27

Shane walked through the back room of the store precisely at closing time. Strange, as much as he had nagged his father about hiring another person, now that Pop had done it, Shane wished he hadn’t.

“Well, I’d say that was another good day. Thanks for your help. You catch on nice and quick.” His father’s voice carried from the front of the store.

Kelli answered immediately, “Thanks. I’m glad I could be a help.”

I’m glad I could be a help? Could an answer be any more phony? Shane jumped over the two steps into the actual store from the back room to find Kelli sweeping near the cash register, where his father was counting the drawer.

She paused with the broom. “By the way, over the weekend I asked around and did some visits to other stores in the area that are similar to ours.”

“Similar to ours? What, have you bought out a portion of my father’s store, and I didn’t even know it?” So much for Shane’s plan to simply observe. He looked at his father, eyes opened wide, trying to impart to him exactly what it was this girl had just said to him. His father didn’t look even one bit alarmed, which was in and of itself alarming.

“I meant our in a more figurative sense—the store we both work at.” She glared at him, then turned back to Pop. “As I was saying, I’ve been checking out stores that are similar to”—she turned and glared at Shane—“this one . . .” She stared for a full ten seconds before she turned back to his father. “I found one called Mashburn’s over at Five Points. Are you familiar with it?”

“Mashburn’s? Of course. That’s a great family-run store. Super people.”

“So I’d heard. So I drove over there on Saturday afternoon. Did you know they have a deli counter? There was a line several people deep the entire time I was there, people waiting mostly for bologna sandwiches from what I could tell. The lady behind the counter cut it really thick, and everyone seemed to love it.”

“Yes, I’ve had more than a few of Mashburn’s bologna sandwiches over the years. They are terrific.”

“Exactly. Which makes me think, why don’t you put in a deli counter, too? It would bring in the lunch crowd every day, and it couldn’t help but increase sales by having more people in here on a regular basis. Mashburn’s is far enough away from here that they wouldn’t be direct competition, but maybe their customers who have friends and family in this part of the county might help spread the word.”

What was motivating this girl? Did she expect to worm her way into Pop’s business if she made a few suggestions? She had another thing coming if she thought that was going to happen.

Pop waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t need more sales. We’re doing just fine. If I opened a deli counter I’d have to hire some help for the lunch rush, and that’d just be more people in my way. I like things the way they are.”

He turned toward Shane. “More good news for you. You’ve been on my case about scheduling my surgery. This afternoon, I called Dr. Craviotto and agreed to one of those so-called ‘minimally invasive’ hip replacements. He said he could have me up and back at work in two weeks, and since Kelli is working out so well, I told him to book it. Keith said he’d come in extra, just like after Frieda left. So, I hope you’re happy.”

Kelli had gone to the far end of the store with the broom. Shane glanced over at her, but she didn’t appear to be paying attention to their conversation, which he supposed was how she wanted it to appear.

“When?”

“Two weeks. Or more like one week from this Friday.”

“One week? Are you sure you can . . . that Kelli will be ready to be left here alone that soon?” He glanced over his shoulder to find her still sweeping.

Pop nodded toward her. “Far as I can tell, she’s ready now. She’s got some merchandising and cash register experience, caught on real fast to my way of doing things. I just need to teach her the evening bookkeeping, and then she’ll be good to go.” He quirked his mouth up in a left-sided heap, like he did when he thought someone was being stupid. “You’re the one who’s been nagging me to do this for months. Now I’m finally breaking down to do it, and you’re all worked up about it. What’s your problem?”

“It just seems soon, that’s all.”

“Well, it’s not, so relax. Hey, Kelli,” he called through the store.

“Yeah?” She looked up from her broom.

“A couple of weeks from now, you’ll be able to handle the store by yourself for a while, right?”

“Sure.”

“For two weeks. Alone?” Shane glared toward her, daring her to say yes to a question that any fool had to understand was a no.

She glanced toward Pop, looking nervous, then leveled her gaze directly on Shane. “Of course I could. Do you need me to?”

“I’m thinking of getting my hip fixed. You wouldn’t mind, right?”

Shane did note the expression of terror in her eyes with some degree of satisfaction. Unfortunately, it was quickly replaced with a look of something like determination. “Absolutely not. I’m happy to stand in for you.”

“That’s what I thought.” Pop nodded triumphantly toward Shane, then turned back toward Kelli. “As a thank-you, would you want to go fishing Saturday morning?”

“Really?”

“Yep. Just got a call from Morris, and he’s going to be out of town this weekend, and if you’re going to see the Southern way of life, fishing’s something you shouldn’t miss.”

