Hometown Girl by Robin Lee Hatcher

Author:Robin Lee Hatcher
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mills & Boon Blush Single
Published: 2011-06-08T00:00:00+00:00

“Are you sure you can’t cut this sabbatical thing short?” Charley Cooper’s voice sounded as if it was coming through a tunnel. “We need your expertise around here. Ed could use your help on a story he’s working on. It’s a hot one. Would be even better with the Rourke perspective.”

“Get off your speaker phone, will you, Charley?” Daniel replied, ignoring everything else his editor had said. “I can hardly understand you.”

Charley’s voice was much clearer when he continued, “You didn’t answer me. When are you coming back?”

“I told you all along it wouldn’t be until September.”

“But we need you now.”

Daniel closed his eyes as he leaned his back against the doorjamb. It was easy to imagine Charley, seated at his enormous desk in the office that overlooked the Chicago River and had a view of Lake Michigan. His graywhite hair would be sticking out in all directions from the frequent finger-rakings it received throughout the day. He would invariably be doodling with a blue, felttip pen on whatever piece of paper was handy. His wirerimmed glasses would be perched close to the end of his short, bulbous nose, and his bushy eyebrows would be drawn together in a thoughtful frown.

“Rourke, are you listening to me?”

“I’m listening, Charley, but I’m not going to change my mind, so you can save your breath. I’m staying in Boise for the summer.”

Charley muttered something on his end of the line—something undoubtedly colorful and not meant for polite company.

Daniel grinned, enjoying himself.

“I suppose this has something to do with that daughter you’ve got out there.”

“Yeah, it’s got something to do with Heather.” And with her mother.

“Book tours. Kids. Sabbaticals. Damn fool nonsense, all of it, if you ask me.”

Daniel chuckled. “Nobody asked you.”

“Yeah, well, you’re getting my opinion anyway. You know, today’s celebrities are tomorrow’s has-beens. You need to get your byline back in the paper. This story Ed’s working on is a real—”

“I gotta run, Charley. It was nice talking to you.”

Before the receiver hit the cradle, Daniel heard his editor shouting, “Wait a minute, Rourke. I want—”

Click.

That felt good, he decided as he turned away from the telephone. Read good.

Daniel had worked for Charley Cooper almost from the moment he’d graduated from Boise State. He liked the crusty old coot, and he respected him. He would put Charley up against any newspaper editor in the world and be certain he’d come out on top. Charley Cooper had a nose for news, as the old saying went.

But Daniel was glad there were seventeen hundred miles between him and his editor. Otherwise, he knew Charley would have him working the beat before nightfall.

Charley Cooper hated it when anybody told him, “No.”

Daniel whistled as he headed outside to mow the back lawn. As a kid, he’d hated this chore. He’d done just about anything to get out of it. Strange what a decade of living in apartments and condos—with nary a blade of grass in sight—could do to change a man’s mind.

With a quick, fluid motion, he pulled the cord to start the mower’s engine.

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