Kelly's Chance by Wanda E Brunstetter Read Free Book Online Page A

canal boat. He had a store to run, and that took precedence over daydreaming about Kelly or watching for her dad’s boat to come around the bend.
    Mike put the Closed sign in the store window and grabbed his jacket from a wall peg near the door. He was almost ready to leave when he remembered that tonight was Betsy’s birthday and he should take her a gift.
    He glanced around the store, looking for something appropriate. Mike noticed the stack of Bibles he had displayed on a shelf near the front of his store. He’d given plenty of them away, but he guessed Betsy, being a preacher’s daughter, probably had at least one Bible in her possession.
    As he continued to survey his goods, Mike’s gaze came to rest on Kelly’s drawings, tacked up on one wall. What better gift than something made by one of the locals? He chose the picture that showed two children fishing along the canal. He thought Betsy would like it. This would be Kelly’s first sale, and he would give her the money she had coming as soon as he saw her again.
    Since it was a pleasant spring evening with no sign of rain, Mike decided to walk to the Nelsons’ rather than ride his horse or hitch up the buggy. He scanned the canal, looking for any sign of the McGregors’ boat, but the only movement on the water was a pair of mallard ducks.
    Mike filled his lungs with fresh air as he trudged off toward Walnutport. Sometime later, he arrived at the Nelsons’ front door.
    Betsy greeted him, looking prim and proper in a crisp white blouse and long blue skirt. Her hair was pulled into its usual tight bun at the back of her head.
    “Come in, Mr. Cooper—I mean, Mike,” she said sweetly. “Supper is ready, so let me take your coat.”
    Mike stepped inside the small, cozy parsonage and slipped off his jacket. He was about to hand it to Betsy when he remembered the picture he’d rolled up and put inside his pocket. He retrieved it and handed the drawing to Betsy. “Happy birthday.”
    Betsy smiled and unrolled the picture. She studied it a few seconds, and her forehead creased as she squinted her eyes. “This isn’t one of those drawings young Kelly McGregor drew, is it?”
    Mike nodded. “I thought you might like it, seeing as how there are children in the picture.”
    Her frown deepened. “What makes you think I have a fondness for children?”
    “Well, I ... that is, doesn’t everyone have a soft spot for little ones?” Mike thought about his desire to have a large family, and he remembered reading how Jesus had taken time to visit with children. It only seemed natural for a preacher’s daughter to like kids.
    Betsy scrunched up her nose, as though some foul odor had permeated the room. “Children are sometimes hard to handle, and I don’t envy anyone who’s a parent.” She batted her eyelashes a few times. “I get along better with adults.”
    Mike wondered if there was something in Betsy’s eye. Or maybe she had trouble seeing and needed a pair of spectacles.
    “Do you like Kelly’s charcoal drawing or not?” he asked.
    Betsy glanced at the picture in her hand. “I’ll find a place for it, since you were thoughtful enough to bring me a present.”
    Mike drew in a deep breath and followed Betsy into the next room, where a table was set for three. Preacher Nelson stood in front of the fireplace, and he smiled at Mike.
    “Good to see you, son. Glad you could make it tonight.”
    Mike nodded and forced a smile in return. He had a feeling it was going to be a long evening, and he could hardly wait for it to come to an end.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 7
    ***
    Kelly plodded along the towpath, tired from another long day, and feeling frustrated because they’d passed Mike’s store without stopping. It was getting dark by the time they got to that section of the navigation system, and she hadn’t seen any lights in the store windows. Maybe Mike was closed for the day.
    It had been less than a week since Kelly had left three of her