“Because if you don’t and you have another operation, I can’t guarantee that you won’t suffer from arthritis or end up with a cane. It’s highly likely that you’ll end up with joint problems anyway and playing on will only cement that fact. Is it worth it?”
He’d left the doctor’s office with more questions than answers. His father’s heart issues may have been the timely reminder he needed to sort out his future. Not something he thought he would ever be ready for.
“Earth to Adam.” Dakota watched him come back to the present and he looked away from her inquisitive eyes.
“Gosh, sorry. I had a moment down memory lane. Very rude of me. Where were we?”
She sighed and gave him a warm smile. “Mari suggested you show me the Grange when you have time. She wants me to come to the meeting and see if I can help out with the repairs.”
“That’s very kind of you to offer to help when you’ve only just moved to Cherry Lake. The more the merrier.” Adam grimaced as his mother’s neighbor walked past their outside table and gave him a knowing look. Better to take the bull by the horns. “Mrs. Ferris, how are you this morning?”
“Hello, Adam. How lovely to see you and this is, Miss?” She stood waiting to be introduced.
“Dakota Moore, meet Arabella Ferris, my mother’s neighbor and our local librarian.”
Dakota stood up and held out her hand. “How lovely to meet you, Mrs. Ferris.”
Arabella preened. “Arabella, please. So, I hear you’re having a meeting tomorrow night to sort out funding for the Grange, Adam. I hope you have some good ideas. That place is going to rack and ruin. My poor father would turn over in his grave if he could see it now.”
She leant down and whispered in Dakota’s ear although everyone could hear her. “My father built that for the town. All the dances were held there, any meeting of importance as well. It’s such a shame it went out of fashion and fell into neglect.”
“I’d love to be involved. My sister told me about it last night when I arrived in town.”
Arabella perched on a vacant chair. “Oh, so you’re the new girl that moved into Galway Cottage. Rupert Woods will be pleased to have it inhabited again. Such a pretty little residence.”
“He’s the owner, Woodsie? I didn’t know that.” Not that it made any difference to Dakota that the handyman who supplied her with wood owned the cottage.
Arabella nodded her head, seemingly in no hurry to move on. “Yes, he owns most of the cottages in that little cove. His son Jake and grandson Cory live with him now. Been there since his wife passed away. Such a shame when she died, lovely girl she was.”
Adam finished his coffee and placed the mug down on the table, reached down to rub Tiny’s ears again hoping Arabella would move along.
Arabella continued to chatter away. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night then, Dakota. You’ll be there I assume, Adam, standing in for your father?”
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else.” He watched her bustle away toward the library. “Sorry about that. She means well but she’s a terrible gossip.”
“I like her. She seems very passionate about the town.” Dakota watched him, a twinkle in her eyes. “I don’t mean to push, Adam, but is there any chance I can get to see the Grange before the meeting so I can work out what I can do to help if anything? I’m really keen to be involved.”
He ran his calendar through his mind. A quick shower, a house showing at 10:30 and nothing much else that he knew of. “I can take you over at lunchtime today. Would that suit you?”
“Sounds perfect. Do you want me to meet you there? Just tell me the address.”
Chapter Three
Dakota stood in the middle of the great room and turned full circle. The heels of her boots clicked on the dusty wooden floorboards, echoing in the otherwise silent space. The emotions rolling over her face warmed Adam. Wonder mixed with a growing sense of excitement shimmered from her very expressive blue eyes. Ms. Moore would not be the person to hide something from you. She would never be able to pull the shutters down on her thoughts. He sneezed as years of decay and neglect teased his nose.
“Oh bless you. I can’t believe this place, it’s so beautiful. Or at least it will be once it gets a makeover.” She lifted her head and her gaze locked onto the chandeliers. One hung precariously lopsided, one of the support chains broken. The dusty cobweb covered crystals failed to give off the stunning rainbows even with the sun drifting in through the tall windows. Strands of spider web hung like strings of pearls from crystal to crystal, coating the chandeliers with a fine net of dust.
“That’s the hope, anyway. My father remembers coming to dances here when he was at school. I don’t know why everyone stopped using it and let it fall into disrepair but there’s still plenty of life in the old building. Dances became passé or something, from what my mother said. The drive-in movie theater seemed to be more popular and sadly this is the result. Be a shame to see it go completely to ruin.”
She tossed her wayward curls over her shoulder and grinned at him, the faint waft of strawberry shampoo fighting with the smell of dust. “I can imagine all sorts of activities being held here. It has such a nice welcoming vibe to it.”
Adam roared with laughter. “A welcoming vibe. I guess that kind of sums it up.” She was such a breath of fresh air. Why hadn’t he met anyone like her in the city before? He might have settled down by now if he had.
Dakota grabbed his hand and pulled