The expression on her face looked every bit as stunned as Shane felt. Then she smiled broadly. “Sounds fun.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up at five.”

“I’ll be ready.” She returned to her sweeping job, but she was still smiling. About fishing? Like Shane was going to believe that.

Kelli had an agenda. It was up to Shane to figure out what it was, and he needed to do it fast.

So much for my plan to make a quick getaway. Kenmore’s having surgery a week from Friday, and he wants me to fill in for him for a couple of weeks. This traps me into being here for longer, even if things go wrong and someone starts figuring this all out. But it also gives me a way to help him out a little. I’m pretty sure Dad messed up some things for Kenmore by leaving the way he did. If by staying here a little longer than planned helps him, then maybe I’ll feel a little less guilty.

Also, he invited me to go fishing on Saturday. I halfway think he did that just to annoy Shane—and quite frankly anything that annoys Shane is good by me—but it will be the perfect time to try to get some more information out of him.

Daddy used to take me fishing at Lake Cachuma every now and then. I wonder if Daddy and Kenmore were fishing buddies back in the day. Hopefully, this Saturday I’ll find answers to some of that and more.

When Kelli pulled into her driveway on Wednesday night, there was a note taped to her door. She flipped open the folded paper.

Kelli—help! They’ve put me on bed rest. Can you believe that? I’m not allowed to get up at all except to go to the bathroom and ride in the car to doctor’s appointments. Please come over and hang out for a while. It will save my sanity (probably Rand’s, too).

Beth

Kelli looked toward Beth’s house. By now, Rand was home from work, so he could at least let her in. Poor Beth. She hurried over, afraid of hearing bad news.

She knocked rather than rang, in case Beth was asleep. Rand opened the door, a smile on his face. “Kelli, so glad to see you. Beth told me she’d left you a note.”

“Yes, how exactly was she down at my house leaving notes on the door if she was supposed to be in her own bed?”

“I asked her the same question. She said the doctor sent her home from his office with orders to go to bed as soon as she got home, but she stopped by your place first, so technically she says she wasn’t disobeying.”

“I wasn’t!” her voice called from the bedroom.

Rand laughed and gestured Kelli toward the room. “You might as well go on back and hear the excuses from the perpetrator herself.”

Beth was lying on the bed, a Baby Talk magazine open across her midsection. “Thank goodness you’re here, Kelli. Rand can’t sit still long enough to keep me company.”

“I can’t sit still because I’m trying to make your dinner.”

“You mean your dinner.”

“Well, yes, I do plan to eat, too. I think that would normally be allowed, don’t you?” He looked toward Kelli. “I’m going to leave you two ladies to visit while I finish up. Would you like a grilled burger and salad? We’ve got more than enough.”

“Oh, that’s nice, but I’m—”

“Please stay,” Beth interrupted. “Truly, we do have more than enough, and I know you just got home from work, so you must be hungry.”

“If you’re sure . . .”

“We’re sure.” Beth nodded with satisfaction.

“We most certainly are.” Rand smiled as he left the room.

“So what’s going on that you’ve been put in bed?”

Beth put both hands on her stomach. “It’s something called a funneling cervix. Long story short, it would be really easy for me to go into early labor, so they’re going to give me some hormones and such, but I’ll probably be in bed for the foreseeable future.” She shook her head. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get Sprout here safely, but I’m afraid I might go insane in the meanwhile.”

“Well, don’t worry about anything. I’ll come by every evening and check on you. And weekends, too.”

“You are such a godsend. Mom is going to spend a lot of time over here helping, but she’s teaching up in Nashville two days a week, and Rand is in and out of town with his work. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You won’t have to find out, will you?”

Beth reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m so happy God put you in my life.”

And for just a second, Kelli thought Beth knew the truth.

Later that night, as she walked home, Kelli thought about the long months ahead for Beth. She was glad she could be here to help for at least part of them. Then an idea hit her. She ran home and called Denice.

“I know what it is I can do.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know how I’ve said I have to stay here until I can leave in peace?”

“Yes, and I’ve told you that’s not going to happen.”

“But it is. My sister is on bed rest, and I’ve offered to help out at her house. Don’t you see? In some small way, I’m doing something to pay her back for what she’s lost. If I can stay around here and help Beth through the worst of it, then I will know that I have done what I could to right Daddy’s wrongs in some small way. I’m working for Kenmore while he recovers from surgery. I’m making some amends. Next, I’ll look for ways that I can do something for Alison, too.”

“Kelli, you are treading on dangerous territory.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. But this is something I’ve got to do. This is what is going to make me free in the end.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I am. I’ve got to be.”