Page 32 of Here With Me

Like a family.

As they neared the back of David’s small truck, he let go of Lottie’s hand and opened the hatch. He picked the little girl up and set her onto the bed of the truck.

Next to a large, dusty…box. Hadn’t she cleaned out enough boxes today?

David peeled it open, and Lottie sat on her knees and looked inside.

“Wow!” Lottie pulled some old newspaper from inside the box.

Curiosity won, and Sadie stepped closer to David. Her arm brushed against his, sending all kinds of mixed feelings over her skin as she stood on her tiptoes and looked into the box. Inside, a good-sized, round clock—probably close to two feet across—filled the entire thing.

Sadie traced the words Heritage, Michigan welded into the metal at the top of the clock. Filigree surrounded the large face where the outline of a familiar building was painted.

“That’s the old Manor.” Sadie’s breath caught. She’d forgotten how beautiful the Manor had been, even in its dilapidated state. But it had been painted on the clock face in all its beauty.

Lottie plunged her small hands into the box and tried to lift the clock. It didn’t budge.

David leaned even closer to the box, brushing past Sadie and filling her senses with his clean, soapy scent.

“The clock is pretty heavy. I left it in here to keep it safe.”

“It doesn’t work.” Lottie pointed at the hands.

“Maybe that’s why it’s not displayed anymore. But I thought maybe you could look into it for your history paper.”

Lottie clasped her hands in front of her. “This will be awesome! I’m going to be like Nancy Drew. I’ll call it The Case of the Square Clock. Get it? The Heritage Square clock, since that’s what this is.” Lottie pointed at the square. “But the clock is round?” Lottie giggled at her own joke.

“What if the clock wasn’t displayed on the square?” Sadie couldn’t help but tease Lottie, whose excitement was contagious.

“Then I’ll rename my case.” Lottie moved to the edge of the truck and sat down swinging her legs.

David ruffled Lottie’s hair as she passed by, and Lottie—who would normally fuss if anyone touched her hair—launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. He caught her and carefully set her on the ground.

“Thanks, Mr. Williams. I’m gonna win the contest for sure.”

“You will. No one else will have a paper on the missing clock.”

“Contest?” How was it that David knew more about Lottie’s schoolwork than she did?

“Miss Pimpermill says that the top three projects will be displayed at the fall festival to celebrate the 150th birthday of Heritage. I’m so going to win. Mom, can we take the clock inside?”

Sadie shook her head. “I don’t have a place for the clock.”

“The back room, Mom. It’s clean now. We could leave it there. Please?”

If ever a kid had mastered the puppy dog look, it was Lottie. “If the clock is coming in, it’s not coming in that box.” Sadie drew the line in the proverbial sand, and she’d die there. No more boxes today.

“Want me to take it in for you?” David pulled the clock out of the box. The back of his shirt stretched tight against his muscles as he lifted it.

Sadie’s mouth dried out. So much for the relaxing night she’d hoped for.

Now she had a clock she didn’t want, dinner plans she couldn’t get out of, and a daughter who had more energy now than an hour ago when they went to the park.

Next time she wanted to relax, she’d take a bubble bath.

On Saturday, laughter rang across his grandparents’ property. His nieces ran around the kid-sized fairy house he’d built, and his sisters and cousins gathered around the fire pit.

And yet, David couldn’t bring himself to join in. His hands were damp as he wiped them on his jeans. His conversation with Lance from moments ago like flashing neon lights in front of him.

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