit of making himself
scarce. And Seth, well, he's ten, so that says it all. Phillip only
lives here on weekends, and he'll make the argument that he didn't make
the mess in the first place."
She whirled back. "Are you telling me you're quitting?"
It was the first time Grace had seen Anna under full steam, and she was
both impressed and baffled. "I thought you just said you were going to
make some changes and you were going to let me go."
"I'm thinking about getting some new pillows and having the sofa
re-covered," Anna said impatiently, "not losing the person I already
realize I'm going to depend on for my sanity around here. Do you think I
didn't know who made sure I didn't come home to a houseful of dishes and
laundry and dust? Do I look like an idiot to you?"
"No, Ia" The beginnings of a smile flirted at Grace's mouth. "I worked
my tail off so you'd notice."
"Okay." Anna let out a breath. "Why don't we sit down and start over?"
"That'd be good. I'm sorry."
"For?"
"For all the nasty things I let myself think about you over the last few
days." She smiled fully as she sat down. "I forgot how much I liked
you."
"I'm outnumbered around here, Grace. I could sure use another woman. I
don't know exactly how these things are done, and since I'm the outsider