the last bite of his cone, John had to admit the chocolate didn’t taste as good as usual. That was Alexandra’s fault.
When he’d happened along her broken-down car on the road, he had to wonder if he was meant to help her out. A woman alone like that… Surely the Lord was watching out for her. Surely it had been no coincidence John had been the one to find her walking toward town. The good Lord knew John had debts to pay and never turned down an opportunity to do so.
It troubled him now. He tried to put thoughts of Alexandra aside as Hailey told him all about her morning at Stephanie’s, but his mind kept drifting back. God hadn’t intended for people to be alone. That’s what families were for, neighborhoods, churches and towns.
He couldn’t help wondering if Alexandra was about ready to walk alone back to her car.
The clouds overhead had broken, but the real storm hadn’t hit yet. He could feel it in the wind and smell it in the air.
“Let’s get going, Hailey. We can’t leave Warren in charge of the store for much longer.” The high school kid he’d hired was reliable, but he was young. “Look at you, all covered with chocolate.”
“I made a real mess,” she agreed cheerfully as she rubbed her hands on a wadded napkin. “Is Grammy gonna come pick me up now? ’Cuz I’ve got lots of stuff to do.”
That was his daughter, always on the go. “Yep. All I have to do is give her a jingle. Turn your head that way. You really smeared yourself up good this time.” John grabbed the last paper napkin and wiped the chocolate smudges from his daughter’s face.
“It was really melty. Hey, Daddy?”
“What?” He gathered the trash and tossed it into the garbage bin. “This isn’t about getting a dog again? You’re wearin’ out my ears on that one.”
“Oh, I don’t want a dog. I want a puppy.” She climbed into the cab and plopped onto the seat. “A puppy.”
“That’s just a little dog.”
“Yeah, but you let me have a horse.”
He got into the truck, turned the key and listened to the engine rumble. “That’s it. I forbid you ever to visit Stephanie again.”
He gave her head a ruffle, and she giggled, light and sweet—his most favorite sound of all.
Back at the store, Warren was helping a customer, so John grabbed the phone and dialed. He counted nine rings—Mom must be outside in her garden.
She was out of breath when she answered. “Hello?”
“Hailey’s ready for you.”
“Oh, John, perfect timing. I was starting to wonder about her. Say, grab a container of rose food for me. I just ran out.”
“Will do. And since I never charge you a penny—”
“Uh-oh, I’m in trouble now. I can hear it coming.” On the other side of the phone, his mom had to be smiling. “All right, I’m sitting down. What do you want now? Don’t tell me you finally folded on the puppy issue.”
“Not yet. I’m still waging that battle. Listen, on your way to town, you’ll see a woman walking. She’s medium height and slim with dark brown hair and wearing a sweater and jeans. Give her a ride back to her car, will you? Don’t take no for an answer.”
“I should hope not! A woman walking alone. This country is safe, I’m proud to say, we’re a fine community, but a woman shouldn’t be left alone. And walking on that long road. Why, I’ll leave right now.”
“You’re a good woman, Mom.”
“Don’t I know it.”
John punched the button, ending the conversation. Problem solved. Alexandra wouldn’t be able to refuse his mother. Few people could. Alexandra would get the help she needed, and his conscience could finally stop troubling him.
End of story, he told himself, heading back to the garden section. The phone rang and more business walked through the door, enough to keep him busy. So, why couldn’t he stop thinking about Alexandra and the way her smile never quite reached her eyes?
Chapter Three
“I just can’t leave you here.” Bev Corey set her jaw, sounding as formidable as a federated wrestler instead of the tiny slip of a woman standing alongside the country road. “What if your car doesn’t start? Dear, I truly believe we should call a mechanic.”
Alexandra couldn’t help liking the woman. Bev Corey may be a stranger, but in the ten-minute trip from town, she almost felt like a friend. “Don’t worry. I’ve done this before. I’ll show you.”
“That’s what men are for—to keep cars running smoothly. And it’s my belief that’s what we should let them do. My Gerald is a hop and a skip up the road. Let me go hunt him down, and I’m sure he’ll be happy to fix this for you.”
“Thanks, but I can handle it. All I have to do is replace this hose, and I’ll be on my way.”
“That simply seems dangerous.” Bev took a tentative step forward, as if to keep far from the grease. “Engines explode, metal parts can burn you. There’s acid in the battery, you know. I don’t think it’s safe for you to be touching that.”
“The engine is cool and I’m far away from the battery.” Alexandra tugged the damaged hose loose. “Now I just fit this on here—”
“I’m not sure about this at all. Why, those are out-of-state plates. How far have you driven this poor car? I don’t know a thing about engines, but this certainly looks as if it needs a mechanic’s attention.” Bev shook her head, scattering the short, perfectly coiffed curls, which slipped back into place. “What were your parents thinking, to let you take off across country in a car like this?”
It seemed natural that Bev should ask, obviously being a motherly type. Still, it hurt to look back. Remembering couldn’t change the past or the family she’d been a part of. “I left home when I was seventeen and I’ve never went back.”
“Never?”
“No. I’m happier that way.” If it still made her sad, she tried not to feel it. She’d been fine all these years on her own, with the Lord’s help, and even though she’d had a rough time lately, that was all about to change. She was sure of it.
She changed the subject as she wrestled the hose into place. “Have you always lived here in Montana?”
“Goodness, yes. My family homesteaded the land in the 1880s. Five generations of Coreys have farmed that land. We grow potatoes and are proud of it. Montana is a fine place to live. Are you thinking about moving here?”
“It’s a possibility,” she admitted before she realized she’d spoken.
“Are you here looking for work?”
“I’m looking for the right opportunity.” Alexandra slammed the hood and tugged on it to make sure it was latched.
“So
