The Reluctant Daddy by Helen Conrad

Author:Helen Conrad
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-08-16T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

IT FELT GOOD to get back to Tyler. As Lee strolled down Main Street, it felt almost like a homecoming. Some people waved, a few nodded. More looked at him with resentment and anger in their eyes. But that was to be expected. With the fire, the town had changed, and Lee’s own findings might be changing it even more in the next few weeks.

A town like this, with so much of its economy, not to mention its history, tied up in one industry, was bound to go through a period of readjustment when it received a severe blow like this. With no insurance money, rebuilding was going to be difficult. The town was going to have to pull together, and sacrifices would be necessary. Some people would probably have to move on to other parts of the state, other parts of the country, looking for work. Others would have to tighten their belts and alter their life-styles. Some might have to give up on college for their children. No wonder there was bitterness. Lee couldn’t blame them at all. He was mildly surprised no one had yet threatened to string him up from a tree. It had happened before.

“Hey,” said an older man in a baseball cap and a jacket that had Tyler Titans on the back. He stopped on the sidewalk in front of Gates Department Store and jabbed a forefinger. “Aren’t you that fire inspector?”

“Investigator,” Lee corrected automatically, looking wary.

“Whatever,” the man said. “You better figure out and figure out fast some way to make that fire an accident.” His thick, bushy eyebrows rose and fell with his words in a comic fashion, but there was nothing funny about the emotion blazing in his eyes. “You know what I mean? If you finish off this town, someone’s bound to try to finish you off, too.” He jabbed with the finger again. “You got me?”

“I got you,” Lee said wearily. “Over and out, good buddy,” he murmured ironically, moving on.

“Hey, I’m talking to you,” the man yelled as he left, but Lee didn’t look back. There was no point in arguing in the street with someone who wasn’t prepared to listen to facts anyway.

Who knows? he thought as he strode away. Maybe I’m wrong and they’ll string me up yet.

He stopped in at the convenience store to pick up some shaving cream. Though it stocked all the basic necessities—newspapers, milk, groceries, candy bars—the place was old-fashioned, with all sorts of miscellaneous merchandise piled to the ceiling. Fortunately, the shaving cream display was prominent and unavoidable.

On his way to the check-out counter, Lee stopped to look through some magazines, and that was when he heard a small boy talking to the clerk.

“It’s for my mommy. For Christmas,” the boy was saying in his childish voice, and looking over, Lee thought he recognized him. “How many pennies is it?” the boy asked shyly.

Lee moved a little closer, to where he could see and hear better. He was pretty sure this was Glenna’s boy.

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