Read Online TAKE A CHANCE (Chance Colorado Series) by Melissa Mayhue - Free Book Online
Authors: Melissa Mayhue
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for Matt to lead the conversation. He considered asking about Allie, but any questions he could think of all seemed designed to encourage Matt to ask why he’d want to know. And since even he wasn’t completely sure why he wanted to know more about Matt’s sister, he steered clear of that discussion, determined to avoid any mention of her. Instead, their conversation turned to resurrecting old memories of school days and comparing employment ambitions for the future.
The evening slipped away, and by the time they paid their check and headed out, it was as if they’d almost recaptured the familiar rhythm of their old relationship.
Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe he could retire a demon or two after all.
“Hey, isn’t that Allie’s car?” Matt twisted in his seat as they passed The Hand of Chance Coffee Emporium. “I’m sure it is. I wonder if that beat-up POS of hers stopped on her again?”
That would be Logan’s guess, considering the vehicle sat all alone in the empty lot next to the darkened shop.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” he answered, turning down the road toward the old house where Matt’s family lived.
Logic told him he really didn’t need to go inside when he dropped Matt off. Even if Allie’s car had broken down, there was nothing he could do for her tonight. Her best option was to have Hugo tow it to the garage tomorrow.
But it wasn’t logic that urged him to turn off the engine and follow Matt into the house.
Susie Flynn sat in her recliner, eyes closed, bathed in the soft, flickering glow emanating from the television.
“Hey, Mom,” Matt greeted, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “Where’s Allie?”
“Still over at the Hand, I guess. The twins stopped by on their way home to check on me and let me know that they left her going through Papa Flynn’s stuff up on the second floor.” Susie shifted in her seat, seeming to notice they had a guest. “Welcome, Logan. Make yourself comfortable. I think there’s pop in the fridge.”
“Thanks, Susie.” Logan automatically reached to pull his cap off his head, remembering only at the last second he wasn’t wearing one tonight.
“What’s she doing that for?” Matt asked.
Susie fluttered a hand, her eyes fixed on the television screen. “The girls are trying to talk her into setting up a bookstore or some such thing. I guess she’s hunting through the old furniture Papa Flynn has stored up there. You don’t need to worry about her. The girls said she should be along shortly.”
If Allie was considering her cousins’ offer seriously enough to wander around in that junkyard of her grandfather’s this late at night, surely that must mean she was planning to stay here in Chance. And planning to stay must mean there was no special attachment waiting in Texas, where he’d heard she’d been living.
In spite of his expectations, his questions were getting answered after all.
“How long ago was that, Mom? What time was it when the twins stopped by?”
“How long?” Susie lifted a hand to her forehead and rubbed it over her eyes. “I’m not sure, Matty. I’m sorry. I might have drifted off to sleep after they left. But you don’t need to worry. Your sister has been taking care of herself for a long time. Besides, you need to remember that you’re back in Chance now, not in some big city.”
“Yeah, that may be true, but it’s after midnight, Mom, and I am worried.” Matt walked over to the window and twitched the drapes back to stare outside. “I’m not all that comfortable with her still being over there by herself. The place looked completely dark when we drove by.”
Offering to help seemed the only sensible thing to do.
“I can stop in to check on her. I go right by there on my way home, so it won’t be any trouble.”
It had been a long time since chance had dropped such a perfect opportunity in his lap.
CHAPTER SIX
Allie climbed the squeaky stairs,
The evening slipped away, and by the time they paid their check and headed out, it was as if they’d almost recaptured the familiar rhythm of their old relationship.
Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe he could retire a demon or two after all.
“Hey, isn’t that Allie’s car?” Matt twisted in his seat as they passed The Hand of Chance Coffee Emporium. “I’m sure it is. I wonder if that beat-up POS of hers stopped on her again?”
That would be Logan’s guess, considering the vehicle sat all alone in the empty lot next to the darkened shop.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” he answered, turning down the road toward the old house where Matt’s family lived.
Logic told him he really didn’t need to go inside when he dropped Matt off. Even if Allie’s car had broken down, there was nothing he could do for her tonight. Her best option was to have Hugo tow it to the garage tomorrow.
But it wasn’t logic that urged him to turn off the engine and follow Matt into the house.
Susie Flynn sat in her recliner, eyes closed, bathed in the soft, flickering glow emanating from the television.
“Hey, Mom,” Matt greeted, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “Where’s Allie?”
“Still over at the Hand, I guess. The twins stopped by on their way home to check on me and let me know that they left her going through Papa Flynn’s stuff up on the second floor.” Susie shifted in her seat, seeming to notice they had a guest. “Welcome, Logan. Make yourself comfortable. I think there’s pop in the fridge.”
“Thanks, Susie.” Logan automatically reached to pull his cap off his head, remembering only at the last second he wasn’t wearing one tonight.
“What’s she doing that for?” Matt asked.
Susie fluttered a hand, her eyes fixed on the television screen. “The girls are trying to talk her into setting up a bookstore or some such thing. I guess she’s hunting through the old furniture Papa Flynn has stored up there. You don’t need to worry about her. The girls said she should be along shortly.”
If Allie was considering her cousins’ offer seriously enough to wander around in that junkyard of her grandfather’s this late at night, surely that must mean she was planning to stay here in Chance. And planning to stay must mean there was no special attachment waiting in Texas, where he’d heard she’d been living.
In spite of his expectations, his questions were getting answered after all.
“How long ago was that, Mom? What time was it when the twins stopped by?”
“How long?” Susie lifted a hand to her forehead and rubbed it over her eyes. “I’m not sure, Matty. I’m sorry. I might have drifted off to sleep after they left. But you don’t need to worry. Your sister has been taking care of herself for a long time. Besides, you need to remember that you’re back in Chance now, not in some big city.”
“Yeah, that may be true, but it’s after midnight, Mom, and I am worried.” Matt walked over to the window and twitched the drapes back to stare outside. “I’m not all that comfortable with her still being over there by herself. The place looked completely dark when we drove by.”
Offering to help seemed the only sensible thing to do.
“I can stop in to check on her. I go right by there on my way home, so it won’t be any trouble.”
It had been a long time since chance had dropped such a perfect opportunity in his lap.
CHAPTER SIX
Allie climbed the squeaky stairs,
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