Free Next Door Secrets (Secrets Series Book 2) by Karen Lenfestey Page A

the doctor said she must’ve broken it, but not had a cast put
on. She showed me the way it’s bent a little.”
    He clenched his
fist next to his plate. When he saw Beth staring at it, he released it.
    Was he the one who
broke it the first time? Was that why Kaylee was so
quick to latch onto Beth? She needed a soft place to land?
    After a few more
minutes of going through the motions of dining without any dialogue, Jim
sighed. He leaned back in his chair, causing it to creak. “I don’t like to talk
about our past much, but there’s some stuff maybe you should know.” His chest
rose and fell. “I wasn’t there when Kaylee was
growing up. Her mom and me, well, we were like oil and vinegar. We fought all
the time and so finally I left when Kaylee was about two.”
Glancing at Kaylee , he opened his mouth and then
closed it as if he’d decided not to finish his thought out loud. “I didn’t come
back for Kaylee until a couple years ago when her mom
was killed in a car accident. So it’s possible Kaylee broke her arm before. I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t around.”  
    All Beth could
think of to say was, “Oh.”  
    Kaylee finished her slice. “Dad, can I show Beth my
American Girl doll?”
    “Not until we’re
done eating.”
    “I’m done.” She
stood and put her dishes in the dishwasher. “Now?”
    “We’re still
eating. Why don’t you go take a bath and get ready for bed? That way Beth can
have time to digest her food for a few minutes.”
    “ Awww , Dad. Do I have to?” She stuck out her lower lip and
looked especially adorable.
    He nodded. “Bring
me a plastic bag first so I can cover your cast.” He used a Wal-mart sack to envelop the cast and then used a rubber band to secure it at the top.   He waved his hand for emphasis. “Now go.”
He watched Kaylee leave the room and then got himself
seconds. “Want another?”
    Licking her lips,
Beth stared at the crumbs on her plate. Boy, did she want more, but she
shouldn’t. Of course she was doing Zumba tomorrow. “A
small slice, please.”
    In the background,
she could hear the water running in the bathtub. Something about the sound
soothed her so she wasn’t so uncomfortable sitting there alone with Jim. “I
want you to know I’m serious about watching Kaylee after school. I mean, once I get home from work. She’d have a couple hours by
herself, but it’s better than it is now.”
    He made his way to
the counter and served them both another slice before returning to the table. “How
much do you charge?”
    Laughing, she cut
the corner into a tiny triangle. “Nothing. I make a good living.”
    “I don’t need
charity.”
    Uh-oh. She’d
offended him. “It would be nice to have company. I’m not used to living alone.”
Suddenly she regretted her honesty. She shoved the cheesy triangle into her
mouth.
    “Divorced?”
    “Lived together. I
thought we’d walk down the aisle at some point, but the day just kept getting
pushed back. Then I went on a road trip with a guy I knew from college and I
realized what I’d been missing.” As if Parker were just a guy she once knew and
the road trip hadn’t been to meet their daughter for the first time in sixteen
years. Jim didn’t need to know her whole screwed up mess of a life, though.
    “Well, a marriage
license ain’t no guarantee. I married Kaylee’s mom just long enough to make a
baby neither of us was fit to raise.”
    She sensed they’d
both revealed their soft underbellies quicker than they’d intended. “At least
you have Kaylee to show for your relationship. She’s
a sweetie.”
    He cocked his head
at her. “If you say so. In case you haven’t noticed, she tends to fib an awful
lot. Back in my day, you lied to your father and he’d whoop ya .
But we’re not allowed to do that anymore.”   Did she sense a note of regret in his voice?
    Beth knew better
than to give a parent advice from the sidelines. “Maybe it’s just a phase.” Her
shoulders jerked upwards in a