Free Hard Hat Man by Edna Curry Page B

to make a go of this project,” Kyle said with a grimace , forking up another chunk of beef . “If I don’t, it’ll be back to square one, starting over again.”
    “I hope it works out for you, then,” Jan said.
    “So what about your dad? What did he do? ”
    Jan swallowed hard and sipped her coffee. “Dad was a teacher, too. He died the same summer we lost Nancy and Esther. That’s why we think of it as the summer of tragedy in our family.”
    “I’m sorry. What happened to him ?”
    “A car accident on the way home from the airport . He was teaching English in Japan that summer to earn extra money. ”
    “That must have been hard losing him when you were only, what, ten?”
    “Yes. After that, Mom decided she wanted to pursue the career she’d started before I was born. So she moved us to the city on Dad’s insurance money and went to acting school. She loves it and does pretty well at it.”
    “So then she remarried?”
    “Yes,” Jan said with a sigh. “Carl was one of the rich men who backed a couple of the shows she acted in. They hit it off and got married and moved to his winter place in Florida. But whenever she’s in a movie, they both live near wherever it’s set.”
    Kyle eyed her and sipped his water. “From your tone of voice, I’m guessing you’re not exactly fond of Carl.”
    Jan made a face. “Definitely not. And the feeling’s mutual. But Mom thinks he’s great and she’s the one who has to live with him, so…whatever.”
    He laughed. “There’s no accounting for taste, eh?”
    “Right. But to be fair, Mom paid for my college from money she earned in her acting career, so she deserves some happiness for herself. And because Carl is rich, Mom insists I shouldn’t pay her back. So I should be grateful to him. ”
    “But you’re really not,” he guessed, a twinkle brightening his eyes.
    “No,” she agreed. “I try to keep a healthy distance between us, like the Atlantic Ocean separating us right now.”
    “That is a good distance. ”
    “So what happens now with your project?”
    “ The fire marshal is done , so we’ ve been clean ing up the ash debris . Then we’ll start taking down the silo.”
    “I sure hope there are no more incidents.”
    He grinned . “I’ve asked a couple of my trusted employees to take turns keeping watch at night from now on. They can use the overtime and I’ll feel better. I hope that solves the problem.”
    “Good.”
    He picked up the bill the waitress had placed on the table. “Ready to go?”
    “ Yes. I’d like to get in a couple more hours of sorting books yet tonight.”
    He paid the bill and they strolled out into the warm, starlit night to his car. As they drove back to the farm, he said, “Would you like some help with the sorting?”
    She glanced at him. “You don’t have to do that. Rea lly, you must be tired after your long day.”
    He parked in front of the farm house. “I’m not in the least sleepy. And I love old books. I’d like to see what Horace collected.”
    She laughed as they went inside. “My uncle was a religious nut. He had weird tastes. I doubt you’ll find his collection interesting. It’s mostly Bible s, concordances and history. Though I’ll let Ms. Robards look through it to see if she wants any of it.”
    “Any of the history books have to do with our area? She’d probably want those for the historical society’s collection.”
    Jan shrugged, “Some of them might be. I didn’t think of that. I’m going to change back into jeans before I start sorting.”
    “Okay. I’ll get started.”
    ***
    Over a rise in the road overlooking the farm, the man with binoculars focused on Jan and Kyle enter ing the farmhouse. Mosquitoes buzzed around him in the warm summer night. H e swatted at them each time a pinch meant they’d found a bare spot to bite him. In the distance a dog barked and a coyote answered. He ignored them, intent on the young couple.
    Damn it, he went in the house with her again.