Hometown Proposal Read Free Page B

and mashing her potatoes. He loved taking care of his daughter, but tonight what he really wanted was for Elise to notice that he was a changed man. He hoped his happy child would say something good about him. All he wanted was to prove himself to Elise, and maybe earn the chance to win back her love. She was the reason why he’d taken the job, why he’d moved to Kellerville. But given the way she’d worked to avoid him all evening, his chances looked pretty slim.
    â€œIs that good?” Seth settled on the chair next to his daughter.
    â€œGood, Daddy.” Olivia picked up her fork and started to eat.
    Seth cast a surreptitious glance in Elise’s direction. She was helping herself to the potatoes and carrots and not paying the least bit of attention to him. Still, she looked tired and upset. Her manner reminded him that he needed to forget about his own worries. His selfish past was something he was trying to put behind him. If he was going to win her back, he’d needto remember to put Elise’s feelings first. He was still working on that, and old habits seemed hard to overcome.
    Juliane looked Seth’s way. “Dad said you’ve been living in Pittsburgh, right?”
    â€œYes, I quit my job with the cruise line and moved back to Pittsburgh because my dad died suddenly from a heart attack. I knew my mom would need my help.”
    â€œOh.” Elise placed a hand over her heart. “I’m so sorry.”
    â€œThanks. It was a real shock.” Even after a year and a half, the trauma of his father’s death still touched Seth. Sometimes, he thought, in his effort to be strong for his mother, he’d never let himself fully grieve.
    â€œI knew you left the cruise line because of family problems. I didn’t realize you’d lost your dad. I remember meeting him when your parents came on one of the cruises. He was terrific.” Elise appeared truly sympathetic.
    Seth let her reaction soak in. Maybe she still had a little soft spot in her heart for him. He could hope. “My dad’s sudden death was very tough on my mom, so I wanted to be there for her.”
    Barbara passed the green beans to Elise. “How does your mom feel about your moving away now?”
    â€œShe’s getting used to the idea.”
    Barbara glanced at Elise and Juliane, then back at Seth. “As a mom, I know how much I like having my girls close by. I didn’t like Elise being so far away from home when she was working on the cruise ships.”
    â€œNeither did my mom.” Seth chuckled. “Now she’s more unhappy that Olivia won’t be a few minutes away.”
    â€œI can understand that. If I had a granddaughter, I wouldn’t want her far away, either.” Barbara patted Seth on one arm.
    After they finished passing the food, the conversation lagged for several minutes. As they started to eat, Seth didn’t miss the looks Juliane gave Elise. What was that all about?
    â€œSeth,” Juliane said as she glanced at Elise, then back at him, “how did you happen to learn about the job here?”
    Seth guessed the furtive glances that passed between the sisters had something to do with Juliane’s question.
    He wished Elise were the one who was curious about him coming here, not her sister. “Through a friend. A guy I worked with on one of the cruise ships moved to Cincinnati a few months ago. He contacted me to see whether I was interested in moving there.”
    Juliane raised her eyebrows. “But Kellerville isn’t exactly Cincinnati.”
    â€œTrue, but he e-mailed me the link to the job board from the Cincinnati paper, and I saw the ad for the job here in Kellerville.” Seth hoped Elise wasn’t too angry that he’d taken the position. After he was hired, he’d promised himself that he wouldn’t push for any contact with her right away. He wanted to win her back, but he knew he couldn’t rush her.