Admission of Love by Niobia Bryant Read Free Book Online Page A

vacationing, but Chloe definitely felt her mind was not working at full capacity. Did this old man not know a lot of details about her, like her grandparents name, who was building the house and where the land was located? “Is this Holtsville?” She asked, her husky voice incredulous.
    “Yes, yes it is.” He pulled a piece of wood and a sharp pocket knife from his pocket. “Them Jamison twins work hard, both of them. They sure woulda made their daddy proud. That big ol’ house of yours will stand strong for many generations to come.”
    “Well I haven’t seen the house yet, but I’m anxious to.”
    “So you’re the big time model everybody been talkin’ about, huh?” He had a way of asking questions that let you know he already knew the answers. He whittled as he talked, slow but steady even with his gnarled fingers.
    “Yes, I am.”
    “Seen ya house, it’s comin’ along just fine.” The wood was shaping into a tiny figure.
    “How far to my land?” Chloe pushed off the trunk of the car where she had been leaning. There was no denying the excitement she felt.
    She listened intently as he finally offered assistance and gave her directions to her land. Thankfully, it was just a short distance from there. Chloe moved to hop back into the car but instead turn to extend her slender sable hand to him. “Thank you, Mr.—”
    He wiped his hand on his overalls before he warmly clasped her own. “Cyrus Dobbs, and your Chloe.”
    “Yes, Chloe Bolton. Thank you again, Mr. Dobbs.”
    He closed the pocketknife and opened his other hand to her. A wooden angel rested in his wrinkled palms, small and delicate. As she paused, he said, “Take it child ‘fore my hand drops off.”
    She picked up the figure, studying it. It was barely as big as her palm, but detailed down to the sleeping face. “This is for me?”
    He nodded and studied her reaction intently with wise, aged eyes.
    Touched, Chloe could only smile with a husky, “Thank you, it’s… it’s beautiful.”
    “If you want, once you move in, I’ll take you to your grandparents’ graves, seeing as how you ain’t got no more family in Holtsville.”
    Chloe felt the urge to kiss his grizzly cheek, but didn’t. “I would appreciate that, Mr. Dobbs.”
    She climbed back into the car and started the engine, her wooden angel clutched in her palm. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
    “Yup you sure will, and welcome home, angel.”
    She waved and shifted into drive, steering the car back onto the main road. Chloe was glad she decided to come into town on a Sunday to see the land and the beginning structure of the house alone. Her eyes took in everything around her as she drove, and she felt an infinite connection to her mother, to the grandparents she didn’t know and to the generations of Bolton who had once lived in this small town.
    Holtsville was everything her mother had spoken of. As she drove, she enjoyed the long stretches of uninhabited woodsy land with wildflowers and grasses tall as she. Children played noisily and freely on uncluttered spaces next to their homes. Old men sat under the shade of a willow tree playing cards on a makeshift table. Women set on screen porches in cotton house dresses and casual wear, fanning themselves while drinking lemonade. The faint sounds of the organs and a joyful choir could be heard from the small brick church. The air was filled with the tantalizing smell of roasted meats and baked desserts.
    Peace, quiet, family, love… Holtsville.
    She waved back as many of the people she passed on the country roads greeted her, even though they didn’t know her. She loved it!
    A sign on her right said “Jamison Contractors straight ahead one mile on left.” She was tempted to stop and introduce herself to the contractors, but she didn’t because she didn’t favor dropping by people’s home, especially on a Sunday, unexpectedly.  Besides, she wanted to see the house alone.  Tomorrow she’d call from the hotel and tell