Free The Orchard at the Edge of Town by Shirlee McCoy

he’d been carrying it around for a while.
    She glanced at the card. “You’re Justin Irvin?”
    â€œMy dad was Justin. I’m Jet.” He held out a hand, and she took it, surprised by the strength in his fingers and the rough callouses on his palms. He worked hard, that much was for sure. Whether or not he could actually re-side a huge old house was another story. She’d taken chances on people before, though, and she wasn’t opposed to doing it again.
    â€œI’ll tell you what. How about you come back tomorrow with that letter and one of your grandparents? Bring a couple of references. Once I check them out, we can talk about the job.”
    â€œI can give you the references now. I do some part-time work at the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Cunningham can vouch for me. I’ve also done some work at Simon Baylor’s place. He’s a deputy sheriff.”
    â€œWe’ve met.”
    â€œGreat! You know where he lives?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œHe’s just off of Main Street. I replaced all his windows and reshingled the roof. Did it all in three days and for a third of the price another business quoted him. I’ll write down his address.” He pulled a scrap of paper and a pen from his pocket, jotted the information down, and handed it to her. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
    He grabbed the basketball, tucked it under his arm. “By the way, you have a kitten under your hair.”
    She disengaged the kitten’s claws and held the ugly scrap of fur out. “He needs a good home. Are you interested?”
    â€œHe looks like an oversized rat. My grandma would probably take a broom to him.”
    â€œHe’s probably a good mouser,” she replied. “Your grandma might appreciate that.”
    â€œIf you had something cuter, she might go for it, but—”
    â€œHold on!” She was in the house and back with the box of kittens so fast, she didn’t think he had time to blink. “I have three more. Take your pick.”
    He looked into the box and frowned. “Will taking one better my chances of getting the job?”
    â€œOnly if you take good care of it and I don’t find it back on my doorstep tomorrow.”
    â€œIn that case, which ones are girls?”
    She lifted a tiny scrap of black fur. “The runt is.”
    â€œSo . . .” He took the kitten. “You promise you’ll check my references and really consider letting me re-side the house?”
    â€œYes.”
    He scowled but held the kitten against his chest. “I’ll tell Grandma it’s her birthday gift.”
    â€œToday is her birthday?”
    â€œNah, but she doesn’t know I know that.” He strode away, the basketball tucked under his arm.
    One kitten down and three to go, but now she’d have to make good on her promise. She couldn’t hire an inexperienced kid to do work that would probably take an entire team of experienced workers a week or more to do. On the other hand, if he knew what he was doing and could do it well, she wouldn’t mind giving him the job.
    Everyone deserved a chance.
    Until they proved that they didn’t.
    She glanced down at her shredded wedding dress.
    Time to move on.
    Fifteen minutes later, the dress was off, jeans and a T-shirt were on, and she was ready to start something new, to forget all about the wedding that wasn’t.
    She tossed the dress into the fireplace as she walked through the living room, stomped it a few times just to get the dust and ashes nicely mixed with the pink fabric. A few beads rolled out, and Handsome chased them across the wood floor, his skinny body sliding under the sofa. He came out with one tiny bead in his mouth, slinked back to the fireplace, and deposited it there.
    â€œSmart cat,” she murmured, scratching him behind the ears. “I’m going to fix the truck, and you and your friends are staying in here. Then we’re going