The Single Dad's Redemption by Roxanne Rustand Read Free Book Online Page A

just praying it decides to pack up and move on tomorrow.”
    Connor came out of the back room, his Western-style oilskin coat draped over his arm. “Why then?”
    “The Antique Walk starts Friday.”
    “You’ve mentioned it before, but I’m still not sure what it involves.”
    “There’s usually a big flea market at the fairgrounds, with a carnival and rides, but everything could end up a big, muddy mess if the ground doesn’t dry out first.”
    “Sounds like quite an event.”
    “It’s supposed to be. Several of the churches put up food tents, the 4-H clubs set up a petting zoo and the FFA—Future Farmers of America—club coordinates a tractor pull and a horse show. The quilters raffle some beautiful quilts for charity—the list goes on and on.” She bustled around the store, pulling down the window shades facing the sidewalk and adjusting the positioning of the merchandise. “But it only works out well if the weather is nice and we get the big crowds from Minneapolis and Chicago.”
    She moved to the cash register and began counting the money into neat stacks, tallied the total and slipped the money into a zippered bank deposit bag to drop off on the way home.
    “Last spring was cold and windy, so we had the smallest crowd in years. We ended up in the red on event costs and didn’t reach our donation goals for heart disease and cancer research, either.”
    Connor walked to the front door and studied the sign displaying the store hours. “So, your store is open tomorrow afternoon?”
    She nodded, dropped the bank deposit bag into her purse and grabbed her car keys from a drawer under the counter. “All of the stores in town are open Sunday afternoons. Weekends are the busiest times during high season, and none of us can afford to close for the entire day, even if we want to. It would really decimate the weekend traffic coming from the big cities.”
    “So, do you want me to come in tomorrow?” He shouldered on his coat.
    “I’d like you here every day, if possible. Your time in town will be short as it is.” She smiled. “You’ve caught on really fast and your help means more to me than you’ll ever know.”
    “The more hours, the better. Noon, then?”
    “Perfect.” She eyed the light rain outside. “How on earth do you start a campfire when it’s this wet?”
    “Can’t.”
    “Then how will you cook your supper? Do you have a propane gas stove or something?”
    “Something like that.” Thunder rumbled again as he opened the door to step outside. “G’night.”
    “Wait.” Guilt lanced through her at the thought of him heading out into the rain. She slung her purse over her shoulder and hurried after him. “I’m definitely giving you a ride home tonight.”
    He turned to face her, the rain sluicing down his coat. “I don’t mind the walk at all, ma’am.”
    “I just had an idea. I’m heading over to Dad’s house to make supper and I’d like you to come along.”
    “That isn’t necessary. Really.”
    She waved away his protest. “Consider it a part of your workday, because this will help me a lot, as well. You can talk to Dad while I make supper and then you can eat with us. I am sure there’ll be a time or two when I need to send you over there, so it’ll help if he gets to know you. Maybe not anything about your, um, recent past, though. Not just yet.”
    Frowning, he hitched a shoulder as if wanting to turn her down. “Well...”
    She bit her lower lip. “I want to apologize in advance for anything Dad might say or do that seems rude. He wasn’t always that way. His doctor says it’s probably part of his dementia.”
    A corner of Connor’s mouth kicked up into a brief grin. “Actually, it sounds just like home.”
    Not for the first time, she wondered about what Connor’s life had been like before he’d ended up in prison.
    Not always happy, apparently, from his hints about his troubled family life back at the ranch. Yet he’d been nothing but polite, with the