Mom In The Middle. Mae Nunn

That’ll be a nice surprise for Sarah.”

      “Speaking of nice surprises,” she turned to Guy. “That certainly was a breathtaking arrangement the store sent yesterday, and I noticed you personally signed the card. Of course, you hardly know our family, or you’d understand we’re simple folks. The five-dollar bouquet we took her made my mother just as happy.”

      “Abby’s right. My bride has always appreciated small pleasures. A good thing since that’s about all we’ve been able to afford most of our lives. So she was tickled pink by that big crystal vase of flowers.” Her father held out his hand. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

      Guy accepted the grip. “Absolutely. We need to get started on that list if you want everything shipshape before Mrs. Reagan comes home.”

      “I’ll just get Dillon’s things together, then.”

      When her daddy was out of earshot, Abby turned to Guy, no longer putting on a happy face.

      “You can drop the helpful hardware man act. I’m on to you.”

      “Meaning?” He leveled wide, innocent eyes on her that she bet worked like a charm with the adoring females in his life.

      “Meaning, I know you’re not just an H&H employee, you’re the owner. And you’re not just worried about my family, you’re covering for your own.”

      “Guilty as charged on all counts.” He nodded.

      The speech she’d practiced on the drive home flew out the window on the breeze from the new fan.

      “That’s right. My family owns the stores and it’s my job to protect our investment.”

      “So you admit all this help you’ve been offering is just an act.”

      “No way.”

      “Then why didn’t you tell me who you were when we first met?”

      “I didn’t really think it was important to give you my résumé when your mother was lying on the floor of my store.”

      Ouch, he had her there.

      “Besides my parents have raised us to keep our personal business private, so it’s not like I have OWNER on the license plate of my company car. The employees know who I am, it’s not necessary for every customer to know, too.”

      She still had reason for her righteous indignation. Didn’t she?

      “But your customers should know your promise to take care of my mother’s medical needs was just PR. She believed you when you said everything would be covered by Hearth and Home or she’d never have agreed to that expensive private ambulance service.”

      “Abby.” He lowered his chin; his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry I’ve given you the impression that I’m a dishonest person, but I assure you I didn’t lie about the medical coverage. You don’t need to worry about the bills. I give you my word on that.” He held his hand out as he’d done with her father a couple of minutes earlier.

      She felt like a day-old balloon with a pinprick, as all the air seeped out of her argument that he was up to no good. She accepted his hand. A man’s grip, warm and solid and strong. A very different touch than she’d ever felt holding hands with Phillip.

      “I apologize,” she said simply, lost for the proper words after impugning his integrity.

      “Apology accepted.” He let her off the hook but held on to her hand. “And please accept mine for not introducing myself properly. Dad’s taught us to keep a low profile with customers, but it was never my intention to hide my identity.”

      “I see.” She nodded and eased her hand out of his warm grip. “Now what’s all this about a list?” She changed the subject.

      He fished an index card covered in her father’s handwriting from his back pocket.

      “Shorty and I wrote up a list of all the repairs you two have been planning to make. I really need to get out of the new store manager’s way and let her run things on her own, so I have some time on my hands before I have to turn over the quality phase of the project to my kid sister, Casey. Believe it or not I really enjoy your dad’s company. He reminds me a lot of one of my uncles and I’d like to help take care of these repairs, if you don’t disapprove.”

      Abby glanced at the list, all things she had good intentions of doing one day. Her heart sank just a bit at the thought of missing out on spending this time with her father. The MS was so unpredictable. He could be able one day and bedridden the next. She’d already found out what it was to forever lose precious time with a man she’d loved. She didn’t want to waste a single day of the allotment she had left with her father.

      God was unpredictable. She never knew when He would strike.

      “These are all things my daddy and I wanted to do together.” She pouted, knowing she probably sounded like a brat.

      “Even better. If you have any free time to join us, just grab a hammer and help out.”

      Now that things were going his way again, his engaging blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and Abby began to understand why the women in his family had spoiled this guy rotten.