Read Online Seeking His Love by Carrie Turansky - Free Book Online Page B

him.”
    Rachel bit her lip, pondering that thought. Could she and her kids really be part of God’s plan to help Cam overcome his grief?
    “Are you willing to put up with a little fuss and fluster from him?”
    Rachel grimaced. “I suppose so. What choice do I have? There’s nowhere else for me to go.”
    Hannah gave her a teasing poke in the side. “Well don’t look as if it’s going to be such torture. It might turn out to be good for both of you. Cam has his good points.”
    “Really? Like what?”
    “Well…he does a fine job managing his shop and the co-op. He’s got a good head for numbers, and he’s a skilled craftsman. People come from all over Bellingham and pay top dollar for his framing. But more important than that, he’s loyal and caring, and he watches out for all of us.” She slipped her arm around Rachel’s shoulder and smiled. “He can actually be quite charming when the mood strikes.”
    “That, I would like to see.” As her teasing words faded into the wind, she remembered how he’d helped her move into her apartment. He’d worked all day, carried in more loads than she could count and never once complained. And that night, when they sat in her new kitchen and shared pizza and stories from their lives, she thought they’d truly connected.
    A smile tugged at her lips as she recalled how he thought Josh was her live-in boyfriend. His confession had touched a soft place in her heart, and she’d sensed the possibility of a friendship beginning.
    But that was last week—before their argument.
    Rachel shook her head and released a soft sigh. Why had she been so defensive? Not only had she damaged her chance to gain Cam’s support for N.C.Y.T., she’d put another roadblock in the way of them becoming friends.
    And that was what bothered her most of all.

Chapter Eight
    C am gripped the hoe and attacked the weeds that had sprung up between the rows of tomatoes and peppers in his garden. Grumbling to himself, he continued whacking away at the nasty intruders while he replayed his quarrel with Rachel.
    She was wrong. There was no way around it. She should’ve kept an eye on those kids even if they weren’t her students. He couldn’t let that go. It was his responsibility to oversee the Arts Center. If he didn’t, his business as well as his friends’ would suffer.
    But he shouldn’t have come on so strong. He didn’t need to blow her out of the water just to make his point. Why hadn’t he stopped when her face turned ghostly pale and her warm brown eyes hardened to cool slate?
    Pitching another weed on the pile, he huffed. If he hadn’t been so hardheaded maybe she wouldn’t have run away from him with that painful look of betrayal in her eyes.
    He’d wounded her with his words, and that was much worse than any damage those kids had done.
    Kneeling, he grabbed an obstinate weed and tugged it out of the ground. If only he could uproot his own selfishness and pride. Perhaps then Rachel would care about what he had to say.
    Tires crunched on the gravel driveway as a car rolled to a stop on the other side of the tall wooden fence. His stomach took a nosedive. That had to be Rachel. He stood and brushed the dirt from his hands.
    The trunk latch released, the car door slammed, and he heard her footsteps. The gate squeaked open. She stepped through carrying four plastic grocery bags, her computer case over her shoulder and a red umbrella clamped under one arm. She turned and gave the gate a kick, slamming it closed.
    He strode across the lawn toward her. “Let me give you a hand with those.”
    She swung around, her eyes wide. “Oh. I didn’t see you.”
    “I was working in the garden.”
    She looked past his shoulder, obviously avoiding eye contact with him.
    “Can I help you carry those upstairs?”
    “No thanks.” She sent him a cool glance, adjusted her hold on the bags and walked away.
    Regret swamped him. “Rachel, wait.”
    She slowly turned around, the challenge still