A Daughter's Redemption. Georgiana Daniels
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offense, but I tend to work better alone.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a long, exasperated breath.
“We don’t have to stand side by side.” She tossed a casual glance toward the cabins. “There’s plenty to keep us both busy. It seems like the whole property has been neglected for a while.” She bit back further comment, not wanting to offend Caleb over the job he’d done—or not done—so far. “How’d you come to work out here anyway?”
“Long story.” He took off up the hill.
She quickened her steps to keep up. “I’m curious.”
“You know what they say about curiosity.”
“If you don’t want to talk about you, then maybe you can tell me more about my dad. Since you worked for him, you probably know more about him than you think. It’s been a long time since I saw him. Of course, you probably knew that.” She hoped he’d tell her more without her having to spell out every detail of their estrangement.
“I wouldn’t assume too much if I were you.” His lips held the barest trace of a smile, or perhaps it was more akin to a frown. Either way, he lost the gritty expression he’d clung to from the moment she’d introduced herself.
“I guess I’d just like to know what my dad said about me.” If anything. Robyn was nearly out of breath when they emerged from the pine trees into the clearing. What had once been lush with grass and a flowerbed was now hard-packed dirt overrun with weeds. Why hadn’t Brad and Abby done more to help their dad? After all, by growing up here full-time they’d been close to him in a way Robyn never could be.
“I talked to Dan a few times. We ran into each other every now and then at church. I wasn’t someone he confided in.” A look that Robyn supposed was sympathy crossed his face. His jaw flexed. “I’m sorry I don’t know more, but I only came here to work...after.”
After. She knew he meant after the accident.
An unexpected swell of grief surged in her chest. The rapid change of emotions she’d experienced since her father’s death was new and would take some getting used to.
She ambled toward Caleb’s black truck, hiding her watery eyes. “After all this time away from here, I’m surprised how much I miss him.” She stopped herself from opening up to Caleb any further. Finding out he hadn’t actually worked for her dad made him a virtual stranger. Even her mom, as free-spirited as she was, warned Robyn against being so open and friendly. Still, Caleb’s presence was calming, and he seemed safe enough.
He shook his head regretfully. “One thing I do know is that your dad was a good man. Everyone misses him. You can’t go anywhere in town without someone mentioning Dan.”
Robyn gripped the door handle, trying to move past the sadness pressing against her chest. It was time for her to think about logistics, rather than dwell on her feelings. “Do you mind if I ask how you’re getting paid? I suppose that’s something I’ll need to take care of now that I’m here.”
He hesitated. “Don’t worry. It’s being handled.”
That was all Robyn needed to know—about that topic, anyway. She still had questions, myriad questions. Like what Caleb knew that he wasn’t saying. Or why her dad willed the run-down cabins to her after a twelve-year estrangement. But most of all she was desperate to know if he’d forgiven her or simply done what he felt was his duty.
Questions she’d likely never have answers to, no matter how hard she searched and prayed.
* * *
The drive to town was pure torture.
Rather than ride in silence, Robyn asked Caleb about himself. He tried to be vague, but she was impossible to ignore, especially with a scent that reminded him of an ocean breeze wafting off her. Even worse, her eyes sparkled with a quiet hope whenever she mentioned Dan. Caleb imagined Robyn was highly likable when she wasn’t walking through a tragedy, which reminded him that being her friend was one hundred percent out of the question.
“I hear Ginger’s the best Realtor in town.” He parked his truck curbside and let it idle.
Robyn peered out the window at the sign on the door. “Ginger Hanson?”
“You know her?” He shifted in his seat, wondering who else Robyn knew. Who else had the potential to rip the cover right off him? Not that he enjoyed withholding the entire truth from Robyn but he had his own issues to deal with before purposely heaping more sorrow on a woman he’d just met.
“I spent a few weeks every summer with my dad when I was a kid.” Robyn turned to him, a full smile illuminating her features. “Ginger and I were together every day at Lakeside Cabins, checking in guests and cleaning rooms. We lost touch after I stopped coming.” Her gaze shifted to her sandaled feet. “I didn’t see her at Dad’s services.”
Caleb tightened his grip on the steering wheel at the mention of Dan’s funeral. In order not to upset half the town, he’d opted not to go. “I can pick you up when I’m finished at the hardware store.”
“It looks like Ginger’s office hasn’t opened yet. We can come back later.”
There she went with we again. The word sent prickles down his back. He had to figure out a way to tell her who he was. He’d prefer waiting until after the cabins were in salable condition so she wouldn’t force him to leave before the job was done, but Robyn’s insistence on working with him would make that next to impossible.
Against his better judgment, he let her tag along.
Joe’s Home and Hardware was already alive with activity. For decades, it’d been a meeting spot for contractors, do-it-yourselfers and retirees. Despite Caleb’s work hours on the police force, he made it a point to stop by on occasion, if for no other reason than to get a beat on the town.
Caleb whipped a cap out of the glove compartment and pulled it low over his eyes before entering the store. If he made it out with paint and his lumber order without someone giving him away, he’d consider it mission accomplished.
Cold stares and whispers greeted him inside, and people turned their backs when he walked by. Dan Dawson had been part of the daily gathering at the hardware store, and no doubt his buddies missed him.
“Why don’t you pick out the paint, and I’ll head back to get the lumber.” Caleb broke away from Robyn before she had a chance to protest.
He inhaled the comforting smell of sawdust. He’d spent his college summers on various job sites back when he thought he wanted to be a contractor instead of a cop. Though he’d eventually chosen a different path, he was thankful to have the skills he needed now to do repair work at Lakeside.
“’Morning, Caleb.” Old Joe, the store’s owner, eyed him.
“I came to pick up my order.” Caleb pulled the receipt from his pocket and handed it over the counter. His eyes darted around the store, searching for Robyn. He didn’t want to imagine the scene if she wandered back and one of the regulars asked why she was there with Caleb Sloane.
Joe’s arthritic fingers riffled through papers in a file bin. The small store hadn’t quite caught up to the computer age. “Here it is. I’ll have one of the guys load it for you.”
“I’m parked out front.” Caleb tucked the receipt inside his wallet, his eyes making another sweep of the store. No sign of Robyn. The tension in his gut ratcheted up another notch. A few more minutes and they’d be out of there.
Joe’s stare closed in on Caleb, years of history passing between them in seconds. “Still working out at Dan’s?”
“Doing my best.”
“Just not the same around here without Dan. He always had time for a cup of coffee and a story or two. He was a good ol’ boy.” Joe leaned away from the counter, his comment stabbing Caleb in the gut. “I don’t suppose your best really makes up for it.”