Love Songs
Page 12
He nodded. “Okay.”
“When Dad needed somewhere to live he moved in with Aunt Regan.”
He nodded again. So far so good—he was keeping up.
“Regan married Zach and moved out. Dad moved back home with Mom. Then Zach’s company took over the property and managed it with tenants. Uncle John then moved into the basement and Aunt Arianna came back from New York.”
He knew he was smiling like a fool, but he was enjoying this. “Got it.”
“Aunt Arianna and Uncle John got married and built a new house and my brother Christian moved in, upstairs. When Darcy moved to Nashville she lived in the basement until she and Ed moved in together. There is a story there too but we’ll save that one.”
“O-kay,” he drawled out as he found an open space that would accommodate his truck.
“Let’s see. So now Christian lives upstairs, but he’s building a house for him and his soon to be fiancée, but don’t tell her because I don’t think she knows he’s going to ask her.”
Warner chuckled. “I promise.”
“And my cousin Tyler lives downstairs, for now.” Her face lost its glow.
“Is he going somewhere far away?”
“He just needs to find himself. It all has to do with that Darcy and Ed story. I’ll tell you later.” She opened the door to the truck. “I’m hungry. Let’s go see what Ed and Darcy are up to.”
***
The moment the elevator opened to the floor of Benson, Benson, and Hart, Warner shook his head. “Your brother works here?”
Clara gave him a sideways glance. “You know the company?”
“I used to be a courier. I’ve been in this office a few times.”
She smiled wide. “Zach Benson. Does the name ring a bell?”
“If I remember right, he’s the CEO.”
“Uncle Zach.”
Warner sucked in a breath. This girl had a lot of connections. “At least I know when I fall flat on my face in the music industry maybe I can have you put in a good word for me to sweep up construction sites.”
“I know many men who have started there.” She walked down the hall toward Ed, who was walking toward her. “And there is one of those men.”
“He worked on site?”
“Everyone should start at the bottom, don’t you agree?”
He’d never given it any thought, but she was right. And that was where he was at, wasn’t it? The very, very bottom.
The smile on Ed’s face was wide as he walked toward his sister. “What are you doing here?” He embraced her tightly.
“We thought you and Darcy might be available for a hot dog down stairs.”
He nodded and gave a look at Warner before holding out his hand to him. “Warner, it’s nice to see you.”
“Thanks. You too.”
Ed looked back at his sister. “Darcy and Regan are shopping. They said they were couch shopping, but something tells me they’ll be looking at wedding dresses.”
“That is so exciting, don’t you think?”
“I don’t care what she wears. I just want to get married. But I know she wants to wait until Tyler feels better about it.”
Warner saw Clara’s expression change. “He’ll be fine in time.”
Ed nodded. “I know he will.” He sucked in a breath and pushed back his shoulders. “Okay. Let me close my door and I would love to have lunch with you.”
The plaza on the river front was bustling with people on their lunch hour. Warner was familiar with the hot dog cart they were walking toward. Frank had set him up many times over the years when he didn’t have two dimes to rub together.
“Warner!” Frank shouted from the folding chair next to the cart. His daughter helped customers, but turned to smile.
Warner held out his hand to Frank, who shook it with great vigor. This warmed another cold space in Warner’s chest. “Frank, how are you?”
“Living the good life.” He looked at Ed and Clara. “You know this guy?” He smiled at Ed who held his hand out to Frank and he shook it.
“How are you, Frank?”
“Never better.” He narrowed his eyes at Clara. “Which one are you?”
“I’m Clara. I’m Ed’s sister.”
Frank nodded his head. “I should have known,” he said with a smile. “C’mon, my Pearl will get you all set up.”
They ordered their lunches and Ed quickly paid. Warner didn’t like that, but inside he’d admit he was more than grateful to have saved a few bucks. He thanked Ed and followed them to a concrete picnic table down by the river.
“This is great,” Ed said taking a bite out of his hot dog. “I was afraid Mary Ellen was going to feed me a salad. She’s trying to get Zach to watch what he’s eating.”
Clara turned to Warner. “Mary Ellen is Zach’s assistant.”
He nodded and took his first bit of his lunch.
“So what are you two doing?” Ed asked.
“Getting to know each other. I was filling Warner in on Mom and Dad’s marriages.’
Ed laughed. “Well one thing you’ll never be lacking is a good Keller story. We are one very eclectic bunch.”
“I think that’s awesome,” Warner said trying to choke down his bite. “My family story is short and sweet. I think it’s cool that you all have each other.”
“She told you the Kellers are mostly adopted, right? So we represent, literally, the whole world at the dining room table.”
“She didn’t mention that yet. I don’t think.”
Clara sipped her soda. “My dad is adopted. He was born in Puerto Rico and became a Keller at the age of seven. My aunts, Regan and Arianna, are blood sisters, but were adopted when they were very little. Uncle Curtis is the only blood Keller to my grandparents but he married Simone who is French.” She giggled. “And when you meet my grandmother, whom you’ll love, she speaks with a German accent accentuated with Southern charm.”
“And yet you’re all so close.”
“I don’t suppose you can find a tighter knit family.”
Warner already knew that—longed for it. Again that nagging reminder beat in his chest. He needed Clara’s voice. She was going to be his ticket. This little relationship they were building was a mistake, and he knew it. It would be best if he got what he needed and got out before Clara got hurt. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to her because of him.
