The Single Dad's Redemption (17 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

F
inding people to provide references in a hurry, plus completing a five-page questionnaire and a one-page written summary, had been the easy part.

By late Thursday afternoon Keeley had also been through two home visits and three interviews by various people with Child Protection Services.

The news that she’d passed with flying colors had filled her with momentary relief. But now, standing at the door of Bess’s house, she felt a surge of doubt. Did she even want to be a part of breaking the older woman’s heart?

The county would handle all of the details of this short-term foster arrangement. There was no need for her to be here, and maybe she was even breaking some protocol, but she needed to know, firsthand, that it would be all right.

Connor insisted on coming with her to make sure she was safe, though during daylight hours the run-down neighborhood looked more depressing than dangerous.

With Connor at her side, Keeley knocked on Bess’s door. She waited a few minutes then knocked again.

Finally she heard the sound of shuffling feet and then a wrinkled face appeared in the window set in the door. A chain jingled and the door opened wide.

“Come in, come in,” Bess said, stepping aside. “Both of you.”

“Is, um, Rafe here?”

Bess shook her head. “He comes and he goes. No idea where he is or when he’ll be back, but I kinda like it when he’s gone.”

“It’s good to see you again,” Keeley murmured.

“Don’t mind the clutter. Things are a little out of order, but I’ve been cleaning today.” Bess leaned forward with a conspiratorial twinkle in her eye. “That county home-aide gal comes today to do some cleaning, but I always want to pick up before she gets here.”

Hiding a smile, Keeley took a chair next to a doily-topped end table while Connor stood sentry just inside the door, apparently watching out for Rafe. “I hear you were ill. How are you feeling?”

Bess waved off her concern. “It’s just the diabetes. Must’ve got my insulin wrong—or maybe I didn’t eat right.”

“Goodness. That could be dangerous, Bess.”

“So they say. Now there’s
another
county gal coming once a week. She fixes my pillboxes and draws up my insulin for each day. A lot of foolishness, but that’s what makes those folks happy.”

“If she keeps you out of the ER, then that’s wonderful, right?”

“It’ll do, for now.” Bess looked around the dimly lit living room and sighed. “They tell me I’d be better off in a senior apartment, and I suppose they’re right. A lady from the county took me for a tour yesterday, and some of those places are mighty nice. I even have some old friends at the one over by Christmas Lake.”

“That sounds lovely.”

“But if I go to an old folks’ home, I can’t take Bobby. He’s been with me a long time. Me and Rafe are the only family he has left. With his special needs, how could anyone else love him like I do?” She lifted a trembling hand to her mouth. “But it is what it is, as they say. Bobby’s gone all day at school, and they say I’m not safe here alone. And he needs someone who can take better care of him.”

“He loves you, you know, and he always will. He’s a very sweet boy,” Keeley murmured.

“His social worker came by this morning. She said you agreed to take him for a while, until they can find a permanent foster home.” Bess looked up at Keeley, her eyes shimmering with tears. “Is that true? Are you willing to do that for him?”

“Absolutely. And I promise that I’ll bring him to see you every week. I could even do that when he’s in his new home, if need be.”

“Then it will be all right. Everything will be all right.” Bess knotted her hands in her lap. “I used to hope he could be adopted after I couldn’t take care of him any longer. I thought I could die happy if I just knew he had a real family and wouldn’t be alone after he turned eighteen. But now he’s sixteen and there’s no hope of that, so this is surely the next best thing. Thank you, thank you—from the bottom of my heart.”

And with that, Keeley’s last shred of doubt melted away.

* * *

On Friday morning at ten o’clock Keeley sank onto the bench in front of her store and watched the county building inspector examine every last detail of the exterior, then go inside, a clipboard in hand.

With all of the smaller projects Connor had taken care of, plus all that the contractor and his team had tackled, everything should be in good order.

She hoped.

With such an old building, who could be sure? The electrical system was entirely new, the plumbing completely replaced, the roof was good and the floors were solid. Even the accessibility accommodations had been completed.

