Her brow dipped in a look that was 100 percent Joe, and she demanded, “Who are you?”
Not shy, was she?
“Lily Ann, where are your manners?” he scolded. “This is Miss Eckardt. She works at the bar and she’s going to stay in the garage apartment for a while.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lily Ann,” Reily said. “How old are you?”
“Five,” Lily Ann said, holding up the digits of her left hand. “Your hair is pretty. I want long hair, too, but Daddy says it gets too tangly because it’s curly.”
“And I’ve always wanted curly hair,” Reily said with a smile. “Mine is so straight and boring.”
Joe gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek and set her back down on the driveway, giving her bottom a firm pat. “Go on back inside. I’ll be in as soon as I show Miss Eckardt the apartment.”
She scurried for the door and disappeared inside the house.
“She’s adorable,” Reily said as the screen door slammed shut with a sharp bang.
“And don’t think she doesn’t know it.” He grabbed her bags from the bed of the truck, then gestured to a set of wood stairs that hugged the side of the garage. “It’s this way.”
She followed him up the narrow staircase, trying hard to ignore the fact that he had a really cute behind. Not only was he brooding and pessimistic, but he had an adorable daughter to boot. The situation had complicated written all over it.
He paused on the small landing at the top, pulled his keys from his jeans pocket and unlocked the door. A wave of stale, hot air rushed out as he pulled it open. He dropped her bags inside and walked straight over to a window that overlooked the backyard. He pushed back the curtains and lifted the sash, letting sunshine and a rush of fresh air into the room. The living space was cozy and welcoming, with two mismatched, floral-print, hand-me-down chairs; a scarred wood coffee table; and a matching pair of brass floor lamps. The kitchenette was small and basic, but functional, with a two-burner stove and an economy-size refrigerator.
“This is nice,” she said.
“There’s a window air conditioner in the bedroom to keep you cool at night,” he said. “And there’re fresh linens and towels in the dresser drawer.”
She crossed the room and peeked into the bedroom. It was barely large enough to hold a full-size bed and small chest of drawers. The bathroom was nothing more than a sink, toilet and cramped shower stall, but it was clean. It beat the hell out of staying at the Sunrise for six weeks.
“The key is on a hook in the kitchen cupboard,” Joe said, and she turned to him. He stood by the door, arms folded, expression dark. “If you want, I can give Aunt Sue my master key to hold on to.”
“That won’t be necessary.” He may have been a little cranky, but she didn’t think he was dangerous. Especially now that she knew he had a daughter, although she wasn’t sure why that would make a difference.
“So, it’s just you and your daughter?” she asked him.
“Yep.”
“Lily Ann’s mommy—”
“Isn’t around,” he said. And he clearly did not want to talk about it. Not with her anyway. “I’ll be heading back to the bar in half an hour if you want a ride.”
“I think I’ll walk.” Now that she had a little extra money, she could splurge and maybe find a cheap blow-dryer and curling iron at the thrift store.
Joe shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“Thanks for offering. And just so you know, I don’t expect rides to and from work to be part of the deal.”
“Good, because they’re not.” He turned toward the door and started out, then hesitated, turned back to Reily and said, “She left us two years ago.”
It took a second to realize that he was talking about Lily Ann’s mommy. He may as well have been talking about the weather for all the emotion he showed, but that probably only meant he didn’t want her to know how deeply he’d been hurt. It sure explained why he would be emotionally unavailable.
She wasn’t sure how to respond, but it didn’t matter because he never gave her the chance. He turned and walked out, shutting the door firmly behind him. She listened to the thump of his footsteps as he descended the stairs, wondering what had happened between him and Lily Ann’s mother that would make her leave. What would possess a woman to leave her own child?
Why did she even care? She had her own problems to figure out. She barely knew the guy. Considering this weird little fascination she seemed to have with him, it would be in her best interest to keep it that way.
Joe headed to the side door, wondering why he’d felt compelled to tell Reily about his ex-wife. His life was none of her business. But she was bound to hear about it from someone eventually, so why not him? That was the problem with small towns. Everybody was always in everyone else’s business. When Beth left, the dust had barely settled from her tires before everyone knew.
He pulled open the side door and stepped into the kitchen. Aunt Sue stood at the stove, stirring the contents of a soup pot. She looked over at him and smiled. “I guess Lily Ann told you about her tooth.”
“The second I pulled up,” he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“I put it in an envelope on her dresser so she wouldn’t lose it.”
He leaned in to peek at whatever she was cooking.
“White chicken chili,” she said.
One of his all-time favorites. “Smells delicious.”
“Lily Ann said something about you showing the apartment. I didn’t realize that you’d decided to rent it out again.”
He grabbed a wedge of corn bread from a plate on the kitchen table and took a bite, crumbs falling on the front of his T-shirt. “I didn’t.”
She turned to him, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her ample waist. “Would this have something to do with the young woman you hired?”
He shook his head. “Word sure does get around fast, doesn’t it?”
“Phyllis and Buster had lunch at the bar today, and of course she had to call me and find out who she is. I take it she’s not from around here.”
“Her name is Reily Eckardt. She’s passing through on her way to Tennessee.” He relayed the story P.J. had told him when he’d brought Reily in the night before.
“Oh, good Lord!” Aunt Sue slapped a hand over her bosom. “That poor girl. It was sweet of you to help her out.”
Her words grated at him. “I didn’t do it to be nice. I needed a bartender, and it was Lindy’s idea to let her stay in the apartment.”
She pinned him with her trademark stern look. “Would it kill you to admit that you’re a compassionate and caring person?”
“I’m not.” Not anymore.
“Well, there’s a little girl in there with her butt parked in front of the television who sure thinks you are.”
And he couldn’t imagine what his life would be like without her. He walked over to the kitchen doorway to peer into the front room. His little girl sat cross-legged in front of the television, mesmerized by cartoons. The love he felt for her was so intense and all-encompassing it almost hurt to breathe. Having Lily Ann had given him the will to keep going when Beth left. Everything he did was for his daughter, to ensure that she grew up healthy and happy and always knowing that she was loved. Despite her mother. Because when it came to being abandoned, he knew just how it felt. His own mother hadn’t stuck around to see his first birthday.
“So