Read Online Summer on Kendall Farm by Shirley Hailstock - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shirley Hailstock
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angry, a body singing anger, yet she could feel the vibes that seemed to bounce off Jace.
“I never thought this place would or could hold anything for me,” he began. He spoke softly as if he was talking to himself and not to an audience of one. “Then I got Ari.”
“
Got
Ari?”
“He’s adopted.”
“You told me,” Kelly said. “But you made it sound as if he was left on your doorstep.”
“Close,” he said. “His mother threw him to me. Ari is four. I’ve had him for three years.”
“He wasn’t an orphan?” Kelly asked.
“Not at first. He had a mom. I didn’t know her. I only learned about her after she died. I knew nothing about the cocaine factory where she worked.” He stopped. “You’re probably thinking a factory is a building. It’s not. It’s a hole in the ground, protected by guys with guns. I was working on a water pipeline through one of the jungles and the cocaine factory was nearby. There were rumors about it, so I knew it was there and our crews steered clear of it. But then it was raided. People were screaming and running in all directions when it exploded.”
Kelly’s heart went out to the small child sleeping in the bed upstairs.
“When we heard the bang, I ran toward it, grabbing and pulling people out of the wreckage. Ari’s mother crawled out, dragging the child with her. She pushed him at me just as a second explosion rocked the ground. Both Ari and I went down, but I fell on my back instinctively keeping him safe. He’s been with me ever since.”
This, Kelly knew, was designed to gain her sympathy. It did, but she was determined not to show it. “And Ari is the reason for the return?”
“In part. Ari needed better doctors. I mentioned his asthma.”
“You have health insurance?”
“I have to check on my options. I’m not sure anymore.”
“What happens then?”
“I hope to have a job by then.”
“I’d like to suggest that you put your efforts into finding employment with insurance instead of trying to get a bank loan to buy the Kendall. It’s not for sale.”
“I suppose that’s fair. In the morning, I’ll look for another place for us to stay.”
“Dad?” The door to the Kendall had been ajar and Ari pushed it fully open and stepped onto the porch, his fist wiping sleep from his eyes.
Jace automatically opened his arms and the small child walked into them. He settled the still-sleepy boy on his legs.
Kelly’s heart softened. She hadn’t known Ari twenty-four hours, yet she felt protective of him. She loved how father and son cared for each other.
“For the sake of Ari,” she began. “The job is still open. It has medical insurance. You’ll be covered as soon as you sign the papers.”
“I accept,” Jace said without hesitation.
“However,” Kelly stopped him. “If I even think you’re trying to undermine me in any way, I’ll throw you off the property and you can fend for yourself.”
She refused to include Ari in that threat.
Though Kelly’s anger had abated, she was still unnerved. It had been a while since she was intrigued by a man the way she was with Jace, even as he stood wet and lost in her foyer the night before.
To send him packing might have been the right thing to do, but she wanted to explore these other feelings. Even though getting the Kendall to be self-sustaining was number one on her priority list, she felt he could help her and she could work out the chemistry that was obvious between them.
“Wanna go for a walk, Ari?” Jace spoke.
“Wow! Yeah,” he said, raising his head from Jace’s shoulder.
The two got up and moved down the steps.
“Kelly, wanna come?” Ari asked.
She looked at the child, then at Jace. “I have a lot to do,” she said. “Why don’t you and your dad spend some time together?”
Jace nodded and he and Ari headed out. She watched them go, Jace holding securely on to Ari’s hand.
They were a pair, Kelly thought. She couldn’t imagine them separated, couldn’t
“I never thought this place would or could hold anything for me,” he began. He spoke softly as if he was talking to himself and not to an audience of one. “Then I got Ari.”
“
Got
Ari?”
“He’s adopted.”
“You told me,” Kelly said. “But you made it sound as if he was left on your doorstep.”
“Close,” he said. “His mother threw him to me. Ari is four. I’ve had him for three years.”
“He wasn’t an orphan?” Kelly asked.
“Not at first. He had a mom. I didn’t know her. I only learned about her after she died. I knew nothing about the cocaine factory where she worked.” He stopped. “You’re probably thinking a factory is a building. It’s not. It’s a hole in the ground, protected by guys with guns. I was working on a water pipeline through one of the jungles and the cocaine factory was nearby. There were rumors about it, so I knew it was there and our crews steered clear of it. But then it was raided. People were screaming and running in all directions when it exploded.”
Kelly’s heart went out to the small child sleeping in the bed upstairs.
“When we heard the bang, I ran toward it, grabbing and pulling people out of the wreckage. Ari’s mother crawled out, dragging the child with her. She pushed him at me just as a second explosion rocked the ground. Both Ari and I went down, but I fell on my back instinctively keeping him safe. He’s been with me ever since.”
This, Kelly knew, was designed to gain her sympathy. It did, but she was determined not to show it. “And Ari is the reason for the return?”
“In part. Ari needed better doctors. I mentioned his asthma.”
“You have health insurance?”
“I have to check on my options. I’m not sure anymore.”
“What happens then?”
“I hope to have a job by then.”
“I’d like to suggest that you put your efforts into finding employment with insurance instead of trying to get a bank loan to buy the Kendall. It’s not for sale.”
“I suppose that’s fair. In the morning, I’ll look for another place for us to stay.”
“Dad?” The door to the Kendall had been ajar and Ari pushed it fully open and stepped onto the porch, his fist wiping sleep from his eyes.
Jace automatically opened his arms and the small child walked into them. He settled the still-sleepy boy on his legs.
Kelly’s heart softened. She hadn’t known Ari twenty-four hours, yet she felt protective of him. She loved how father and son cared for each other.
“For the sake of Ari,” she began. “The job is still open. It has medical insurance. You’ll be covered as soon as you sign the papers.”
“I accept,” Jace said without hesitation.
“However,” Kelly stopped him. “If I even think you’re trying to undermine me in any way, I’ll throw you off the property and you can fend for yourself.”
She refused to include Ari in that threat.
Though Kelly’s anger had abated, she was still unnerved. It had been a while since she was intrigued by a man the way she was with Jace, even as he stood wet and lost in her foyer the night before.
To send him packing might have been the right thing to do, but she wanted to explore these other feelings. Even though getting the Kendall to be self-sustaining was number one on her priority list, she felt he could help her and she could work out the chemistry that was obvious between them.
“Wanna go for a walk, Ari?” Jace spoke.
“Wow! Yeah,” he said, raising his head from Jace’s shoulder.
The two got up and moved down the steps.
“Kelly, wanna come?” Ari asked.
She looked at the child, then at Jace. “I have a lot to do,” she said. “Why don’t you and your dad spend some time together?”
Jace nodded and he and Ari headed out. She watched them go, Jace holding securely on to Ari’s hand.
They were a pair, Kelly thought. She couldn’t imagine them separated, couldn’t
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