Page 71 of Help Wanted

Chapter 13

Kenley felt better on Friday as she opened the office and started coffee. She had plans this weekend with her family and friends. She wouldn’t spend the whole time second-guessing her decision not to start something romantic with Zane. Not that she knew if he would have wanted such a thing. She’d ended it with him before he’d had the chance to end it with her. She paused with the carafe of water hovering over the coffeepot as that thought settled in.

She’d run away from Zane because she was afraid. It was not the first time she’d felt this way. It was ridiculous really. She’d been three when she’d been left at a small-town library. She didn’t remember her parents or being abandoned.

But something inside her always wondered why she’d been left there. If she had been given up for adoption as a baby it would have made more sense. If her mother wasn’t capable of caring for a child, adoption was a viable option. So why did they keep her until she was three and then give her up?

What had she done wrong?

She shook off the familiar irritation and continued with her day. A day that would be spent without Zane because he was—surprise—not in the office that day because he was going out of town to look at a boat. He could have really been going to look at a boat, but she knew how good he was at creating reasons to avoid her.

Brady came in with Hunter and she smiled.

“Hi, Hunter. Are you keeping me company today?” she asked as the brothers looked at one another.

“Would you mind?” Brady asked. “It shouldn’t be all day. I have a delivery to New Bedford, and I’ll be right back.”

“I don’t mind. It’s nice having him here. It’s so quiet and boring when everyone is out on the road.” Not that Hunter had been a big talker the day before, but she was going to work on that today.

“I’d take him with me, but he’s not great on trips.”

“I like to stop at all the McDonaldses,” Hunter supplied.

“Yes. All of them.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at Brady’s pained expression. “It’s really no problem. It will be fun.”

“Thanks. You’re the best.” With that Brady gave her a quick peck on the head and then hugged his brother. “Listen to Kenley. She’s in charge until I get back.”

“I was in charge last night while you went to the store.”

“Yes. But now Kenley’s in charge.”

“You were gone seventeen minutes.”

“I’m going to be gone longer this time.”

“How many minutes?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll let you know when I get back.” Hunter seemed to be okay with this answer, though she’d already heard it twice. And yesterday he hadn’t said how many minutes he was gone. She didn’t say that out loud though.

“Don’t ride with Mom in the car,” Hunter said while straightening his tattered magazines. This time Kenley noticed the pain that flashed in Brady’s eyes at the comment.

It was obvious Hunter wasn’t saying it to hurt his brother. It was probably something he’d been told repeatedly as a child and it stuck. Except the time it mattered most.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“But longer than seventeen minutes.”

“A little bit. Yeah.”

Hunter followed Brady to the door and then waved. With a sigh he came to sit in his usual spot and opened one of the magazines.

“Have you read those before?” She noticed there was one with boats. And two with motorcycles.

“Yes. They’re Brady’s, but he let me bring them here. He said to stay quiet.”

“You don’t have stay quiet all the time. Just when I’m on the phone.”