A Face in Every Window by Han Nolan Read Free Book Online

the early 1800s and had always stood right there on the property. The original family probably lived in it while they were building the main house. We peeked inside, saw some missing floorboards, among other things, and moved on; but
Larry stayed behind and I wondered if he had gone in there to pop a few pills or to sniff cocaine. He stayed in there during the rest of the outside tour.
    We discovered that more woods, deeper and thicker, lay beyond the lawn at the back of the house. When we saw this, Mam and I looked at each other at the same time, both of us delighted, both of us thinking about our days at the creek, and Mam nodded and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Everything was going to be all right. Mam, Pap, and I could settle down to a quiet life in our house with woods and lawns, flowers and fruit trees. We could roam the woods in search of deer tracks and raccoons, watch the changing seasons, hunt for interesting rocks and wildflowers. Yes, it would be all right.
    Dr. Mike arrived in time for the house tour and I could tell by the quizzical expression on his leather-tanned face and his raised bushy brows that he was surprised by Mam's behavior. I think he believed he was going to be "Dr. Mike, action hero," come to rescue his damsel in distress. But Mam stayed in the lead, talking with the owner, asking questions, with the reporters and photographers trotting behind her scribbling in pads and looking for photo opportunities. The rest of us followed behind them, forgotten by everyone except Mam, who would turn to us when she saw something wonderful and exclaim, "Isn't this perfect?" or to me and Pap, "Won't we have fun picking our pears?"
    There were three pear trees, a cherry tree, and a large and very old oak tree that stood near the cabin and had remnants of an old treehouse clinging to it.
    We followed Mam up the stone walkway to the house, a light gray stone structure two stories high. Four windows
jutted out from the roof, making me think that the attic space had been turned into more rooms. The house was longer than it was tall. It had black-painted shutters on the windows that looked as if you could really use them, and a deep porch running across the front of the house. The owner had set out rockers and other chairs, all painted a fire-engine red, and there was a table with a checkerboard painted on top. I wondered if we would get to keep them. Then Pap threw himself in one of the chairs and with great energy rocked back and forth and called out, "Is this mine, too? Erin, is this mine, too?"
    Everyone laughed and so did Pap. He tried all the chairs out and asked again, "And is this mine?"
    The owner, Mrs. Levi, said she was leaving some furniture and yard equipment behind, since she would be moving to a much smaller place; and I think both Mam and I were glad Pap had asked, since neither one of us would have and we both wanted to know.
    Mrs. Levi opened her front door and stood in the entranceway, allowing us to enter ahead of her. Dr. Mike pushed his way through the group and caught up to Mam. Mam gave him a hug and introduced him as the one who had convinced her to enter the contest. The reporters gathered around him and he grinned and struck a few poses, hoping, I guess, that someone would take his picture. No one did, but he got to the head of the line and toured the house right beside Mam, as if they were husband and wife, as if this were their new home.
    A couple of times I caught Dr. Mike gazing at Mam instead of the rooms we were supposed to be viewing, and I
knew that he was seeing what I saw, the new Mam, the beautiful, well-mannered, most gracious and charming woman. And I saw, too, that he was in love with her.
    I wasn't an expert on romantic love. I had had just two girlfriends in my life, both of them back in seventh grade. It didn't take me long to realize, though, that being in love had used up all my brain power and I was starting to make mistakes in my homework. I'd given up on love,