Tuesday Tales: From the Word RAKE

Welcome to the first official day of summer, and this week’s edition of Tuesday tales. Our word prompt today is RAKE. I’m continuing with Trouble with Eden, my contemporary romance.

Jackson raked his fingers through his hair, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, but determined to be heard. “Like you, whatever Dwayne was thinking when he drafted his will is a mystery, but rest assured, it’s not my intention to take anything away from Eden.” He preferred using that name for her. “In fact, I’d like to make things easier for her. You say she belongs here, and yet I feel a sense of belonging as well. Call it an instinctive recognition of home. Like a salmon swimming upstream to spawn.” Or an elephant finding his way to the graveyard when it was time to die. He shivered.

“When I got word of the bequest, I knew in my gut it was where I was meant to be.” He paused and cleared his throat. Time to lay it all out there and see what Eden’s friend really thought of his chances. “Don’t you think Eden and I can coexist here? Share the business like she and Dwayne did? Share this house, too? It’s certainly big enough. We’re both alone, or so I’ve been led to believe. Neither of us has any other family. I could move into the apartment. Don’t you think we can make all this work? I’ve washed my hands of Toronto and all the sad memories there.”

“So, you are planning to stay here.” She cocked her head. “I suspected as much when you asked to have your med file updated. I used the business address instead of this one, but if it all works out, that’s an easy fix.” She drank from her cup once more and broke off a piece of the pastry. “You’re right about this being a big house. Dwayne’s grandparents built it just after the war. They had four kids. Sadly, Dwayne’s father was the only one to have children, and it looks like you’re the last of that line.” She buttered the scone, added a dollop of jam, and popped it into her mouth. She swallowed. “Try the scones. Betty is the best cook in the area. I don’t know about the apartment though—you must go down five steps to get to it, something that won’t be easy with a wheelchair, but Betty might not want to give up her new home. She and Eden came to an arrangement that gives her the apartment as part of her salary.”

That’s it. Stay safe and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales