Home to Hope Mountain. Joan Kilby
anytime. When could you begin the therapy?”
“Soon. Tomorrow afternoon, even. I suggest alternating a day on and a day off. Give both horse and girl a rest.”
“Wonderful. Come inside and have a cup of coffee. We can tell Summer together, talk about what she can expect.”
“There’s not much to talk about. When I do talk, it’ll just be with Summer.” He looked taken aback at her blunt statement. Damn. Her nerves were on edge and she couldn’t even manage common civility. “I work with horses, but it’s still therapy,” she explained, aiming for a nicer tone. “Everything that passes between Summer and me is confidential.”
“I’m her father. I have a right to know what’s going on.” Adam hefted the brush cutter in one hand, freeing up the other. Not threatening but...assertive.
Hayley, trained in body language, noticed. She made a conscious effort not to take a step back. Things weren’t going to be smooth between them. She needed to get used to that. And not care.
“You have a right to expect that I’ll do the best job I can, and that I’ll work with Summer until she no longer needs me. Beyond that, you’ll know whatever Summer chooses to tell you.”
He looked like he wanted to protest further but instead he shut his mouth and nodded. “Whatever you say. I’m grateful you’ve found time for her.”
She had to admire his ability to be gracious under duress. “Well, see you tomorrow— Damn.”
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
“No, not with Summer or the horses. I just forgot to buy candles when I was in town.” She glanced at her watch. “If I hurry I might make it before the store shuts.”
“Diane has a million tea lights and scented candles. You’re welcome to them. Come inside.”
She started to protest, then stopped. She wasn’t going to quibble about a few candles at this stage. “Well, all right. Thanks.” Hayley followed him up the shallow steps onto the veranda and into the kitchen, telling Shane to stay outside.
Adam found a plastic bag and filled it with candles from a drawer. He tossed in a lighter. “Why do you need these? Has your power gone out? Ours is still on.”
“Yeah, well, it’s kind of a limited outage.”
“When will it be back on?”
This guy asked way too many questions. “As soon as I pay my bill.”
He laughed, then stopped when he saw she wasn’t smiling. “Are you kidding me?”
“It’s no big deal. I’ll sort it out soon.”
“I can pay you for Summer’s first session up front—”
“No, that’s totally unnecessary. I’ve got money.” Coming in the future, once she’d done two weeks’ work and Molly paid her wages. Molly would give her the money early if she requested but she wasn’t going to ask. Hayley reached for the bag of candles. “I’ll get out of your hair and let you get back to work.”
“If your power is out you won’t have any heating, either,” he said, scratching his head.
“I don’t need heat. Thanks for these.” She wished she’d never mentioned the electricity. That was what happened when you asked for even the smallest thing. People got a window into your life, and damn if they didn’t peer inside and have a good look around.
“Wait. I have something else for you.” He opened the pantry and handed her another two bags. “Sugar.”
A bag of white and one of brown, just as he’d promised. Her stiffness melted right away at his thoughtfulness. Oh, boy, was she in trouble. He was making it impossible to dislike him. “Thank you.”
He badgered her all the way to her truck. “Do you have any place to stay until it’s sorted? Friends, family?”
“Of course. But I can’t leave my horses.” She opened the truck door so Shane could jump in, then she climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
Adam put a hand on the open window, effectively preventing her from driving away. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Whatever it is, it probably won’t work.” She appreciated his help but hated seeing pity in his eyes, just like with the volunteers who manned the food and clothing distribution. Lining up for basic sustenance after the fires had been the most humiliating experience of her life.
“Is that the kind of advice you give your clients? How immensely you must help them.”
His teasing dragged a reluctant smile out of her. “Okay, now you’re channeling Oscar Wilde.”
“I was channeling a smart-ass. Why Oscar Wilde?”
“You’re kidding me, right? The Importance Of Being Earnest.” It was one of her favorite books among the hundreds she’d owned. All gone, burned along with her house. While Leif watched his sports on TV she would curl up with a book. It was no coincidence that her best friend was a librarian. She and Jacinta had bonded as ten-year-olds over Harriet the Spy. “You should try reading sometime. Broadens the mind.”
“Good advice, I’m sure.” The hint of laughter in his voice invited her to continue the banter.
Banter? How had they gone from her thinly veiled antagonism to bantering?
“I’d better get back and organize the horses. If they’re going to graze for a couple hours and get back before dark I have to start now.”
“First, listen to my idea. Why don’t you move into my guest cottage while you’re working with Summer? Your horses can use my stables as they eat down the grass, and Blaze can give birth in the comfort of a straw-lined box stall. In fact, they can have the hay stored in the barn. Now that Summer’s horse is gone I have no use for it.”
His steady gaze and deep voice betrayed nothing but sincerity. So much generosity was overwhelming, especially in the face of her standoffishness. “It’s kind of you but I can’t accept.”
“Why not? Give me one good reason.”
Her hand hovered over the key in the ignition. She didn’t have a good reason. All she had was her pride. “You don’t even know me and you’re inviting me to live in your cottage.”
“I thought neighbors helped each other in Hope Mountain. You’d be free to come and go and do whatever you normally do.”
It was tempting. Her garage would be cold and dark even with candles. But accepting would mean admitting she was a stone’s throw from being homeless. “No. Thank you, but no.”
“Hayley, it makes sense. I have this big house and a cottage and you’re toughing it out in a garage.”
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.