17

Kelli rolled over and opened her left eye only. Sunlight streamed around the edges of the blackout curtains. She glanced toward the clock. 11:45. That brought her bolt upright in bed. She’d slept until almost noon.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and stretched her arms out straight. What was going on with her? She never slept in.

Of course, perhaps someone who didn’t actually exist didn’t actually have routines, either. She shook her head, trying to clear those kinds of thoughts. She needed to focus on the positive—the wonderful life she’d had for the past twenty-four years, the fact that her friends had all envied the way she and her father were so close.

Unable to face the day ahead just yet, she stayed in bed and channel-surfed until she couldn’t stand it any longer. Finally, she dragged herself into the shower and somehow managed to more or less pull herself together. She hadn’t eaten since the picnic yesterday, but she wasn’t hungry. Besides, she needed to get out to Kenmore’s store.

As she drove the winding country roads, Kelli wondered what her life would have been like if she’d grown up here. Would she have made regular trips to this store as a child? And what about having Alison for a mother? From what she’d seen, it seemed so ideal, she knew it was too good to be true.

The homes were mostly brick, set on several country acres each, and though not large or fancy, they were well kept. On one driveway, a group of teenagers were gathered around a truck. They were all wearing T-shirts and shorts and flip-flops. She saw that they were removing coolers and inner tubes from the truck bed, which explained the wet ponytails sported by all the girls. There must be a lake or a river somewhere nearby. Kelli found herself wishing she would be around long enough to find out the answer.

The parking lot at Moore’s More Store held several cars. Would Kenmore be too busy to talk? She’d driven all the way out here—best to go in and wait it out.

Kelli opened the door and saw that there was a couple standing at the cash register and a woman lined up behind them. Nothing to do but wander down the aisles until Kenmore was free. She made it about two steps before she heard his voice.

“Hey, Kelli, come on over here. I was just telling Morris and Cheryl about you.”

The man looked to be in his sixties, gray hair, pleasant smile. “So you’re the young lady that’s going to come work with this old coot, huh? Well, good luck to you. I’ve known him all my life, and I can tell you right now, he’d drive me crazy if I had to spend more than a minute or two with him.”

“If that’s so, how is it you manage to fish with him for several hours at a time at least once a week?” The woman smiled a dare in her husband’s direction.

“That’s fishing. You don’t actually talk when you fish. He’s bearable until he opens his mouth.” There was much laughing all around the group as the man picked up his bag from the counter. “Let me be the first to tell you welcome and I’m glad you’re here. This place has been sorely lacking in the class department since Frieda ran off and got married. I for one will be happy to see an improvement in that area.”

“Get out of here, you old pain in the rear.” Kenmore waved him toward the door and reached for the soda the woman next in line had put on the counter. As the door jangled its opening, Kenmore looked toward it. “See you at five-thirty tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah, see you then.” And Morris and Cheryl disappeared out the door.

Kelli pretended to study the rack of gum and candy while the soda buying was completed. Absently, she picked up a pack of Juicy Fruit and turned it over and over in her hands until she heard the cash drawer close after the transaction.

When she turned around, Kenmore was watching her. “So what do you say? How soon can you start?”

The determination to get even one more tidbit of information warred with Kelli’s prerehearsed plan to get out of here politely. She did manage to spit out her rehearsed line. “As much as I’d like to, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to find a place to live so soon, especially since it would just be for the summer. I do thank you so much for the offer, though.”

“I’ve got a place you can rent. My son and I own a couple of rental units in town, and one just went vacant. Should be ready for you to move in in a couple of days. It’s one half of a duplex on a corner lot, nice place, if perhaps a bit old-fashioned. Nice older lady lives in the other half. Beth and Rand Thomas live just a couple of doors down. I think I heard them mention that they met you yesterday, and it would be nice for you to move near someone familiar, right?”

For a moment, Kelli simply stood there, too stunned to answer. “But I . . .”

Kenmore waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t bother thanking me. It works out for both of us. Let’s see, I know there’s some paperwork we’ve got to fill out, so I’ll get that together this evening. Why don’t you stop back by here in the morning, and we’ll do everything all legal-like? You can start work next week, which gives you some time to settle in.” Kenmore reached for the bag of chips and soda a teenage girl had just set on the counter and started ringing it up. Conversation over.

“All right, then. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kelli was too surprised to say more. After she stumbled out the door and to her car, she thought about what had just transpired. What had she just agreed to?

The coals were glowing nice and hot when Shane heard his father’s truck pull into the driveway. He flipped the burgers onto the grill and sat back in the lawn chair, waiting for Pop to make his way outside.

“Got some good news for you.” Pop grimaced as he walked.

“Oh yeah, what kind?”

“I got us a renter for the duplex.”

“What? I’ve already started packing my stuff. Or have you forgotten you were the one who was anxious to have me move out of your house?”

“Yeah, well, it won’t hurt to have you with me for a few more months. The lease is just for the summer. And it’s not like you’ve got all that much, so it shouldn’t be a big deal to unpack.”

“We’ve never done short-term leases. I think you were the one who made that rule.”

“The only way Kelli could take the job was if she could find somewhere to rent. Since you have been the one insisting that I need to hire more help, I’m sure you’re willing to make the sacrifice of putting off your move for just a little bit.”

“Kelli? Are you kidding me?” Shane’s father was stubborn to a fault and never did anything on impulse, yet this Kelli girl had waltzed into town and had him spinning circles for her. There had to be some sort of con involved with what she was doing. “What’s her last name again?”

Pop shook his head. “I forget. It’s written down with her phone number. Anyway, she needs somewhere to live, and I told her we had the perfect place.”

“What do you even know about this Kelli girl? When you’re hiring someone for your own store, then it is your right to ‘use your gut,’ as you like to say. When you are putting someone in our duplex—I’m co-owner, remember? I want something a little more concrete.”

“She’s a nice girl. It will be fine. Trust me, you’ll like her.”

“I don’t know that you are qualified to decide who I will and won’t like.”

“Tomorrow you will get the chance to decide for yourself.”

“When?”

“When you meet her over there and show her around the place.”

“You know what, I think that’s a good idea. Real good. And I’m going to get to the bottom of who exactly she is and what she thinks she is doing here. I’m telling you, there is more to this story than meets the eye.” Shane thought perhaps it was a good thing he had moved back home. His father obviously needed some help protecting his own best interests.