Read Online The Newcomer (Thunder Point) by Robyn Carr - Free Book Online Page A

father, who is an invalid. When Rawley works, a neighbor lady who’s a nurse’s aid in a nursing home looks in on him. If I can’t find Rawley anywhere, I’ll need to call hospitals or something. Rawley is strange, but he’s pretty reliable.”
    “Then just go. Will you make me dinner for me tonight?”
    “Sure,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss. “I’d rather lock the doors and take you upstairs for a while. You were less than romantic last night.” He kissed her again. “But I should make sure Rawley is okay. I don’t know how old he is, but older than dirt, I suspect.”
    “Just go. Ease your mind. Then if there aren’t a lot of people around later, we can make out awhile.”
    “Can we make out naked?”
    “No,” she said with a laugh. “What if my brother popped in for some reason?”
    “Your brother. You know, I like Landon, but is it too late to put him up for adoption? We could get visitation a couple of days a week....”
    “And the rest of the week?”
    He nuzzled her neck. “I think you know....”
    “Go,” she said. “I’ll check out the freezer and decide what I want for dinner.”
    * * *
     
    Cooper found Rawley’s red truck in the driveway at his house, indicating he was at home, but there was a for sale sign in the back window of the truck. Maybe he’d decided to work on restoring Ben’s old truck and drive it at the same time. When Cooper found all the stuff in Ben’s old storage shed—truck, Razor, tools, etc.—he’d given Ben’s truck to Rawley and invited him to use any tools he needed to work on it. He gave the Razor to Sarah and Landon since he had a Rhino for himself.
    Cooper parked on the street, walked up the brick steps and knocked on the door. He knocked again before Rawley opened the door. Rawley was wearing a white dress shirt with his jeans—a new look for him. There was no bandana tied around his head, either. And his hair—extremely thin on top and usually long—had been trimmed.
    “What’s up, Rawley?” Cooper asked. And Rawley just held open the door so Cooper could step inside. “You’re selling the truck?” he asked as he entered. And then he saw the empty wheelchair sitting in front of the fireplace. “Rawley...”
    “He passed real quiet,” Rawley said. “In his sleep. I found him this morning.”
    “Aw, Rawley. I’m sorry, man. You should have called me.”
    Rawley just shook his head. “I knew what to do.”
    Cooper reached out and put a strong hand on his shoulder. “I could’ve helped.”
    “You got a business to run.”
    “I also have commitments to friends,” he said. “I would’ve put the big thermos on the porch, some doughnuts on a plate under the glass so the birds wouldn’t get in ’em. There’s just the two of us out there on the beach. There’s gonna be times we have to be somewhere else.”
    Rawley, so unexpressive, looked surprised by that. “Just figured I’d get ’er done.”
    “You’re selling the truck?”
    He shrugged. “My dad, he had himself a plot, paid for, but that’s about it. It’s either sell the house or the truck.”
    “To pay for the funeral?”
    “Won’t be no funeral, there’s just us. But he needs a box.”
    Cooper stood uncertainly for a moment. “Could we sit down in the kitchen and have a cup of coffee?”
    Without answering, Rawley turned and headed toward the kitchen. Once there he brought a fresh cup out of the cupboard and filled it for Cooper. Then he filled his own cup. Then, to Cooper’s surprise, he put cream and sugar on the table, along with a spoon. And he sat down.
    Cooper didn’t really know where to begin. “Mac said you’ve been hanging around the bait shop for a few years now.”
    Rawley nodded.
    “Where did you work before that, if you don’t mind me asking?”
    “Odd jobs. Here and there.”
    “And lived here with your dad?”
    He shook his head. “I just got reconnected with my dad four years ago. Ben forced that issue,” he said, naming their late