Man with a Past by Kay Stockham Read Free Book Online Page A

Brody. Don’t screw this up by fantasizing about your boss. Your married boss.
    â€œMayonnaise or mustard?”
    â€œMustard.”
    â€œYou makin’ lunch, missy?” Wilson called fromthe room located off the kitchen. “Gonna starve that boy, if not.”
    â€œLunch is coming, Wilson, just be patient.”
    Joe returned her smile with a tense one of his own. “He’s a hoot.”
    â€œYeah, he is. He sort of came with the house, and now I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
    Joe took the opening she presented. “He’s related to your husband?”
    Another small shake of her head. “No.”
    Ashley Cade didn’t offer up any more information than asked, much the same as he’d learned to do while behind bars. But the comparison made him question her past and wonder what experiences had created the need to keep to herself.
    â€œWilson’s sort of an adopted grandfather. We broke down as we drove through town and Wilson helped us out. Long story short, he found out I wanted to open a B and B and we’ve been here ever since.”
    â€œBut…he’s still living here.”
    She shrugged. “Yeah, he is. That was part of the deal. In exchange for selling us the house dirt cheap, we agreed to let him stay as long as he was able to care for himself.”
    He raised a brow. “And when he got hurt?”
    â€œYou mean his hip?” She waved a hand in the general direction of the living room. “Oh, that’s no big deal. He’ll be back to normal in a few weeks.”
    He stared at her, curious. No big deal? It certainly was to some. How many people would care for an elderly man who wasn’t a relative? She might keep to herself, but Ashley Cade had a soft heart.
    He shifted beneath the cabinet, guilt plaguing him. “What about your other plans? Where were you going when you broke down?”
    Another shrug. “Mac and I always wanted to get out of the city and raise a family someplace quiet. Taylorsville is as good as any other Mayberry.”
    Mayberry. The remark alone said a lot. She obviously had preconceived notions of small towns. A lot of people did. Small towns were great. Filled with folks with big hearts and generous souls.
    But small towns were also filled with problems, and it was hard to start a life, or rebuild one, when everybody thought they knew your business better than you.
    â€œI’ll go get those sandwiches.”
    She stood and from his position beneath the cabinet, Joe watched as she walked away. Unable to help himself, he stared, appreciating the slow sway of her hips until she left his line of vision.
    Where was her husband?
    Joe clenched his jaw. It was none of his business. Ashley’s T-shirt said it all. She wasn’t a clingy woman who depended on her husband to take care of things at the house.
    He shook his head at his wandering thoughts,and got back to work gluing and reattaching the pipes. Once everything was in place, he got out from beneath the cabinet.
    â€œI’ll let that set for a bit while I eat and then test it,” he informed her as he got to his feet.
    Ashley whirled around, her eyes widening comically as she took in the kitchen’s now spotlessly clean and dry floor.
    A smile tugged at his lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep the pressure low until I know for sure it’ll hold. That way there’ll be no more floods.”
    â€œOh.”
    A guilty expression played across her face and made him wonder if she’d caused the flood by blasting the pressure.
    â€œOh, yeah, of course. I knew that.” She hesitated briefly before she returned to making the sandwiches, waving the mustard-covered butter knife in his direction. “You can use the baby wipes over there to wash up since there’s no water. And there’s antibacterial gel, too, if you can’t get the gunk off.”
    Her words prompted a glance down at his hands.