Read Online At Home in His Heart by Glynna Kaye - Free Book Online Page B

stay, Uncle Bryce. It’s chocolate chip.” Gina plunked her dad’s cap on her head and grabbed his hand.
    He looked at Sandi. Did she want him to stay? He’d rather not. Not with LeAnne here. And not after that Landreth woman at the equine center Monday night hinted Sandi was attempting to get on his good side.
    “Gina picked out the flavor all by herself.”
    Sandi’s eyes encouraged, and his resolve wavered.
    “Chocolate chip, huh?”
    “Please?” The little girl tugged at his hand, and against his better judgment he gave in. Didn’t want to disappoint her. But oh, man, he hadn’t dined with LeAnne since Keith had dragged him home on rare occasions to her fancy gated community during high school. Even after all this time, the memories were still too vivid to make him feel good about this.
    It was akin to walking in front of a firing squad.
    But he was a changed man now.
Right, Lord?
Maybe she’d changed, too.
    He followed Sandi and Gina into the dining area and placed his hat on the counter. Then he pulled out a chair as far from LeAnne as he could get and took in his surroundings. Nice place. Wasn’t at all what he’d have expected of Keith’s wife, though. While it was simple and uncluttered, it remained comfortable. Inviting. Family photos. Soft lighting. Not at all an impersonal, coldly modern look as he would have assumed had he taken time to think about it.
    Interesting.
    Sandi opened the dining area’s sliding glass door, letting in the now-cooling twilight air. A cricket chirped from somewhere on the back deck as Gina distributed bowls of ice cream and spoons. Then mother and daughter seated themselves on each side of him as he counted the seconds, wondering how long it would be before the first volley fired.
    “So, Bryce. You’re back in Canyon Springs.” LeAnne crossed her fore arms and placed them on the edge of the table,pinning him with the same judgmental gaze he remembered from childhood. “Where are you working now?”
    A lacquered fingernail tapped on the table. He’d forgotten those glossy, dark-polished nails. Forgotten the sound they made when she tried to make a point. And the point now was that he was pretty much unemployed—and she knew it.
    Deliberately relaxing back in his chair, he stirred the ice cream with his spoon. This was practically like old times, except Keith wasn’t here to enjoy it. But as much as he’d have liked to set the woman straight with a flippant retort, he had changed. Right? He wouldn’t let her bully him back into being the defensive, belligerent kid she undoubtedly remembered.
    “I’m tending to my grandma. Working odd jobs and doing volunteer work as I adjust back into civilian life. Then when the time is right, I’ll step into something full-time.”
    “And what might you expect that timing and job to be?”
    He scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and smiled. “Afraid I’m not at liberty to say.”
    She probably thought he was lying, covering up. But it was the truth. The fire chief, an old friend of the family, had been in preliminary negotiations with him last year as he’d neared his discharge from the army. Unfortunately, the anticipated opening fell by the wayside right before he’d arrived in town. Major city budget cutbacks. For various reasons, the pair agreed to keep their talks to themselves until monies were once again released.
    So for now, he’d have to let Keith’s mom think he was free-loading off his grandma. It should make her happy that her oft-shared predictions that he’d never amount to much had come to pass.
    “I drawed this, Uncle Bryce.” Gina held up a wrinkled piece of construction paper and held it out to him.
    “Wow. Look at this.”
Give me a hint, kid. What is it?
    “You’re holding it upside down.” She plucked it from his fingers and turned it the other way.
    “I knew that.”
    Gina rolled her eyes, then downed another spoonful of ice cream. “I made it for Grandma so she could see the horse show.