Free Cattle Valley Mistletoe CV2 by Carol Lynne Page B

window and watched Hal drive slowly away from the house. He just hoped the eight-year-old still trapped inside Hal could finally find peace.

    53

Chapter Nine

    As Hal drove through the countryside, he realised his tank was getting low. Deciding he could use some gas and hopefully a quick cheer-up from his best friend, he pulled into Gill’s. Looking at the clock, he decided to gas up and see if Gill wanted to grab a bite to eat.
    After parking the truck, he wandered inside. “Where you at old man?”
    “Who you calling old?” Gill asked, sliding out from under Nate’s Mercedes.
    Hal was surprised to see Nate’s car in the shop. “What’s wrong with it?” Hal gestured toward the black convertible coupe.
    Gill shook his head and wiped his hands on a rag he’d pulled from his back pocket. “Not a damn thing. This car’s a masterpiece of machinery.” Gill brushed the back of his hand across the passenger side door. “I asked Nate if I could borrow it to study for a week or two while things were slow.”
    Shocked, Hal shook his head. “And he said yes?”
    Hal would have sworn he saw the big black man blush. “Well, he asked me for a favour, and I told him this was the payment.” Gill shrugged.
    “So what was the favour?” Hal asked sitting on a stool close to Gill.
    “Kyle needed someone to fix the wheelchair lift on his van.” Gill shrugged. “It was no big deal.”
    Hal studied his friend. He just wasn’t acting like himself. He knew Gill was interested in someone in town, but Hal had never pried into whom. “You like him, don’t you?”
    “Nate? Yeah, he’s a nice enough fella.” Gill stood and walked toward the sink to wash up.
    Hal grinned. “I was talking about Kyle Brynn.”
    Gill started scrubbing his hands with vigour. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you had a building to finish and a man to take care of.” 54

    Even though he hadn’t answered the question, Hal now knew the answer. Deciding to let it drop, Hal walked toward the sink. “I thought maybe you’d like to get something for supper.”
    Pulling some paper towels off the roll, Gill turned around. “What’s going on?”
    “What do you mean?” Hal scratched the side of his neck before shoving his hands in his coat pocket. “I just needed a break from my thoughts, no big deal.”
    “Deb’s?” Gill threw the towel into the trash and started unzipping his coveralls.
    Hal was always surprised by the shear muscle mass of Gill’s body. You couldn’t see it in his customary work gear, but despite having been out of professional football for eight years, Gill looked bigger and stronger than ever. He walked into the office and waited for Gill to lock up. “You wanna just follow me? I thought I’d stop by and do some work on the hall afterward.”
    “Meet ya there,” Gill said walking toward his truck.

    It was almost seven o’clock when Hal parked in front of the church. Hoping a couple of hours work on the addition would set his mind at ease, Hal got out and started unloading the tile and adhesive.
    With the first load set on the floor, he made a pot of coffee. It should be ready by the time he had all the boxes unloaded, and he had a feeling it was going to be a long night. After readying the pot, he plugged it in and noticed a little spark. Hal studied the outlet for a few seconds. He’d have to bring in his voltage tester in the morning. Shaking his head, he walked back out to the truck.
    Sipping his first cup of coffee, Hal thought about Casey. Gill had reminded him that the annual lighting ceremony in the park was at eight-thirty. He knew Casey had never witnessed Beauregard Park lit up in all its glory. Was what Hal was feeling worth having Casey miss it?
    He pulled out his phone and called home.
    “Kuckleman residence,” the soft voice said.
    “Hey,” Hal said. “I thought maybe you’d like to come into town and go to the lighting ceremony.”
    Hal held his breath when Casey didn’t immediately