“When Dad needed somewhere to live he moved in with Aunt Regan.”
He nodded again. So far so good—he was keeping up.
“Regan married Zach and moved out. Dad moved back home with Mom. Then Zach’s company took over the property and managed it with tenants. Uncle John then moved into the basement and Aunt Arianna came back from New York.”
He knew he was smiling like a fool, but he was enjoying this. “Got it.”
“Aunt Arianna and Uncle John got married and built a new house and my brother Christian moved in, upstairs. When Darcy moved to Nashville she lived in the basement until she and Ed moved in together. There is a story there too but we’ll save that one.”
“O-kay,” he drawled out as he found an open space that would accommodate his truck.
“Let’s see. So now Christian lives upstairs, but he’s building a house for him and his soon to be fiancée, but don’t tell her because I don’t think she knows he’s going to ask her.”
Warner chuckled. “I promise.”
“And my cousin Tyler lives downstairs, for now.” Her face lost its glow.
“Is he going somewhere far away?”
“He just needs to find himself. It all has to do with that Darcy and Ed story. I’ll tell you later.” She opened the door to the truck. “I’m hungry. Let’s go see what Ed and Darcy are up to.”
***
The moment the elevator opened to the floor of Benson, Benson, and Hart, Warner shook his head. “Your brother works here?”
Clara gave him a sideways glance. “You know the company?”
“I used to be a courier. I’ve been in this office a few times.”
She smiled wide. “Zach Benson. Does the name ring a bell?”
“If I remember right, he’s the CEO.”
“Uncle Zach.”
Warner sucked in a breath. This girl had a lot of connections. “At least I know when I fall flat on my face in the music industry maybe I can have you put in a good word for me to sweep up construction sites.”
“I know many men who have started there.” She walked down the hall toward Ed, who was walking toward her. “And there is one of those men.”
“He worked on site?”
“Everyone should start at the bottom, don’t you agree?”
He’d never given it any thought, but she was right. And that was where he was at, wasn’t it? The very, very bottom.
The smile on Ed’s face was wide as he walked toward his sister. “What are you doing here?” He embraced her tightly.
“We thought you and Darcy might be available for a hot dog down stairs.”
He nodded and gave a look at Warner before holding out his hand to him. “Warner, it’s nice to see you.”
“Thanks. You too.”
Ed looked back at his sister. “Darcy and Regan are shopping. They said they were couch shopping, but something tells me they’ll be looking at wedding dresses.”
“That is so exciting, don’t you think?”
“I don’t care what she wears. I just want to get married. But I know she wants to wait until Tyler feels better about it.”
Warner saw Clara’s expression change. “He’ll be fine in time.”
Ed nodded. “I know he will.” He sucked in a breath and pushed back his shoulders. “Okay. Let me close my door and I would love to have lunch with you.”
The plaza on the river front was bustling with people on their lunch hour. Warner was familiar with the hot dog cart they were walking toward. Frank had set him up many times over the years when he didn’t have two dimes to rub together.
“Warner!” Frank shouted from the folding chair next to the cart. His daughter helped customers, but turned to smile.
Warner held out his hand to Frank, who shook it with great vigor. This warmed another cold space in Warner’s chest. “Frank, how are you?”
“Living the good life.” He looked at Ed and Clara. “You know this guy?” He smiled at Ed who held his hand out to Frank and he shook it.
“How are you, Frank?”
“Never better.” He narrowed his eyes at Clara. “Which one are you?”
“I’m Clara. I’m Ed’s sister.”
Frank nodded his head. “I should have known,” he said with a smile. “C’mon, my Pearl will get you all set up.”
They ordered their lunches and Ed quickly paid. Warner didn’t like that, but inside he’d admit he was more than grateful to have saved a few bucks. He thanked Ed and followed them to a concrete picnic table down by the river.
“This is great,” Ed said taking a bite out of his hot dog. “I was afraid Mary Ellen was going to feed me a salad. She’s trying to get Zach to watch what he’s eating.”
Clara turned to Warner. “Mary Ellen is Zach’s assistant.”
He nodded and took his first bit of his lunch.
“So what are you two doing?” Ed asked.
“Getting to know each other. I was filling Warner in on Mom and Dad’s marriages.’
Ed laughed. “Well one thing you’ll never be lacking is a good Keller story. We are one very eclectic bunch.”
“I think that’s awesome,” Warner said trying to choke down his bite. “My family story is short and sweet. I think it’s cool that you all have each other.”
“She told you the Kellers are mostly adopted, right? So we represent, literally, the whole world at the dining room table.”
“She didn’t mention that yet. I don’t think.”
Clara sipped her soda. “My dad is adopted. He was born in Puerto Rico and became a Keller at the age of seven. My aunts, Regan and Arianna, are blood sisters, but were adopted when they were very little. Uncle Curtis is the only blood Keller to my grandparents but he married Simone who is French.” She giggled. “And when you meet my grandmother, whom you’ll love, she speaks with a German accent accentuated with Southern charm.”
“And yet you’re all so close.”
“I don’t suppose you can find a tighter knit family.”
Warner already knew that—longed for it. Again that nagging reminder beat in his chest. He needed Clara’s voice. She was going to be his ticket. This little relationship they were building was a mistake, and he knew it. It would be best if he got what he needed and got out before Clara got hurt. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to her because of him.
