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

shrug. She peered around the corner to make sure Kaylee wasn’t listening. “I am worried about her hoarding
food, though. Have you talked to her about that?”
    Something flashed
across his face and she couldn’t quite read it. Was he going to say it was none
of her business? Was he going to say she was mistaken?
    He leaned forward.
“She has some left-over Halloween candy, but I would hardly call that hoarding.”
    “Look in her
closet. Bread and donuts and cereal. I’m worried
she’ll attract ants.”
    At this
revelation, he placed his hands over his unshaven face and drew in a deep
breath. “Like I said, I wasn’t around when she was little. Her mom wasn’t
exactly Mother Theresa, if you know what I mean.” He seemed to consider if he
wanted to say anything more. “I heard she’d leave Kaylee home alone for days while she went on a bender and so Kaylee learned to fend for herself.” He sighed again. “Even though she’s been safe
with me for two years, she still hasn’t recovered from what her mother did to
her.”
    “That’s terrible.”
She was starting to realize that Kaylee’s mom was
probably not an Indian princess like Pocahontas. “And so she could’ve broken her
arm and her mom didn’t take her to the hospital?”
    He nodded. “Yep.”
    Then it hit her. Kaylee needed Beth just as much as Beth needed her.  

 
 
    CHAPTER
EIGHT
    After he made sure
Hannah was settled into the guest bedroom for the night, Parker tried to sleep.
He stared at the plaster ceiling while his mind considered the events of the
last few hours. His daughter had come to visit him for the first time. He’d
been to her place in Texas a few times and now she felt comfortable enough with
him to stay here. He could take Hannah skydiving and maybe show her the
Studebaker Museum while she was in town.
    And what about his
Bucket List? It was time to seriously consider what should be on it and make those things happen. After Hannah returned home, he
could find out if volunteering for the Peace Corps was a real possibility.
    He’d had an uncle
that’d volunteered in Africa years ago and filled his young mind with visions
of lions and elephants roaming free. With his face lit up, his uncle relayed
the immeasurable satisfaction he felt while helping those less fortunate. His
uncle had taught AIDS information to the village people, who had all sorts of
erroneous ideas about its spread and treatment.   Anyway, Parker had grown up idolizing his
uncle for his Peace Corps service. If he hadn’t married Ivy while in college,
he probably would’ve volunteered years ago.  
    Now was definitely
his last chance before the Huntington’s disease progressed any further. What
better way to take his mind off of his impending doom than by focusing on the
needs of others?
    That was it. He
tossed the covers off and climbed out of bed. He went to his laptop and went to
the Peace Corps website. He re-read the requirements:
minimum age of 18, no age limit, bachelor’s degree required for most positions. So far so good. Clicking on “Volunteer Opportunities”
he felt his heart speed up. He could go to 70 different countries and could
choose from helping with health, education, environment, agriculture or
economic development. In Kenya they needed someone to help artisans market
their handmade items and teach them business skills. Quickly he scanned the
requirements. Excitement coursed through his veins when he saw they wanted
someone with a business degree and two years of experience.
    Now how was he
going to find out who had called Ivy’s place? Breath
moved in and out of his nostrils quickly while he considered this. He searched
for a “Contact Us” link. As he looked, he kept finding other links that he
wanted to check out: profiles of Peace Corps volunteers and how they benefited
from the experience, the history of the Peace Corps, Frequently Asked
Questions. An hour slipped by before he reminded himself that he needed to
reach a