Pinky Promise (Riverbend Romance 2) Read Free Page A

arm from Vanessa’s grasp. “Come on. Let’s get this meeting over with so we can transplant petunias.”

    ~*~

    Ian had a hard time keeping his mind on learning the ropes of his new job all day. Town maps covered his wall, marked with various legends. A group of streets near downtown were due to be paved this summer and contractors needed to be confirmed.
    His secretary, a middle-aged woman named Rhonda, walked him through his day with utmost patience and probably two packs of gum. All the minty fresh he could handle.
    When she took her coffee break, he stayed in his office to look up the church’s number and made the call.
    “River of Life, Jessica speaking. How may I help you?”
    “Hi, Jessica. I’ve just moved to town and understand you are running an all-day children’s program through spring break. My daughter is in first grade, and I’d like to enroll her.”
    “Hmm.”
    He heard a chair roll across a hard surface then a few clicks.  
    “We don’t have any openings for that age group. I’m sorry.”
    “But—” Now what was he supposed to do? “I’m sorry to hear that. I was thrilled when a friend mentioned this to me as a possibility.”
    “Most years we have more openings, but our youth pastor and a group of teens will be away on a missions trip next week, and that cuts our staff in half. Without the appropriate leadership ratio, we simply can’t add more children.”
    “I understand.” And he did, but it still didn’t help him any. “Do you have any other suggestions? Anyone in the church run a private daycare that might have space, for instance?”
    “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know of anyone.”
    Ian managed not to sigh deeply into the phone. It wasn’t Jessica’s problem. “Thank you for your time.”
    “I hope to see you at River of Life on Sunday morning. Church starts at ten thirty, and we have a terrific children’s church for your daughter’s age group.”
    “Thanks. I’ll consider it.” More than consider it, if that’s where Kelly and Elena attended, even though he felt a bit disgruntled at the moment. He set the receiver down, ending the call.
    Back to square one.
    The teenage girl next door was happy enough to come over mornings when he left for work to help Sophie get ready for school and walk her over on her way to the high school, but she wasn’t going to be around for spring break. Ian wondered if she was going on that missions trip.
    It took little time to call the daycares registered with the town and be told they were full, as Kelly had said. Unlike her, he didn’t have any vacation time coming to simply stay home with his daughter. What did Kelly do with Elena over summer vacation?
    Maybe he’d been overly hasty moving away from his parents. His network. He sank his head into his hands. “God? I’m sure you led me to Riverbend. Please don’t let my daughter suffer for this. Help me find a place for her with someone I can trust.”
    Wait a minute.
    He surged to his feet and strode over to the window. What would Kelly say? He definitely couldn’t ask her in front of the girls or she’d have no chance to make her own decision. But he knew where to find her, at least from 7:00 to 3:30.

    ~*~

    “Splendid specimen headed this way,” Vanessa said in a low voice.
    Kelly resisted the urge to glance up. She’d always found her coworker’s fixation on men amusing. Until today. “Otherwise known as our department head, or have you discovered a new splendid specimen in the last eight hours?”
    A manly chuckle came to her ears. That was so not Vanessa.
    Heat exploded up Kelly’s neck and across her face. No stinking way. Had she really said that out loud? And he’d overheard her? If the trowel in her gloved hand were a spade, she could dig a hole big enough to sink into in no time flat.
    “Good afternoon, ladies.”
    Definitely Ian.
    She turned slowly, staring at the ground, fervently wishing — praying — this was a dream. But no. Brushed suede shoes