Family in His Heart Read Free

focused on the newspaper, sipping a cup of coffee that Mandy must have brought to him. He was leaning his shoulder against the wall and she guessed he was waiting for her. She still hadn’t figured out the reason he wanted to talk to her. She eyed him, then decided she might as well get it over with.
    Rona bit her lips, knowing she was lying to herself. Getting it over with had nothing to do with her motivation. The man had captured her interest. Still she didn’t want the guy to get the wrong idea.
    Grasping the application and her coffee mug, she ambled to his table vacillating between interest and indecision. “Sorry.” She waved the forms toward him and motioned to an empty seat. “Bernie asked me to fill out these forms so I’ll sit—”
    “You can fill them out here.” He patted the space across from him. “I don’t bite.”
    Her old uneasiness soared into her chest. He said he didn’t bite, but she was too gullible. Even her own brother had conned her into making a decision she lived to regret. She knew her brother, but what did she know about Nick? Wavering with indecision, Rona could feel the stress in her face.
    “Please,” he said, his tone warm and genial.
    She slid her cup onto the table and placed the application farther away, fearing she would stain them with her coffee. Her hands felt unsteady as she settled onto the chair.
    “Fish sandwich’s ready.”
    Hearing the voice, she turned and saw Bernie slide her dinner under the warmer. She halted Nick with her index finger and hurried to the serving window for her sandwich.
    When she’d settled back on the chair, Nick gave the bun a coy grin. “Looks familiar.”
    His lighthearted tone brightened her spirit. “You had one earlier, I know. It looked good.”
    “It was.” He gazed at her and she felt heat rise up her neck. Get a grip, she told herself, embarrassed that she’d allowed this stranger to wheedle his way into her life. She’d been duped before and though he said he wasn’t thinking anything, how could she trust him? Maybe he was trying to pick her up. What kind of woman did he think she was? She’d always been too trusting, too unsuspecting, and it was time to change. She steadied herself and peered into his eyes. “I don’t understand why you want to talk with me.”
    “I don’t, either,” he said, the same crooked grin spreading to his lips. “I’m curious, I guess.”
    “Curious?” His words skittered up her spine. “About what?”
    “About you. What made you volunteer to wait tables? I’ve seen waitresses blow their corks and dart off, but I’ve never seen a customer stand up and take over.”
    “I’ve worked as a waitress.” She felt the heat in her cheeks deepen. “Are you telling me you came back here because you were curious?”
    His gaze drifted out the window, then back to her. “My son has track practice and I’m waiting for him.”
    Son. Then he was married. Embarrassed at her presumption, she lowered her eyes to his left hand. No ring. Did lumberjacks wear rings?
    “You’re a good dad to pick up your son from school.”
    Nick’s mouth twisted.
    She’d never had her dad pick her up from anywhere, but then she’d been grateful he didn’t. So often he was drunk.
    “He doesn’t have his runabout today and we live on the island.” He tilted his head toward the window.
    She followed his nod toward the island across the lake, filled with lovely houses bordered by acres of thickly wooded land. Privacy. Elegance.
    “I was at a contractor’s meeting in town and it was convenient.” He gazed out the window toward the water and the look on his face made her wonder.
    Convenient? She sensed he was dismissing her “good father” comment. “It’s still nice.” Rona pulled her gaze from the window back to him, her memory drifting back to an earlier comment. “You had a contractor’s meeting. Then, you’re in construction?”
    He fingered his coffee mug. “Yes, and I own a resort on Drummond