Abby's Christmas. Lynnette Kent

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ out. And each other—I don’t know what I’d do anymore without Valerie. Plus Grace and Connor, who will play with Ginny for hours while she’s in bed. When they’re not squabbling, of course.”

      Rob picked up a file folder lying on the coffee table and paged through it. “So let’s get business out of the way and then maybe Ginny will be awake and I can introduce you. I haven’t told anybody you were coming back—haven’t mentioned, even to Valerie, that we’ve talked about this job. I figure your past is your business, and you’ll decide what you want people to know and when.”

      “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

      “I’ve got a lot of paperwork here, forms to be signed and then delivered to your parole officer, forms I’m supposed to keep, information you’re required to read. I guess we’ll go over it one page at a time, make sure we’ve got everything covered. But first…”

      Setting the folder back on the table, Rob braced his elbows on his knees, linked his fingers and then looked straight into Noah’s face.

      “First, I want to hear what you’ve been doing the last fifteen years or so. Tell me where you worked, where you lived, what you did in your spare time. Explain to me how in the world you ended up in prison.

      “And then, give me one good reason I should trust you with a job.”

      CHAPTER FOUR

      ABBY CLOSED THE DINER at nine Friday night and went home. As soon as she turned the last corner, she saw the big Harley parked by the curb across from her dad’s house. Noah sat in the saddle, arms folded over his chest. He’d come for the dog, or to argue about the dog. She hadn’t yet forgiven him for the argument yesterday morning.

      “What are you doing here?” She bumped the car door shut with her hip.

      “I came to get the dog.”

      “To do what with him? Your mother won’t let him in the house, remember?”

      “I’ll hide him in my room.” His smile gleamed white for a second. “She’ll never know.”

      Now she crossed her arms. “Are you crazy? Of course she’ll notice.”

      “She never knew about the mice I kept, or the lizards. I had a rabbit for a couple of years without her finding out.”

      “How in the world did you do that?”

      “Kept my room clean, clothes washed, bed changed. She didn’t have a reason to come in and snoop, so the rabbit stayed in the closet except when I was there and locked the door.”

      Abby couldn’t help but laugh. “All these years, the teenagers of the world never realized the secret to true privacy was simple neatness.”

      “Give people what they want and they pretty much leave you alone.”

      “Words of wisdom.” She stared at him through the darkness for a moment, watching the streetlight beam shimmer across his hair. “Well, come on in. Dad’s usually in bed by now, so the coast should be clear.”

      She could have taken him around the back of the house to the sunporch. But she didn’t want to sneak Noah in, as if she were ashamed of him. Noah Blake was as good as anyone else in town.

      Still, she was thankful to see no sign of her dad as she led Noah through the front rooms. When they reached the kitchen, she could hear the dog snuffling on the other side of the door to the porch. As soon as she opened that door, the little guy was all over Noah.

      “Hey, buddy.” He knelt by the door so the dog could lick his face. “You’re looking pretty good after a couple of days of inside digs. You even got a bath.” Noah looked up at Abby. “That must have been fun. He can’t have had too many in his life.”

      “I took him to a friend of mine who runs a dog-grooming business. She said he did okay. Maybe he belonged to people at one point and got lost.”

      “Maybe. Thanks, anyway.” Cradling the dog against his chest, Noah got to his feet. “You’ve been a big help.”

      He intended to go, and take the dog with him. They would both disappear from her life. After the way Noah had acted, she should be glad. But…

      “Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

      He’d reached the door between the kitchen and the hallway. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”

      “Hot chocolate?”

      Noah stopped and turned back. “That’s a low blow.”

      “Does it work?”

      “As long as your dad won’t come in and yell at me.”

      Abby closed the doors to the hall and to the dining room. “He’ll never know you’re here. Have a seat at the table. This’ll just take a second.”

      Noah set the dog on the floor and took a chair. He observed the kitchen while she worked. After a few minutes of companionable silence, he said, “Let me guess—your favorite color is red.”

      She grinned as she poured milk and cream into the chocolate mixture. “Can’t put anything over on you.”

      “Red pots and pans, red-checked curtains, red apples on the table and a red rug on the floor. I’d have to be pretty dense.”

      “Red dishes, too,” she pointed out, taking two big mugs out of a cabinet. “Add green napkins and I’m all decorated for Christmas.”

      When the chocolate started to simmer, she moved the saucepan off the burner and poured the beverage into the cups. She handed him a mug, then sat across the table with her own. The dog settled between them on the red rug, his chin resting on one outstretched paw.

      Noah took a sip of chocolate. “You sure do work miracles—this is even better than the stuff you made the other day.”

      “At home, I can use expensive chocolate and cream. At the diner, I have to remember cost control.”

      “It’s worth the price. Maybe you could put Abby’s Special Hot Chocolate on the menu and charge more.”

      She shook her head. “Charlie’s pretty rigid about keeping prices down. He’s the boss.”

      “So open your own place. Charge anything you want.”

      “And compete with the Carolina Diner? I don’t think so.”

      “You’ll just stick with the status quo?”

      “I haven’t been offered any other options.” Beside them, the windowpane rattled in the wind. Abby glanced down at the dog. “It’s a cold night to take him out on the motorcycle. He doesn’t have too much hair.”

      “I brought the backpack. He’ll be warm enough.”

      “And he still doesn’t have a name.”

      “No.” Noah stared down at the mutt. “Spot?”

      She СКАЧАТЬ