“Simmer down, hotshot. I didn’t mean to get you all riled up again.”
He sighed and said, “I worry.”
“Thank you,” Cora said. “Now stop stalling and let’s go inside.”
Jamie gave a resolute nod and made his way out of the car.
Hand in hand, they walked toward the front door. To call the house an estate would not be an exaggeration. There had to be at least ten bedrooms and six bathrooms that he could recall.
If he wasn’t mistaken, the house had grown since the last time he’d seen it. Curious, he asked, “Is this bigger than I remember?”
As they walked through the front door, she said, “Yeah. Mom added on a large aviary off to the side, a cheese cave, and a greenhouse.”
“A cheese cave?” he asked.
Cora nodded and reminded him, “You know how she was. Always with some sort of project.”
He smiled at the memory and squeezed her hand with his. “She was one of the most competent people I’ve ever met.”
In the time that he’d been dating Cora, her mother had learned how to cook Indian cuisine, taught herself how to play the harp, and started to write a book on home management. She had been an amazing woman.
“Daddy,” Cora called as they stepped into the foyer.
Seconds later, still larger than life, Theo rounded the corner and said, “There’s my sugarplum,” as he swept her into a bear hug. After he released her, he stuck out a hand to Jamie in greeting and said, “Jamie. Good to see you again!”
As they walked back to the massive kitchen, Theo said, “I figured we could throw some steaks on the grill in a little bit. Lilly took mercy on me and she roasted some potatoes and put together a Caesar salad to go with it.”
Jamie watched as Cora’s eyes lit up.
“Lilly’s still here,” she asked with a hopeful smile.
“Yep. When she knew you were coming, she stayed a bit late. Go on and say hello. Jamie and I will just have a drink in my study,” Theo said.
Cora realized what was going on and valiantly tried to run interference. “Just give me a second to say hello and I’ll come with you guys.”
Theo waved her off and said, “It’s just a little man talk, sugarplum. I’ll bring him back in one piece.”
When Cora’s eyes narrowed, Theo looked over and Jamie and said, “That’s how you know she was her mama’s daughter, through and through. Any time I ever said anything like that, Millie gave me the same look.”
Cora smiled at the memory and said, “Please be gentle, Daddy,” and then headed toward the kitchen.
Sending Cora one last look of distress, he followed Theo down the hallway that eventually led to his study. Along the way he noticed that the house had been redecorated.
“You redecorated,” he said, trying to fill the awkward silence. “I like the colors.”
Theo’s deep voice rumbled, “Millie loved to fiddle. She redecorated once every year or two.”
Jamie could feel the aching sadness behind his words and said the only thing he really could. “I was sorry to hear about her passing. She was a special woman.”
“She sure was. Starting dating me right out of college, when I didn’t have a pot to piss in. She loved me when I was nothing. Probably made me what I am today. Hell of a woman,” he agreed, gruffly.
When they entered the study, he watched Theo walk over to a dark, cherrywood cabinet and pull out two glasses.
“Scotch okay?” he asked.
Jamie hadn’t really developed much of a taste for it. He was more of a craft beer kind of guy, but now probably wasn’t the time to mention it.
“Sure,” he agreed.