He pulled in the driveway, and the moving van pulled in right after him. A few hours later, the furniture was in, and everything was unpacked except the suitcases with their clothes.
“What should we do, Belle, finish up or take a break?”
The little redhead placed a finger up to her mouth and tapped her bottom lip. “Let’s see, since I’m really thirsty, I say take a break.”
Carter frowned. “Why didn’t you say something? How are you feeling? Do you need your inhaler?”
She rolled her eyes. “‘I’m fine. You worry too much, Dad.”
“That’s because I love you so much.” He draped his arm across her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s raid the kitchen.”
Belle giggled. “There’s not much to raid. We haven’t been shopping yet. And Maggie won’t be here until tomorrow.”
“Guess that only means one thing.”
Belle studied him quizzically. “It does? What?”
“That we need to order a pizza. With extra mozzarella.”
She grinned. “Yes, we need to do that. Race ya!”
Before he could answer, she was off and running down the magnificent mahogany staircase toward the kitchen. He let her maintain her lead, hoping that would keep her from overexerting. Her last asthma attack had scared the heck out of him, triggering his search for a new home, but he didn’t for one-second regret that decision. He would have to commute to Wall Street now, but it was well worth it if it improved his daughter’s health. Besides, a change was good for them both. The brownstone held too many sad memories. Memories that kept Carter from moving on with his life.
Jenny’s death five years ago had left him devastated, and he knew that if he had continued to stay in the home he’d shared with her that he’d never let go of the past, and that wasn’t fair to Belle. She needed him to be whole, not the broken shell he’d become. Yes, this move was just what they’d needed, and he was looking forward to the happiness it would bring.
When he reached the kitchen, he found his daughter at the sink, filling two cups with water. She handed one to him and took a long drink out of the other.
“What do you say we go outside for a bit?” He glanced out the French doors. They led to a flagstone patio that ran the entire width of the house.
Belle skipped through the doors, across the patio, and onto the plush grass that framed an elaborate formal garden.
Carter called in their pizza order, then joined Belle over by a row of rose bushes, where she was staring at a lovely Greek statue. The woman’s expression was eerily lifelike, and he recalled his realtor’s story regarding the history of it. Back in the early nineteen hundreds, shortly after this house was built, the owner took a trip to Athens, where he fell in love with the beautiful statue and had it shipped back to his home. According to legend, over three thousand years ago, an angry goddess turned a young woman to stone, where she remained entrapped to this very day.
Carter studied her delicate features, her full lips, and gorgeous almond-shaped eyes. Looking at her, he understood how such a story could have been invented, even though he didn’t believe in legends or folklore.
“She looks sad, don’t you think?” Belle asked, running her fingers across the statue’s arm.
“That she does,” he replied, fixing his gaze back to the woman’s eyes.
“I’ll bet she’ll be happier now that we’re here,” Belle remarked.
“You think so? Why’s that?”
“Because she won’t be lonely anymore.”
“Of course. That makes perfect sense. I think she’d like it if we gave her a name.”
Belle glanced around at the gorgeous, fragrant flowers that surrounded the statue and said, “Rosie! That’ll be her name.”
“I’m sure she’ll love it.” He took hold of her hand. “Now that we’ve settled that, we’d better head inside. Our pizza should be here any minute.”
Chapter 3
It didn’t take long for them to polish off the entire pizza, proving they were both hungrier than they’d thought. After that, they unpacked their clothes, and then Carter helped Belle arrange her stuffed animals around the room.
“You must be exhausted, pumpkin,” he said, noticing the dark circles beneath her deep brown eyes…eyes that were identical to Jenny’s. A sharp pain pierced his heart, but it wasn’t quite as sharp or as deep as it used to be. That’s what happened over time. But he knew that no matter how much time passed, the pain would never go away entirely. And he was okay with that. He had his memories, and he had Belle. Thank goodness for his little girl. If it weren’t for her, he never would’ve survived. Her sweet spirit had brought him back from the darkness that had consumed him after that horrific plane crash. For the longest time, he blamed himself. He should’ve been on that flight, not his wife. She should be the one watching Belle grow up. She should be helping her do her homework and attending her dance recitals. But fate saw it otherwise, and Belle was stuck with him.
“Here, climb in bed, and I’ll tuck you in,” he advised, pulling down the top sheet and comforter. Once Belle was settled in, he kissed her goodnight. Before leaving the room, he turned back to look at her, wanting to ask if she was satisfied with her life, but she was already asleep. That was probably for the best. A question like that was too deep for a nine-year-old. Besides, she was a cheerful, well-adjusted kid. That
