Season of Redemption by Jenna Mindel

Author:Jenna Mindel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“Kellie, you know I don’t allow men in your room.” The frown on her landlady’s face couldn’t be deeper.

“I know, Mrs. Wheeler, but this is my brother from out of state. He’ll only be here one night.”

Mrs. Wheeler’s gaze narrowed.

The resemblance was there if she’d only look. They had the same face, although Karl’s looked more worn. Kellie waited, hoping her brother kept his mouth shut while he stood antsy behind her.

“One night. That’s it.” Mrs. Wheeler held out her hand toward her brother. “What did you say your name was?”

He stepped forward wearing his charming, fake smile. The one that made promises he’d never keep. “Karl Cavanaugh, ma’am. And thank you for letting me stay.”

“Well, I’m a widow alone. You understand.”

Kellie wanted to roll her eyes. Mrs. Wheeler, though old, was no weakling. Still, Kellie would protect her as best she could.

Karl’s smile broadened. “Of course. And like Kellie said, only one night. I’ll find a place of my own tomorrow.”

Kellie glanced at him quickly. Was he planning to stay in the area? How was that going to work with Dorrie and the girls? Too many questions and not enough answers. Like why didn’t her parents give her or Dorrie a heads-up? Why did they always do what Karl asked of them?

With a tired sigh, Kellie led the way. “Come on, I’ll show you my room.”

Karl swung his backpack over his shoulder and followed after giving Mrs. Wheeler a friendly nod.

As they made their way up the back stairs, Karl whistled. “This lady’s loaded. How’d you fall into such a sweet setup?”

Kellie ignored the sudden icky feeling that she was somehow taking advantage by living here. “From the church I used to attend. Mrs. Wheeler is pretty independent, but she likes having someone here at night. I rent a room, and that’s way less than an apartment.”

“Convenient,” Karl muttered.

True, for both of them. So, why’d he have to make her feel slimy about it? Kellie unlocked her door and opened it wide to the decent-sized room she called home. “Make yourself comfortable. You can have the bed or the futon, take your pick.”

“Futon’s fine.”

Kellie headed for the small fridge. “Hungry?”

“Sure, whatever.” Karl slipped out of his jacket and plopped onto the futon with a soft groan. Reaching for the remote to her tiny TV, he clicked it on and thumbed through channels. “Nice, you’ve got cable.”

A nice extra from Mrs. Wheeler. Not that Kellie watched much TV. She’d been busy making something of herself. She glanced at her brother with her mind in a whirl but held her tongue as she made a couple of turkey sandwiches. She handed a plate to Karl along with a can of diet pop. When he frowned, she bristled. “Would you rather have water?”

“No. This is fine. What happened to your hand?”

“I cut it. Not a big deal.” Although it throbbed a little. So did her heart at the memory of Ryan’s kiss. He’d made her feel cherished and worth something.

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