She’d taken care of everything listed in the initial report and more.
Please, God, let everything be all right.

What would she do about the loan coming due and the refinancing if the building didn’t pass inspection? The thought made her stomach tie itself into a knot.

Unable to sit still any longer, she jogged over to her dad’s house and checked on him and the beef stew she’d started in his Crock-Pot this morning. Then she jogged back to the store and resumed her position on the bench.

The inspector, a tall, lean man with salt-and-pepper hair, finally stepped out of the building at two.

She jumped to her feet. “Is everything all right? Did it pass?”

“I need to write up my report first, then give copies to you and the bank,” he said, his voice firm. A corner of his mouth twitched. “But I can tell you that it’s good news.”

“Really? It really passed?” Joy rushed through her. “When will those reports be done?”

“Well...this is my last appointment of the week.” He shrugged. “Maybe later today, if I put you at the top of my stack.”

Almost dizzy with excitement and relief, she flew through the rest of the afternoon, impatient to leave for the day and do...what?

She sobered.

Dad had supper waiting in his Crock-Pot so she and Connor could have a last dinner alone.

It would be a night to celebrate the end of renovations and a successful building inspection, though with Connor’s departure for Texas tomorrow, the celebration would be bittersweet.

She didn’t even want to think about the days and weeks...and months ahead without him.

Once he fell back into his old life at the ranch and renewed relationships with his dad and brothers, she guessed he would soon forget about the time he’d spent in a little town in Wisconsin.

He’d forget about her.

She closed the store early, grabbed the deposit bag with the day’s earnings and strolled to the bank. After taking care of the deposit, she stopped at a secretary’s desk at the end of the hall, where a young blonde was studying her computer screen.

“I have an appointment with Mr. Grover in two weeks, but I wonder if I can move it up,” she said with a smile. “Any chance of that?”

“Have a seat and let me check,” the blonde chirped. “I think I left his calendar by the copier.”

She disappeared down the hallway and Keeley sank into the deep, plushy barrel chair to wait.

A man spoke in a hushed tone from behind the half-closed door of an office next to the receptionist’s desk. “Did you see that inspection report?”

Keeley stiffened. It could be for any number of other projects, but still...

“Yeah, never thought that old building would pass, but there it is. That gal has done an amazing job with the place.”

She stilled, filled with sudden hope. Could it be? Were her worries over?

The voice continued. “I’m still not sure about her low credit rating...”

“I don’t know. If I remember right, she was hit by identity theft last winter and also had a credit card stolen. Tough luck.”

“That building of hers housed a prosperous business for many years. Kinda nice to have that sense of heritage in town, don’t you think? With so many businesses being taken over by newcomers?”

“Is her dad cosigning?”

The other man snickered. “I hope not. I don’t know of a more difficult person to deal with. I never want to— Shut the door, will you?”

Then she heard the door close and their voices were too muffled to hear.

Keeley closed her eyes, imagining the rest of that conversation. Offering up a silent prayer.

Dad’s finances had been a mess when she’d first come back to town. He’d fallen deeper and deeper into debt as his dementia slowly advanced, and this was where he did his banking. Could they somehow hold that against her in her loan application?

Surely not, since she was thirty-one and independent...though if they considered her a bad risk, would she ever know the true reasons for a denial?

A few minutes later the door by the receptionist’s desk opened. Keeley stood, turned, and there stood Sam Grover with a junior associate she didn’t recognize. “Hello, gentlemen.”

The younger man’s eyes flared open wide as he glanced between her and Grover, and then he mumbled an excuse and hurried down the hall.

“I came in to see about moving up my refinancing appointment with you, and couldn’t help but overhear your conversation,” she said. “I’m so glad to hear that my inspection went well. I’ve been working really hard to make sure everything measured up.”

“Um, yes, yes, it did.” Grover cleared his throat, a ruddy blush crawling upward above his collar. “The secretary must be around here somewhere—she can help you with your appointment.”

