Page 20 of Meet Me on Lilac Lane

Advertise?

Take photos of prospective businesses and houses.

Network?

Mia didn’t know how to do some of those things. How was she supposed to network with businesses when she didn’t even know who might be interested? But she did have a few contacts left from her art college days and the business school connected with that college. She could start there. She jotted down a few notes before composing a paragraph to send as an email. She could also send the info to a few realtors she knew from when she first got her license.

“Mama, what color dis?” Maggie held up a reddish crayon.

“Let me see.” When Maggie passed over the crayon, Mia took the opportunity to give her warm little hand a squeeze. “It says, plum.” She handed the crayon back.

“What pwum?”

“It’s a little fruit. It grows on trees.”

“We have a pwum tee?”

“Nope. Sorry, baby. We don’t have any fruit trees.” She and Troy had hoped to plant fruit trees, but everything else was always more urgent. Now it looked possible that there never would be any fruit trees for them.

Mia turned back to her list. She would need Dani to provide her with the house addresses that were being included in the incentive program. Then she’d need someone with keys to let her in so she could update the real estate listings as needed.

A knock at the door interrupted her concentration. She hurried down the hall, the kids trailing behind. The door held fast as she tugged at it. She braced her feet and tugged again. It flew open and out of her hand, the doorknob hitting the wall with a smack.

“I can see why you needed me.” Cody stood framed in the doorway, the bright sunshine highlighting gold flecks in his blond hair poking out from under a Detroit Tigers cap. His teasing smile hovered on his lips a moment before he spoke again. Then his eyes darted away. “Good thing I know what to do about a sticky door. But I’m gonna need a helper. You don’t happen to have anyone who is four years old here, do you?”

Biting back a smile, Mia played along. “I don’t know,” she said. “There is Finn, but I don’t think he’s four yet.”

“I am too four!” Finn stuck his head between her legs, knocking her off balance.

“Whoa there.” Cody reached out a hand and grasped her upper arm to steady her. He let go then bent down to Finn. “Which is it? Are you two or are you four?”

Finn pushed his way through Mia’s legs. “I’m four. But on my next birthday, I’ll be five.”

“Good. You’re just the person I need to help me.” Cody raised an eyebrow at Mia. “If it’s okay with your mom.”

“Of course it is. I trust you. Are you okay if I go back to working, or do you need me to stay and help?” She pointed a thumb over her shoulder toward the dining room where she’d left her list.

“We can do it, Mama.” Finn flexed his arm and patted his bicep. “We’re strong,” he growled. “Right, Cody?”

Cody laughed and flexed too. And wow…had his muscles always looked like that? He’d been such a lanky kid in high school. Troy had been the football star. But it made sense—Cody was a fisherman, after all. And now a handyman doing all sorts of manual labor. Of course he had muscles.

But those muscles, combined with his tan skin and that teasing glint in his eyes…

“Mia?” Cody asked, blinking at her.

Oh, goodness. He’d caught her staring at his muscles. “What?” Mia leaned against the doorway, pretending nonchalance while also gripping it tight with her fingertips.

He gave her a strange look. “I said we’ve got this. You okay?”

“Mm-hmm. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. You just look a little pale.”

“Do I? Must just be the stress. I’ve gotta get back to work. A website won’t create itself.”

“Okay.” He smiled at her, and it was a quick shot to her chest.

Holy cow. What was happening? Did she actually find Cody—her oldest friend—attractive?

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