A Tender Touch by Lenora Worth
Author:Lenora Worth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2004-12-15T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter Ten
âHoney, you donât have to have a reason to visit me. And you sure donât have to call ahead. You know Iâm going to always be here.â
Freddie smiled over at her father, understanding that his words were sincere, and realizing, too, that he wouldnât be able to always be here. Her mother was gone. Gary was gone. Her father was the only close relative she had left. And apparently, since Clay hadnât called her since their last jogging session three days ago, sheâd managed to drive her new best friend away, too. Which only proved she just couldnât live on promises anymore, even from her sweet father. Yet, she couldnât say that to him, either.
âWe just wanted to spend the day with you, Daddy,â she said as he handed her a glass of his special hand-squeezed lemonade.
âWell, Iâm glad. But you sounded a bit frantic when you called.â
Wade Noble was still a very distinguished-looking man, even if he was in his seventies. He lived a simple life, here in the brick ranch house heâs shared with her mother for over thirty-five years. Freddie appreciated the way heâd saved little things of her motherâs, to pass on to her and Ryan one day. He hadnât changed the house that much, but heâd learned to live and move on without his wife. Never one to be domestic before, he now cooked and cleaned and stayed busy volunteering at his church, and he worked part-time at various odd jobs around the small community that had been his home all of his life. As much as he missed her mother, Wade Noble had a kind of peace about him that spoke of a deep, abiding faith that would take him into eternity.
Freddie could take a lesson from that.
âOh, Iâm okay,â she said now in answer to his concerned statement. âJust busy at work. I didnât mean to worry you. Itâs justâ¦good to see you, Dad,â she said as she hugged him close. They stood on the back patio, watching Ryan as he played in a brand-new kiddy pool his grandfather had bought especially for him.
âSo how are things on Sunset Island?â her father asked, his expression telling her he wanted to get to the bottom of this sudden visit.
âWork is good. I have a great office manager, a cute college student named Kate. Sheâs planning on becoming a veterinarian herself one day. And I have a crusty helper who continues to amaze me. Lee has such a way with animals.â She thought back over her talk with Lee Fletcher earlier in the week, worry causing her to frown.
âBut?â
âBut what?â she asked, seeing the questions in her fatherâs hazel eyes.
âButâ¦something is bothering you. I could always tell when you needed to have a heart-to-heart talk.â
Freddie laughed. âHow so?â
âYouâd come into the den and just sit there. Much in the way youâre just standing here right now. I mean, you had to drive a couple of hours, but here you are. Is this Lee fellow giving you trouble?â
Freddie laughed, then sank down onto a cushioned deck chair.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Biblical | Christian |
Historical | Jewish |
Mystery | Romance |
Science Fiction & Fantasy | Short Stories & Anthologies |
Western |
From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon(3709)
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson(3443)
Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore(3034)
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom(2861)
The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom(2703)
In the Woods by Tana French(2023)
Call Me by Your Name: A Novel by André Aciman(1893)
Unworthy by Antonio Monda(1797)
The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom(1789)
Unlocked: A Love Story by Karen Kingsbury(1788)
A Kingsbury Collection by Karen Kingsbury(1731)
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman(1670)
Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg(1624)
The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers(1603)
01 The Rising by Tim Lahaye(1596)
The Absolutist by John Boyne(1594)
LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding(1526)
THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown(1490)
Torrent Falls by Jan Watson(1460)