“Now, as I was saying,” Brady said, retaking his place at the end of the couch. He leaned forward, startling blue eyes holding hers and his big hands clasped in front of him. “We offer a home makeover every Christmas. This year, we’d like to remodel your house. Merry Christmas, Abby.”
His big white smile was dazzling, and she understood he expected her to be thrilled.
She wasn’t. She was embarrassed. Mortified. Humiliation heated her cheeks to chili-pepper status.
She had flashbacks to pitying teachers dragging used shoes and coats from school closets.
Her back stiffened. “That’s very nice of you, but no. I couldn’t accept.”
Brady’s smile disappeared. “No?”
“No. But thank you for the offer.” She stood, expecting him to leave.
The brothers exchanged looks. They were good at that. Must be some kind of sibling symbiosis, although she wouldn’t know. Being a street kid who had never even known her mother, Abby had grown up alone, mostly in group homes. Not that she minded so much now that she was an independent adult. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. She was happy on her own. Truly, she was. She had Lila and a job and this house. She most definitely was not a charity case.
And the fact that she’d all but swooned over the handsome Buchanon brothers humiliated her even more. Men like them didn’t look twice at a girl like her.
Even her ears were burning now. She wanted to dissolve right into the floor of her run-down, makeover-worthy old house.
“If you’re worried we would interfere with your everyday living, we won’t. We’ll work out a schedule that fits yours.”
Abby swallowed, her pride throbbing like an ingrown toenail. The house needed repairs but she’d get to them eventually without becoming the object of someone’s pity. “Lila and I are doing fine the way we are.”
“If you’re worried about the money, this is a gift. No charge.”
Which made it even worse. “I pay my own way, Mr. Buchanon.”
Brady stared at her as if her brain was as loose as the boards on her porch. Finally, he nodded and slowly rose.
“Sorry to have bothered you.” He looked so disappointed she almost caved and said yes. In fact, if her pride wasn’t so insulted, she would agree anyway, just to see him smile again.
“No bother. I’m sure there are others far needier than Lila and I.”
The brothers did that glancing thing again. Brady took a business card from his pocket and handed it to her. “In case you change your mind, my number is on here. Call me anytime.”
“Thanks.” Her smile was brittle. “See you at the Buttered Biscuit.”
“Mister,” Lila said, though it sounded more like “misser.”
“I drawed this for you.” She offered the yellow angel to him. “Hang it on your window.”
His face softened. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Lila.”
Lila beamed at him, pleased with herself and proud of her scrawling, four-year-old jumble of lines, circles and color.
Some of the starch went out of Abby’s spine at the exchange between her small child and the giant man who accepted the drawing as if it was as valuable as a van Gogh.
Brady Buchanon was a nice guy. A guy who could easily get to her.
All the more reason to refuse his offer.
Copyright © 2015 by Linda Goodnight
ISBN-13: 9781460388747
The Amish Midwife
Copyright © 2015 by Patricia MacDonald
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The Amish Midwife (The Amish Bachelors 2; Lancaster Courtships 3) Page 22