In His Good Hands. Joan Kilby

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СКАЧАТЬ at Tegan’s table, he dropped a kiss on her forehead. She was wearing too much makeup and her nail polish was a baffling black. Was she really thirteen already? “How’s the homework going?”

      “Algebra sucks. And I’ve got this geography assignment.” She looked up at him with big eyes. “Can you help me?”

      “Sorry, sweetheart, I’m busy with gym stuff right now,” he said, pushing aside a stab of guilt. “I’ve got paperwork to sort out and phone calls to make. Then a personal training session at six.”

      Tegan sighed heavily and slumped in her chair. “You’re always too busy with this stupid gym.”

      “You need to pack up your books, anyway,” he added, squeezing her shoulder. “I’ll have a quick word with Janet and Mark. Then I’ll take you to Grandma and Grandpa’s.”

      Janet was waiting as he approached the reception desk. Though barely five feet tall, she had a muscular build. In her late forties, she could outlast and outpump most of her younger colleagues.

      Under her scrutiny, he forced a smile.

      Janet gave Mark a high five. “He got the loan.”

      “Awesome.” Mark, an easygoing twenty-five-year-old who towered over Janet, slapped her hand. “That means we’ve still got a job.”

      “Unless Brett’s going upmarket with the help, too.” Janet raised an eyebrow at Brett. “Are you going to hire flash new instructors for your fancy gym?”

      “I need you guys more than ever,” he replied. “Just don’t ask me for a raise right away.”

      “We’ll wait at least a week. Did you get everything you asked for?”

      “Pretty much.” Brett accepted their congratulations and pats on the back. He wasn’t going to talk about what he didn’t get. Losers were weak. And he wasn’t a loser. “Give me a second while I call the real estate agent and tell him to go ahead with the paperwork.”

      He excused himself and went into the cramped inner office to make his call. His offer had already been accepted subject to approval on the financing. The owner, Grant Springer, was just as keen as Brett for the hand over of ownership to take place, and they’d agreed on a thirty-day settlement. It was all happening.

      By the time Brett finished the call, Mark had left to teach a pump class and Janet was laminating photocopies of floor exercises for group fitness.

      “Almost as good as winning the footy grand final, huh?” she asked over the quiet hum of the machine. Beaming, she nudged him with her elbow.

      “Almost,” he replied uncomfortably, with a half smile.

      She removed a freshly laminated copy. “Was the loans officer impressed with your business plan?”

      “She was in awe.” Brett was careful to temper his sarcasm.

      Janet grabbed the catalog of exercise equipment Brett had been poring over earlier like a kid with a Christmas toy flyer. “Let’s start picking out your new goodies.”

      “Uh, I’ll get to that later.”

      She regarded him with a frown. “Is everything okay? Yesterday we couldn’t tear you away from this brochure.”

      “Everything’s fine. I just have to drop Tegan off at my parents’ house for dinner.” He reached for his keys and called over his shoulder, “Are you ready, Tegan?”

      “Coming.” She ambled toward him, the straps of her unbuckled shoes flapping, her school bag slung over her shoulder.

      Brett turned back to Janet. “If my six o’clock arrives before I get back, have her warm up on the treadmill. I won’t be long.”

      In his silver E320 Mercedes, Brett cruised down the leafy main street of the village. Tegan chatted about school. Now and then he murmured “yes” or “uh-huh.”

      “Cool!” Tegan said after one such response. “Thanks, Dad!”

      “You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he replied automatically, then sent her a swift glance. “What did I just say yes to?”

      Her eyes widened, all innocence. “Me getting a new dress for the dance.”

      “You’ve got dozens of dresses in your closet. Why don’t you wear one of those? It’s not like anyone in Summerside will have seen them before.”

      “I only have two party dresses and I’ve grown out of both of them. Besides, I’m older now.”

      He swiveled to look at her, noticing her developing figure and the way, sitting side by side, her head now reached his shoulder. “I guess you’re right.”

      The older the girl, the more expensive the dress. He’d learned that during his marriage.

      Slowing to a halt for the single stoplight in town, he spied the Community Bank on the corner and frowned. Charm had always been his biggest asset, but it hadn’t worked with Renita. His efforts to renew their friendship had fallen flat. If that’s the way she wanted it, he would stick to business in the future. But he needed his loans manager to be onside to make the gym a success.

      His eye fell on a poster erected on the grass verge, advertising the Diabetes Week Fun Run. Renita had been touchy about her father’s condition. She was likely worried and feeling helpless, wishing she could do something to fix the problem.

      “That’s it,” Brett muttered. “Two birds with one stone.”

      He got out his phone and punched in her number at the bank. Her office was the last one on the end, he realized.

      “Renita Thatcher.” She sounded preoccupied.

      “I just wanted to let you know about a special deal the gym is offering,” he said, making it up on the spot.

      “Brett? Is that you?”

      “Two-for-one memberships. I’ll throw in five free personal training sessions if you sign up before the end of the week,” he added recklessly. She’d said she wasn’t into exercise, but when people caught the bug they usually came to love the feel-good high of being fit.

      “And you think I’m interested because…?”

      “Your father is diabetic. I’ll bet his doctor has told him to exercise. Does he already belong to a gym in Mornington or Frankston?”

      “No,” she said. “But he walks his dog, Smedley.”

      “You and Steve can get fit together. You’ve got six weeks before the Fun Run—”

      “No, no, no,” Renita protested. “I told you, I’m not entering the run.”

      Undeterred, Brett pushed on. “Your dad would be more likely to work out if he had a partner to encourage him, wouldn’t he?”

      “Brett—” She broke off.

      In the silence that followed he could СКАЧАТЬ