Montana Hero by Debra Salonen

Author:Debra Salonen [Salonen, Debra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, contemporary, Western
Goodreads: 26010622
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

‡

Kat shivered as she stepped across the threshold of Flynn’s temporary quarters. He’d given everyone his address that first day on the job, making it clear his door was always open if they had problems outside of work that might affect their job performance.

Announcing to the world that the head of a prominent family had fathered a bastard child probably qualified as a problem, she thought, standing a moment in the open “living room” that now served as the retail hub of Bailey’s jewelry store.

“Can I take your coat?”

She shook her head.

The room wasn’t cold, but sitting in her car for the past half hour had left her chilled to the bone. Either that or the dread from what was coming. Her confession. She’d already seen the look he’d given her when Brady blurted out the fact he was Bob Zabrinski’s grandson. Suspicion. Concern. Judgment.

How could anyone not judge her poorly? She didn’t think very highly of herself at the moment, either.

“How ’bout a cup of tea?”

She nodded. Anything to stall.

He led the way to the kitchen, flicking on lights that illuminated a workshop that must have been a family room at some time in the house’s life. The sparkle and pop of silver, gold and semi-precious stones brought a smile to her face, despite what she knew was coming.

“Bailey’s really talented, isn’t she? I bought a pair of her earrings at the Big Marietta Fair last summer. They were my favorite until I lost one in the laundry.”

Flynn busied himself by filling a kettle with water. “I heard the ladies who work here talking about a replacement they were working on. Bring the one you have to work and I’ll…” He didn’t finish the thought. Instead, he reached overhead for a box of herbal tea choices.

He carried the box and two mugs to the table.

“Are you quitting because of what happened at the school today?”

“Mostly.”

She sat opposite him. She didn’t dare sit too close. Giving up her job was only part of her penance. She’d come to the conclusion that this could have been avoided if she’d been a more attentive mother. Brady somehow picked up on her latent, mostly hidden—even from herself—desire to have a “real” family.

Since that was never going to happen, she owed it to herself and her son to hunker down, regroup and refocus all her energy on Brady.

“Brady thought he was helping me.”

He cocked his head in that thoughtful, questioning way that told her he was listening intently to what she had to say. “That’s not surprising. You’re the center of his universe.”

An observation? Or judgment?

“It might be different with two parents, but even when Greg was in the picture, he was hands-off where Brady was concerned.”

“How come?”

“Honestly, I think he was afraid Brady was smarter than him. Which Brady is. His intelligence is off the charts, but he’s never been able to connect well with people.”

“So, you’ve had to be his advocate, his interpreter.”

A strange flush of pleasure swept through her. “Yes. You could say that.

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