Firefighter Daddy by Lee McKenzie Read Free Book Online Page A

dragons,” Miranda volunteered.
    “Like the one on your front steps? He’s charming.”
    The compliment was genuine, and Betsy looked flattered. “I also make planters, birdbaths, that sort of thing. If you’d like some pots and a garden ornament for your balcony, I’ll bring them up for you.”
    Rory had no intention of venturing onto the balcony. Her fear of heights might be irrational, but it was still very real. “Thanks.” She winked at Miranda. “A dragon will be good company for Buick, don’t you think?”
    The little girl stroked the cat’s thick black fur. “I’ll keep Buick company, too. I think he likes me.”
    “I can see that.”
    Buick rolled onto his back and Miranda giggled.
    Rory opened a box of books and started sliding them onto the shelves that lined one wall in the living room.
    “Lots of books,” Betsy said as she arranged the rest of the plates on the shelf. “Are those travel guides?”
    “I love to travel. Every summer since I started teaching I’ve picked a state and visited a national park.” She held up an Arizona guidebook. “This year I went to the Grand Canyon. My father sends me a lot of books, too. This will be the first place I’ve lived that actually has enough space for all of them. These built-ins are great.”
    “Mitch’s father built those, and pretty much everything else up here.”
    “He did a wonderful job,” she said. “I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
    “I’m afraid that won’t be possible. He died five years ago.”
    “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
    “So am I, but no one lived a fuller life than he did.”
    Mitch appeared in the doorway, carrying her thrift-store slipper chair with a pile of cushions on the seat.
    “Grams has a boyfriend now,” Miranda said. “His name’s Thomas and he looks like Santa Claus.”
    Mitch set the chair next to the sofa with a loud thump, clearly a reaction to his daughter’s reference to the boyfriend, since he’d been pretty unobtrusive until then.
    Best to let it go, Rory decided. “Is that everything?” she asked.
    “Seems to be.” He fished her keys from the pocket of his jeans. She thought he might toss them to her but he didn’t, so she watched him watch her walk across the room. She stopped in front of him, held out her hand and waited. He set the keys on her palm, the same way she’d given them to him earlier, and there was no mistaking the subtle touch of his fingers.
    When she turned around, a smiling Betsy was busy arranging cups and saucers in a glass-doored cabinet. “You have lovely things.” She set an old hand-painted floral-patterned teapot on the shelf next to the cups.
    “Thanks. I’m always on the lookout for a good bargain and I love vintage furniture and china, so I do a lot of shopping in thrift stores and secondhand shops. That chair Mitch just brought up is my latest find.” The rose-patterned upholstery was slightly faded, which made it even more charming.
    “Need help with anything else?” Betsy asked.
    Although she tried, she couldn’t think of anything. Betsy was already finishing up with the kitchen, which left Rory’s clothes and her mother’s artwork.
    “I’ll want to hang my mother’s paintings, but it’ll take me a while to decide where they should go.”
    “I’m sure Mitch would be happy to help with that.”
    Call me crazy, but Betsy seems like she’s doing a little matchmaking. Before Rory had a chance to say she could hang the paintings herself, Betsy brought up her mother’s exhibit.
    “We’ve been invited to the opening of Rory’s mother’s art exhibit in a couple of weeks. It’ll be a great experience for Miranda, don’t you think?” she asked her son.
    His nod seemed reluctant, but Rory took it as an affirmative.
    “That’s great. I’ll be sure to give you all the details.”
    Betsy put the last few utensils into a drawer and slid it shut. “That’s it. These things might not be organized exactly the way you want them, but at least