Free Kyle’s Bargain by Katherine Kingston Page B

say. “Take care of yourself,
okay? Don’t take chances.”
    “Laurie depends on me.” She wasn’t sure if that answered the
other woman’s concern or not.
    Carla nodded and got up to go. “We should know something
pretty soon, anyway.”
     
    The machinery and its work fascinated Laurie. She sat on the
walk outside and watched for the rest of the afternoon until the operators shut
down the machines sometime between four and five. The workers departed then,
leaving their equipment parked in the field.
    The next day went pretty much the same with an increase in
the volume. Knocking buildings down was an excruciatingly noisy business.
Several times pieces of wall or roof must have come crashing down. The thuds
rattled glass and shelves in her shop. The dust became a constant irritant,
coating her car, the windows of the store and everything left outside. It blew
in every time someone opened the door. Laurie had a coat of grime on her when
they went home, so Meg had to make her take a shower before she went to bed
each night.
    She didn’t hear from Kyle again until Wednesday. When the
phone rang around one thirty and she heard his voice on the other end, her
heart did a stupid, fluttery thing in her chest.
    “I’ve had some thoughts on your problem, and I think I might
have a solution, but I wanted to run it by you and see if it’s agreeable before
I take it any further,” he said. “Can I take you out to dinner tonight to talk
about it?”
    The flutters in her chest turned into somersaults.
    “I’ll have to see about getting someone to take care of
Laurie. Can I let you know?”
    “Much as I would love to, I’m not planning that kind of
night. She can go with us.”
    Meg drew in a deep breath. “I don’t… I’m not sure either of
you is ready for that.”
    “Why not?”
    How to explain? “She’s not the…neatest of eaters. She’s
worked very hard on it, but she still has some problems. But that’s not the
biggest thing. Laurie’s emotions are very close to the surface and she doesn’t
have the same kind of internal controls others do. She can be…difficult at
times. Also she forms attachments to people she likes very quickly. And she
liked you when she met you Friday.”
    Kyle was quiet for a moment before he answered, “I don’t
mind the possible mess or emotional outbreaks, but you know best and if you
don’t think it’s a good idea, I’ll rely on your judgment.”
    “Thank you. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” Thank
you, thank you , she repeated mentally once she’d hung up. A man who wasn’t
sure he knew best in every situation. That clashed with her mental image of
Kyle’s arrogance, but she could live with being a bit wrong about that.
    It took a few minutes and a phone call to make the
arrangements. Mrs. Smith would be at home this evening and would be glad to
look in on Laurie. When Meg called Kyle to let him know it was taken care of,
he said, “Good. Can I pick you up at seven? At your place?”
    Meg agreed. After she hung up, she restrained herself from
standing up and dancing around the store. Just barely. A quick mental review of
her wardrobe made her realize how few nice things she had. One dress would be
suitable for a dinner with Kyle. Maybe one of the pantsuits too if she dressed
it up with some nice costume jewelry. After that… She’d worry about it if there
was an “after that”.
    Time dragged, even when Laurie got there. “They’re all
gone,” she reported to Meg when she arrived. “Stores across the street. All
gone. They’re breaking the parking lot.”
    “Not ours?”
    Laurie shook her head. “Across the street.” Her expression
darkened. “They’re not going to knock us over, are they?”
    “Not without warning us first.”
    “I don’t want them to. Mr. Harrison will stop them from
knocking us down, won’t he?”
    “I don’t know,” Meg admitted. “I hope so.”
    Laurie sighed and went back to watching the destruction
across the