was perfect for the job.”
Ronny was a nineteen-year-old that Shane had sent in a couple of days ago. He was nice enough, but it was the point of the thing. Nobody was going to tell Kenmore who to hire in his own store. “I didn’t like him.”
“What didn’t you like? He’s young and strong enough to lift heavy things that you can’t lift anymore. He has some experience with a cash register. Comes from a nice family. What’s not to like?”
“I don’t like the idea of him. I told you, I don’t need to hire anybody. I’ll do just fine here.” Kenmore walked out of the office and into the store proper. “How’d your walk-through of the Miller place go?”
“‘Needs a fair amount of work’ is a gross understatement.” Shane pulled a piece of bubble gum out of a jar on the counter. “I’m not asking you to hire a complete staff, I’m just saying replace the one you had.”
“I’d rather do the extra work myself than have someone underfoot and driving me crazy.”
Shane shook his head. “How did such a nice guy like me get such a stubborn old coot for a father? I must have my mother’s genes.”
“Your mother took stubborn to a whole new meaning, I guarantee you that. She could . . .” The rest of the argument died in his throat. “Stubborn about different things, though.” He looked toward his son, the result of her stubborn resolution to carry her baby to term, even when the doctors said it was too dangerous. Even when they were proven to be correct. Kenmore shook his head, and something between a choking sound and a laugh came out of his throat. “I wonder if she’s not up in heaven now, making a stand about something she feels strongly about.”
“Yeah, like telling the angels to come down here and tell you that you need to hire some help. I’m sure she’s on my side, we all know it.”
“I’ll tell you what, you start praying that God will send me somebody that won’t get on my nerves. When that person walks in, I’ll hire ’im on the spot. Until then, you’re wasting my window space with that ridiculous sign.”
“Okay, okay, I give up.” Shane tossed up his hands in surrender and jumped down off the counter. “I got that new smoker set up. You ready to come home and have some ribs?”
“Let me just sweep the store real quick.”
“I’ll do that while you finish up whatever else you’ve got to do. A man could starve to death waiting on you to get closed up.”
Fifteen minutes later, the two of them walked out to the parking lot in amiable silence, but Kenmore knew it was not the silence of resignation. Shane was determined to see some help hired at the store, and when it came to being stubborn, Kenmore had more than met his match in his son. Still, in this case, he would prevail. There wasn’t really any other choice.
Kelli put her suitcase in the back of her car and closed the hatch. It felt so weird to be taking off like this, but she wouldn’t have any peace until she made some attempt to sort out the past. “Well, I guess I’m off.” She held out her hands, palms up, and shrugged, hoping this gesture would keep Denice from guessing exactly how freaked out she was.
“Oh, sweetie.” Denice reached out and hugged her. “I really, really wish I were coming with you.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about a thing.”
Denice pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Worrying is what I do, we all know that.”
“Yes, I guess we do.” Kelli reached out and took her friend’s hand. “I promise I’ll obey all traffic laws, drive safely, and avoid talking to strangers—at least until I reach Tennessee and actually find the strangers I’m making this trip to go talk to.”
“What about your route? Do you have it all mapped out?”
“Today’s route, anyway. I’m going to hit I-40 and end up somewhere around Flagstaff, Arizona. It’s about nine or ten hours from here, so I think it will be a good stopping
Ronny was a nineteen-year-old that Shane had sent in a couple of days ago. He was nice enough, but it was the point of the thing. Nobody was going to tell Kenmore who to hire in his own store. “I didn’t like him.”
“What didn’t you like? He’s young and strong enough to lift heavy things that you can’t lift anymore. He has some experience with a cash register. Comes from a nice family. What’s not to like?”
“I don’t like the idea of him. I told you, I don’t need to hire anybody. I’ll do just fine here.” Kenmore walked out of the office and into the store proper. “How’d your walk-through of the Miller place go?”
“‘Needs a fair amount of work’ is a gross understatement.” Shane pulled a piece of bubble gum out of a jar on the counter. “I’m not asking you to hire a complete staff, I’m just saying replace the one you had.”
“I’d rather do the extra work myself than have someone underfoot and driving me crazy.”
Shane shook his head. “How did such a nice guy like me get such a stubborn old coot for a father? I must have my mother’s genes.”
“Your mother took stubborn to a whole new meaning, I guarantee you that. She could . . .” The rest of the argument died in his throat. “Stubborn about different things, though.” He looked toward his son, the result of her stubborn resolution to carry her baby to term, even when the doctors said it was too dangerous. Even when they were proven to be correct. Kenmore shook his head, and something between a choking sound and a laugh came out of his throat. “I wonder if she’s not up in heaven now, making a stand about something she feels strongly about.”
“Yeah, like telling the angels to come down here and tell you that you need to hire some help. I’m sure she’s on my side, we all know it.”
“I’ll tell you what, you start praying that God will send me somebody that won’t get on my nerves. When that person walks in, I’ll hire ’im on the spot. Until then, you’re wasting my window space with that ridiculous sign.”
“Okay, okay, I give up.” Shane tossed up his hands in surrender and jumped down off the counter. “I got that new smoker set up. You ready to come home and have some ribs?”
“Let me just sweep the store real quick.”
“I’ll do that while you finish up whatever else you’ve got to do. A man could starve to death waiting on you to get closed up.”
Fifteen minutes later, the two of them walked out to the parking lot in amiable silence, but Kenmore knew it was not the silence of resignation. Shane was determined to see some help hired at the store, and when it came to being stubborn, Kenmore had more than met his match in his son. Still, in this case, he would prevail. There wasn’t really any other choice.
Kelli put her suitcase in the back of her car and closed the hatch. It felt so weird to be taking off like this, but she wouldn’t have any peace until she made some attempt to sort out the past. “Well, I guess I’m off.” She held out her hands, palms up, and shrugged, hoping this gesture would keep Denice from guessing exactly how freaked out she was.
“Oh, sweetie.” Denice reached out and hugged her. “I really, really wish I were coming with you.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about a thing.”
Denice pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Worrying is what I do, we all know that.”
“Yes, I guess we do.” Kelli reached out and took her friend’s hand. “I promise I’ll obey all traffic laws, drive safely, and avoid talking to strangers—at least until I reach Tennessee and actually find the strangers I’m making this trip to go talk to.”
“What about your route? Do you have it all mapped out?”
“Today’s route, anyway. I’m going to hit I-40 and end up somewhere around Flagstaff, Arizona. It’s about nine or ten hours from here, so I think it will be a good stopping
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