Read Online A Place to Call Home (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Cynthia Reese - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cynthia Reese
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Penelope protested. “Why is it that the man I know and love can create such a violent reaction? He’s not the monster you think he is.”
Mee-Maw treated her to intense scrutiny. Apparently, by the harrumphing noise she made in her throat, she was satisfied with what she saw. “Can’t help who you’re kin to, I reckon, but you’d best get out there. Brandon and Ryan are looking for all the world like they’re gonna bodily remove him.”
Penelope nodded, sucked in another lungful of air and pushed open the back door.
“...not welcome here! Why don’t you go back to the posse of high-dollar defense lawyers you’ve got working for you and see if you can wiggle out of that federal indictment?” Brandon was saying.
“You and MacIntosh here put such store by family, well, this is my family’s land. I’m welcome any ol’ time I choose to come.”
“Grandpa.”
The crowd of onlookers switched its focus to Penelope.
“Penny-girl. You tell that boy to back off!”
She hated the skewering looks from the men who’d come to help her almost as much as she hated the position her grandfather had put her in.
Penelope wondered how her mother might handle this situation and came up at a loss. Marlene Murphy Langston had always been closemouthed about her Georgia roots and her dad, as though she were somehow ashamed of them.
Right now, with her grandfather and Brandon standing toe-to-toe, insight would have been supremely useful.
She closed her hand over her grandfather’s meaty arm and led him closer to his truck.
“Grandpa, you’re, um, not the most popular guy at the party here, are you?” she said lightly.
“Maybe you’re not hanging around the best quality of people, Penny. I told you to stay away from Brandon Wilkes and Ryan MacIntosh, and you got both of ’em here.”
“They’re helping me build a pole barn.”
“I’m a trifle disappointed in you, Penny-girl. Why are you accepting charity from the likes of them? They’re using you, Penny, using you to get to me.”
“Grandpa Murphy, I can’t build this barn on my own. And they’re helping. You might as well know—I’ve told Brandon he can use the land in exchange for helping me with the barn.”
She steeled herself for an explosion. His expression darkened and his eyes grew cold and hard.
But then her grandfather relaxed. He nodded in a thoughtful way. “You’re just doing what you have to do, hmm?”
Before she could answer, he seemed to have made up his mind. “Well, I’m in the way here. You go ahead, let them help you. If it had been three months ago, I would have had a crew that could have thrown up that pole barn in a day’s time. But I lost all that. I lost all of it because of those two men standing right there.” He jutted his chin toward Brandon and Ryan. “So I guess it’s fitting they help you. Sort of makes up for me not being able to. Just... Penny-girl, don’t forget. You can’t trust him. Don’t get sweet on that big lug of a deputy, you hear?”
He bent and planted a big kiss on her cheek, squeezed her in a hug.
“Well, I’ll be on my way, now, Penny-girl!” he said in a voice that rang out over the open field. “Let me know when they’re all done, and I’ll come back.”
He slammed the truck door shut behind him, started the engine and backed out. In his wake, he left Penelope feeling as though she hadn’t stood up for her grandfather...and Brandon glaring at her with deep suspicion.
CHAPTER NINE
A N AWKWARD SILENCE stretched out as the rumble of Grandpa Murphy’s truck faded in the distance. Brandon wasn’t the only suspicious one in the group.
Penelope’s feet felt heavy and the optimism snuffed out inside her as she crossed the dewy ground to the men.
“That’s your grandpa?” someone asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Yes, he is.” She thought about all the times her mother had compressed her lips and shaken her head when the subject of Penelope’s grandfather had come up. Penelope, until
Mee-Maw treated her to intense scrutiny. Apparently, by the harrumphing noise she made in her throat, she was satisfied with what she saw. “Can’t help who you’re kin to, I reckon, but you’d best get out there. Brandon and Ryan are looking for all the world like they’re gonna bodily remove him.”
Penelope nodded, sucked in another lungful of air and pushed open the back door.
“...not welcome here! Why don’t you go back to the posse of high-dollar defense lawyers you’ve got working for you and see if you can wiggle out of that federal indictment?” Brandon was saying.
“You and MacIntosh here put such store by family, well, this is my family’s land. I’m welcome any ol’ time I choose to come.”
“Grandpa.”
The crowd of onlookers switched its focus to Penelope.
“Penny-girl. You tell that boy to back off!”
She hated the skewering looks from the men who’d come to help her almost as much as she hated the position her grandfather had put her in.
Penelope wondered how her mother might handle this situation and came up at a loss. Marlene Murphy Langston had always been closemouthed about her Georgia roots and her dad, as though she were somehow ashamed of them.
Right now, with her grandfather and Brandon standing toe-to-toe, insight would have been supremely useful.
She closed her hand over her grandfather’s meaty arm and led him closer to his truck.
“Grandpa, you’re, um, not the most popular guy at the party here, are you?” she said lightly.
“Maybe you’re not hanging around the best quality of people, Penny. I told you to stay away from Brandon Wilkes and Ryan MacIntosh, and you got both of ’em here.”
“They’re helping me build a pole barn.”
“I’m a trifle disappointed in you, Penny-girl. Why are you accepting charity from the likes of them? They’re using you, Penny, using you to get to me.”
“Grandpa Murphy, I can’t build this barn on my own. And they’re helping. You might as well know—I’ve told Brandon he can use the land in exchange for helping me with the barn.”
She steeled herself for an explosion. His expression darkened and his eyes grew cold and hard.
But then her grandfather relaxed. He nodded in a thoughtful way. “You’re just doing what you have to do, hmm?”
Before she could answer, he seemed to have made up his mind. “Well, I’m in the way here. You go ahead, let them help you. If it had been three months ago, I would have had a crew that could have thrown up that pole barn in a day’s time. But I lost all that. I lost all of it because of those two men standing right there.” He jutted his chin toward Brandon and Ryan. “So I guess it’s fitting they help you. Sort of makes up for me not being able to. Just... Penny-girl, don’t forget. You can’t trust him. Don’t get sweet on that big lug of a deputy, you hear?”
He bent and planted a big kiss on her cheek, squeezed her in a hug.
“Well, I’ll be on my way, now, Penny-girl!” he said in a voice that rang out over the open field. “Let me know when they’re all done, and I’ll come back.”
He slammed the truck door shut behind him, started the engine and backed out. In his wake, he left Penelope feeling as though she hadn’t stood up for her grandfather...and Brandon glaring at her with deep suspicion.
CHAPTER NINE
A N AWKWARD SILENCE stretched out as the rumble of Grandpa Murphy’s truck faded in the distance. Brandon wasn’t the only suspicious one in the group.
Penelope’s feet felt heavy and the optimism snuffed out inside her as she crossed the dewy ground to the men.
“That’s your grandpa?” someone asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Yes, he is.” She thought about all the times her mother had compressed her lips and shaken her head when the subject of Penelope’s grandfather had come up. Penelope, until
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