require restitution.”
“How much?” Jack reached for his wallet but stopped as Katherine shook her head.
“No, I’m not talking about money. I want volunteer work.”
Jack’s head pounded worse as Hayden let out a bellow.
“No way. Daddy, I’m not working for free in this…this store. Dad, you can use my allowance money—”
“It’s volunteer work,” Miss McKaslin interrupted evenly. “The local churches have a united charity, and they always need reliable help. There are a lot of teenagers from the youth groups involved at the free supper kitchen and the shelters. Maybe she could put in, what, sixteen hours of work? That’s roughly the value of the figurines. And she’ll make some good friends there, I’m sure.”
Youth-group kids? That caught his attention. A very reasonable solution. But what cinched it was the belligerent cock of his daughter’s jaw.
“I won’t do it, Daddy. I’m not gonna waste my time with a bunch of losers and homeless people.”
By the Grace of God, he thought. He’d sheltered her too much, he could see that painfully and—maybe, just maybe—spoiled her a little. But how could he have not?
She had no idea about the world he worked in every day. The one where bad things happened to good people, where sometimes the world’s harshness could break a spirit, and compassion and doing the right thing held immeasurable value.
It was time for his girl to grow up a little. “We’ll take your suggestion, Miss McKaslin.”
“Call me Katherine, please. I’ll have one of the coordinators call you.” She smiled, and tension drained out of her slender shoulders, squared so stubbornly under her tailored blazer.
Even though he didn’t like her, he had to admit she had class. And the smile she extended to Hayden wasn’t triumphant, but compassionate, and that impressed him, too. So he couldn’t like the woman for accusing his girl, even if she had been right, but he appreciated what she’d done. And handing him the opportunity of forcing his daughter to get involved with a youth group was just what he’d needed.
Being new to town and settling into a house and a job had taken a lot of his energy. Other priorities had been shoved aside. But no more. Resigned, he accepted the pen and notepad Katherine had taken from her pocket and handed to him.
As he jotted down his home number, he couldn’t help noticing the subtle hint of her perfume, something light and tasteful. He couldn’t say why his hand shook a little as he returned the pen and notepad.
Probably because he was working on twenty hours without sleep. That was it. “Thank you.”
Katherine wasn’t sure what to say to a father who had a big challenge on his hands. But despite her attitude, she was certain that his daughter was a good kid down deep. “Good luck.”
“You say that like you think I’m going to need it,” he said.
“I’m sure things will be smooth sailing for you from here. Hayden, you’re going to like Marin. She’s a cool youth pastor.”
“I don’t think so.” The girl rolled her eyes and gave her shank of blue hair a toss behind her shoulder and headed back through the detectors. “C’mon, Daddy, let’s get out of here.”
For an instant, Jack Munroe looked like he feared his daughter would set off the alarm again. His wide, linebacker’s shoulders looked as rigid as granite, as if he carried a heavy burden on them. Once they were through the sensors without an alarm, a visible wave of relief passed over his handsome features.
Yep, he was going to need more than good luck. She would put him on her prayer list tonight.
She turned to thank the town officers, who were already on their way out.
Kelly looked up from the book she was reading at the register. “Are you okay? You don’t look okay.”
“I’m fine. Now that it’s quieted back down, I don’t think we’re going to see a lot of business with this storm. Did you want to go home? The roads are only going to get worse.”
“But then you’ll be here alone.”
“I’m going to close down early. Don’t you worry about me. Just drive safely, okay?”
“Thanks, Katherine.” Kelly gathered up her college textbooks and headed toward the back.
Alone. Katherine wrapped her arms around her middle. She was getting real used to being alone. Lights flashed on and glared in the front window—the headlights of the state trooper’s cruiser. He was talking to the daughter. She could barely make them out through the thickly falling snow.
Maybe it was the ghosts of old memories rising up, or seeing those girls, teenage girls, and remembering what was best not thought about, but she hurt.
All it took was one wrong move, even well-intentioned, and look how far-reaching the consequences. This was her life, she thought. She turned her back on father and daughter and went back to restocking.
Turned her back on memories that, felt anew, would keep her up most of the night.
Chapter Three
“Thanks, Pastor. You have a good afternoon, now.” Jack hung up the phone in the quiet of his home office. The empty house echoed around him as he turned in his chair and stared out the window.
A cold winter’s landscape met his gaze through the picture window that faced the rugged range of the Montana Rockies, spanning the entire length of the horizon. The ice-capped peaks jutting against a white-gray sky were breathtaking and a change from Phoenix’s low camelbacks, which he’d seen all of his life. This Montana landscape wasn’t too hard on the eyes, but snow covered everything from the distant mountaintops to the shrubs outside the window. Miles and miles of snow.
Too much snow. Worse, a thick cloud layer was building across the entire dome of the sky. Just his luck that another six to eight inches were forecast to start falling by sundown. And if it did, then he could kiss his night goodbye.
He better put calling Mrs. Garcia on his to-do list. The sixty-something housekeeper stayed over in the guest room on the nights he worked in order to keep an eye on Hayden. He scribbled Mrs. Garcia on line ten, right below the reminder to call the lady from the Christian bookstore.
Miss Katherine McKaslin. He didn’t know what to think of her. He owed her. He didn’t like her, but he’d behaved badly last night. Yep, that’s the way it went. He always wound up coming across like a jerk whenever he was around a single woman. Which worked out just fine, he guessed, since he’d never been more than undecided when it came to the idea of marrying again.
This little shoplifting incident might have a serious silver lining—and that was the youth pastor he’d just spoken to. A friend of Miss McKaslin’s.
Why couldn’t he get her out of his mind? She was tall, slim, proper and lovely, definitely lovely. He didn’t want to like her. Besides, remembering how angry he’d been over her accusing Hayden—and then her being right about Hayden—was something he was never going to get past.
