Annie's Answer by Pam Andrews Hanson Read Free Book Online Page B

“I take it you’ve already
worked your shift at the pancake place.”
    “Yes, on
Saturday I work in the morning. It gives me time off from noon now until Monday
evening.”
    “And what do
you do with your free time?” Nathan asked, sounding more interested than
patronizing.
    “Volunteer at
the church, sell ads for the newspaper. Today I promised my mother to go
shopping with her. She loves to browse at the mall.”
    “And you
don’t?” He raised one eyebrow and gestured at the space on the step beside him.
“Sit.”
    Was he
ordering her to sit? She slowly walked to the stairs and took her time about
finding space beside him. The step was wide, but she made sure there was space
between them by pressing her side against the banister.
    “There’s
nothing much I need.” In fact, her wardrobe was in tatters, and she hadn’t
bought a really nice dress since her senior prom. Nathan didn’t need to know
that. “Should I go help your aunt find her watch?”
    “No, she’s
pretty touchy about anyone touching her stuff. I had a hard time convincing her
to let the cleaning crew vacuum and clean her bathroom.”
    Annie couldn’t
help smiling. “My grandfather is that way about his books. Mom started dusting
them once. It was the only time they had an argument.”
    “Tell me about
your flower shop,” he said, abruptly changing the subject.
    “It’s not mine
yet.”
    “But you have
hopes?”
    “If I can get
together the down payment by Labor Day, the Polks will sell their shop to me
and carry the financing.”
    “And if you
can’t?” He was starting to sound like an attorney.
    “No sale.” She
didn’t want to talk about it, not with a man who’d been blessed with wealth and
a lucrative career. How could he possibly understand what a struggle it was
when there was never quite enough money?
    “I see.”
    He said the
words, but she doubted he had a clue. Anyway, it didn’t matter. As long as she
could hold onto the job as Mattie’s companion, the flower shop was as good as
hers.
    “Maybe I could
get her battery another time,” she suggested, glancing at her own watch. “My
mother will be getting antsy.”
    “I’ll see
what’s holding her up,” Nathan said, standing and towering over her as she sat.
    “Nothing is
holding me up,” Mattie snapped as she swung along on the crutches.
    She pulled a
velvet box out of a pocket sewn into the side of her dress and held it out for
Annie.
    “If it’s
something more than a battery, you can leave it at the jewelry store to be
cleaned and repaired. Nathan can always run over and get it for me. And this
should be enough for the battery. If there’s any change, you can treat your
mother to lunch.”
    “It’s too
much,” Annie said, her jaw dropping when Mattie handed her a hundred dollar
bill.
    “Nonsense, old
Ben Franklin needs to get out of my purse. They should make dollar bills
washable, as filthy as they get going through who knows how many hands.”
    Nathan
laughed, but Annie didn’t know how to react. She’d never met anyone who wanted
to get rid of a big bill because it was dirty. Of course, Mattie was no doubt
making it easier for her to accept it, but she didn’t want charity from anyone
in the Sawyer family.
    “Take it.”
Mattie had already established who was boss, so Annie reluctantly tucked it
into her uniform pocket along with the box. She was going to get change, like
it or not.
    “I have to get
going,” she said. “Mom is waiting.”
    “I’ll walk you
to your car,” Nathan said.
    Annie wanted
to tell him she could get there on her own, but that was no way to keep a badly
needed job. She thanked Mattie and said good-bye, moving toward the door so
quickly Nathan had to hustle to keep up.
    “I didn’t come
here so your aunt would tip me for running an errand,” she said, reaching her
door handle before he could open it.
    “I know that,”
he said. “Please, indulge her. You’re doing it for me, not her. My schedule is
so full the