“I also couldn’t help but hear my dad come up in your conversation.”

Clearly embarrassed by his careless verbal exchange within hearing, the man averted his gaze.

“You do understand that the building is in my name alone, right? I do know my father may be difficult to deal with at times, and that he recently ran into financial problems due to his dementia. But he owns no part of my building and will not ever be a part of the financial arrangements for my business in any way. So any past dealings with him will not impact my loan, right?”

The man’s lips thinned. “No, of course not.”

She gave him a warm smile. “That’s wonderful news. Because otherwise, I’ll be wanting an appointment with the bank president to discuss this further.”

* * *

At five o’clock Keeley changed into her favorite ivory cashmere sweater and black linen slacks, freshened her makeup and fluffed her hair.

Anticipation for the evening ahead hummed through her veins as she donned a pair of pearl earrings and studied herself in the bathroom mirror.

Not too dressy, not too casual, so she’d fit right in with whatever Connor wore and wherever he wanted to go for a Friday-night dinner that would be both a celebration and a farewell. This would be the last time she might see him in...

Maybe forever.

At that sobering thought she felt her heart clench as she spritzed her favorite Burberry perfume on her wrists and then grabbed her purse and headed for the front of the store.

He was standing just inside the entryway, his Resistol hat in his hand and his mouth set in a grim line.

A faint smile touched his lips but didn’t reach his eyes. “You look beautiful, Keeley. You flat-out take my breath away.”

She took in his softly worn jeans and black oxford shirt with the cuffs folded back above his wrists and managed an answering grin despite her escalating trepidation. Something was wrong.

He strode up to her, his intent gaze locked on hers, and tossed his hat on the front counter before taking her into his arms with a low groan. “I’ve looked forward to this evening for days.
Days.
”

She leaned back to search his face. “Me, too. So what’s wrong?”

He released her, stepped back. “It’s my dad. I got a call from my brothers an hour ago. He’s been taken to a hospital by ambulance and the docs think it’s a heart attack.”

“I’m so sorry,” she breathed, taking in the ravaged look in his eyes. “Is he going to be all right?”

“They don’t know yet.” He dragged a palm down his face. “Red finished the truck this afternoon and I was already packed for tomorrow, but I can’t wait until then. It’s a fifteen-hour drive, and if I leave now I can get there by midmorning tomorrow.”

She pressed her fingertips to her mouth. “You’ll drive all night? Is that even safe?”

He shrugged. “I’ve got a twelve-pack of Coke on the front seat of my truck. With the radio blasting and the windows open, I should be fine.”

He glanced toward the door and she knew he was on the verge of bolting for his truck. “I—I know you must really want to see him, after all your time away.”

“There’s too much unfinished business between us—too much that’s been left unsaid. If I can just get home in time...” His voice trailed off as he closed his eyes briefly.

She reached up and laid a hand gently against his cheek. “I will be praying you have safe travels. And that your dad will be well, too.”

There was so much more she wanted to say to him. About how much she cared. How much she wanted him to come back to her. How much...she’d come to love him.

But he was radiating tension and worry, and this wasn’t the time or place. “Godspeed, Connor. Be safe.”

He pulled his truck keys from his front jeans’ pocket, started for the door, then spun around and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll miss you,” he whispered against her hair. “So doggone much.”

And then he was gone.

Shell-shocked, Keeley stumbled up the stairs to her apartment and flopped on her bed to stare at the ceiling.

She’d known Connor was just passing through from the very beginning. She’d known that it would be pointless to let herself care.

And yet every passing day had shown her new and wonderful things about him. His kindness and patience toward her dad, and to Bobby. His honor, his work ethic and simple honesty. His gentleness.

And then there was the way her traitorous heart had chugged into overdrive whenever he’d walked into a room.

She’d sensed that he’d felt the same toward her, yet now he was driving away after a kiss and barely a goodbye.

She understood his reasons. After years of estrangement from his family, he couldn’t risk arriving too late to see his father still alive.

But had he meant what he said—was he ever really coming back?