Free A Hero for Her Heart (Truly Yours Digital Editions Book 885) by Nancy Toback, Candice Miller Speare

“Derrick’s business card.”
    “I’m coming outside with you!” Danny crowed. “I want to show Mr. Derrick the barn.”
    Ma and Shannon exchanged quick smiles, then stared at Allie expectantly. No need to wonder why Ma hadn’t shown him around the property herself. She was matchmaking again, which was more than useless. Derrick was here on business, which was becoming more apparent by the second. There was the possibility that he’d already looked into properties and saw theirs as a good prospect. The thought occurred to Allie that maybe he was using them for his own ends.
    Danny waited near the door, and her heart ached for him. He’d been attached to Michael. Looking back she realized Michael had given Danny attention until Michael had won her heart, then he’d backed off. Danny had noticed and kept trying to win Michael’s approval to no avail. She could never allow that to happen again. Danny was vulnerable, and according to his counselor, going through a stage where he was searching for a father figure. Even now he waited impatiently, eager to show Derrick around. How could she protect her nephew? In just a day and a half, Danny had developed a bond. She couldn’t bear to see him hurt again.
    Derrick glanced at his watch. “I’ll probably need to leave soon. I have to. . .um, I have another appointment.”
    Another appointment? Is that what he considered his visit with them? An appointment?
    Allie tried to smile. If she were honest, she’d developed a bit of an attachment to Derrick, too. She chided herself for weakness and pointed toward the door. “Let’s get to it, then.”
    As they walked out of the house and toward the barn, the wind mussed his thick black hair, sending wisps across his forehead. Their fingers brushed, and she had the sudden thought that it would be nice to hold his hand. Fortunately, Danny jumped between them and interrupted her insane desire.
    “Hey, Spiderman,” she said. “Lead the way.”
    Danny bounded ahead of them. Their footsteps were silent as they crossed the yard, and the crickets sang their familiar song. Would she lose all this?
    Derrick looked over at her. “So how did you get into the blacksmith business?”
    “My dad started it. Learned it from his father. He taught me and Luke.” Her breath caught. “He was my brother—”
    “Luke was my dad,” Danny said over his shoulder. “He’s dead. So is my mom. And they’re in heaven. There’s no time there, you know. So while I grow up, they’re happy and waiting to see me again.”
    Oh the simplicity of a child’s faith. And of course Danny was listening to every word she and Derrick exchanged. They reached the end of the backyard and began walking the fence line toward the barn.
    Derrick motioned at a cottage beyond the barn. “What do you do with that?”
    “Nothing at the moment. We rented it out for a while, but it needs a lot of work, and we haven’t had time or money to do it.”
    Why was she opening up to this virtual stranger? Perhaps Pastor’s prayer had helped after all, but was Derrick a safe person to open up to? She waved to the right. “We lease out these fields to a local farmer. That brings in some money, but it’s not enough. Not with the amount of debt we have to pay.”
    Derrick stopped and looked at her intently. “There’s got to be a way to fix this.”
    If not for his serious demeanor, she would’ve been amused. “I assure you, my mom and I have tried everything.”
    He seemed to be waiting for further explanation, and Allie hastened to change the topic. She pointed at a small building next to the barn. “That’s our. . .my office. That’s where I take care of the business.” She motioned for him to follow her to the weathered barn. When she opened the door, Danny ran ahead of them and disappeared through a doorway in the back—his hiding place. “Danny’s favorite place is the barn. I hope we can keep it when we sell property.”
    “Oh man, this is tough.”