Free From Ashes to Honor by Loree Lough Page B

anything, they'll arrange a scan of her head." Snickering, he added, "Now let me be the first to say that those will be some interesting pict—"
    "Good Lord A'mighty," came a raggedy voice from across the way, "how's a girl supposed to get her beauty sleep with the two of you over there, chattering like a couple of magpies into the wee hours?"
    The men exchanged an amused glance, then Bud put a hand to the side of his mouth. "Watch and learn a thing or three about women, young'un. I'll have her eating out of my hand in no time flat." He ended the sentence with a noisy finger snap, and, raising his chin, looked over at Flora. "And exactly how long have you been up and about, my sweet little Flor-de-lee?"
    An audible "Ha!" floated to them before she said, "Long enough to want to hurl my black iron skillet in your direction.Maybe that'll quiet the pair of you down!"
    Bud leaned closer to Austin and heaved a sigh of resignation."Just my luck," he said under his breath, "she woke up with a big ol' grump on."
    "I heard that, Liam Kyle Callahan!"
    Bud clapped a hand over his eyes. "I do declare, a man can't slip anything past that woman!"
    "If you'd get yourself some hearing aids—like I've been after you to—maybe you could slip one by me every now and again."
    "Women. Can't live with 'em, and can't live with 'em."
    While Bud chuckled at his little joke, Flora's voice took on a maternal tone. "All right now, Bud, you've kept that boy from his bed long enough. Why don't you drag your hard-ofhearing bones back over here, and I'll scramble you some eggs so he can get some much-needed sleep." Hands on her hips, she tacked on, "Why, I'll bet he's on the early shift tomorrow, or should I say later this morning!"
    Austin knew better than to intervene. He'd tried acting as the peacemaker between these two often enough to know that the gesture would only put him in the line of fire. And wasn't it funny, he thought, that despite all that, he sincerely hoped that if God ever saw fit to bless him with a wife, the woman would have Flora's "love your man and gently keep him in check" skills.
    Bud drained the last of his coffee and put his mug on the table between the deck chairs. "If I know what's good for me, I'd better hot-foot it over there before she has to repeat herself.My luck, she'll rouse the rest of the marina, and old Betsy will call the cops to report a disturbance." He started down the ladder, stopping long enough to say, "Catch you later, son. You take care out there, y'hear?"
    "Thanks, Bud. I will." He pointed toward the schooner and snickered. "And you take care over there."
    Minutes later, as the Callahans' quiet laughter drifted to him on a sticky puff of air, Austin leaned back, and, eyes closed, grinned. During his first year out here on the water, he must have told himself a hundred times that the next time he bought property, he'd put plenty of space between him and his neighbors. But as the months rolled by, he knew that if he left this place, he'd miss their well-meaning, good-natured involvement in his life. Like it or not—and the longer he knew them, the better he liked it—the quarrelsome duo were all the family he had in the world.
    Admitting that made him think of Mercy, who lived alone in the spacious contemporary townhouse that she shared with an overweight cat named Woodrow. She'd gone out of her way to comfort that kid—Winston?—out there on the football field, and went right on consoling and reassuring him, even after the ER staff had worked their medical magic on him. She had the whole nurturing thing down pat, as evidenced by the way she'd calmed the boy's hovering parents. Prettiest little thing he'd ever seen. So why hadn't she married, popped out a few dark-eyed little kids of her own?
    The image of her glimmered in his mind so clearly that he could almost touch her. In fact, he found himself wishing he could touch her.
    The notion unsettled him, and made him realize that at some point before he saw