Military Daddy by Patricia Davids Page B

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    The following day Shane arrived at Marge’s house in high spirits. His conversation with Annie had given him a new measure of hope. She wasn’t averse to spending time with him. He would even go so far as to say that she had enjoyed their talk. He certainly had enjoyed his time with her—once she was safely off the ladder.
    Now, if he could only sway her to his way of thinking. A child needed a mother and a father. There had to be some way for them to work out their differences.
    Opening the trunk of his car, he pulled out a roll of nails for the nail gun he had rented for the project. Any work was easier if a man had the right tools for the job. If only he could figure out what tools he needed to convince Annie he was father material. Spending time with her was the key. This roofing project would only take a few more evenings. Somehow he had to get her to agree to see him after it was done. So far, he knew that independence, education, helping others and her faith were things Annie valued deeply.
    He valued the same things—all but faith. Why was it so important to her?
    Annie drove up just as he closed his trunk lid. Parking behind him, she turned off the engine, but it chugged several times before it finally died. Crystal jumped out of the passenger side and hurried into the house with only the briefest of waves in his direction. He walked toward Annie.
    â€œYou should get this vehicle looked at,” he suggested when she stepped out of the car.
    â€œI will. It just has to keep running until payday.” Closing her eyes, she put her hands on her hips. A grimace crossed her face as she leaned backward.
    â€œYou’re home late. Tough day?” he asked, walking to stand beside her.
    â€œI’ve had worse.”
    â€œTurn around.”
    â€œWhat for?”
    â€œJust do it.”
    After giving him a long, suspicious stare, she finally did as he’d asked. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he began to massage her tense muscles.
    She stiffened for a second, but then she gradually relaxed. After a few more moments her head lolled forward. “Mmm, I’ll give you until next Tuesday to stop that. Do you do feet?”
    â€œIf you need horseshoes, I’m your man.”
    She giggled. “The last thing I need is iron shoes. My feet hurt enough as it is.”
    Shane couldn’t believe how much it pleased him to hear her laugh. After a minute she stepped away from his massage, and he let his empty hands fall to his sides. The urge to pull her into his arms and hold her close was almost painful in its intensity. It took all his willpower not to act on the impulse. This wasn’t the time or the place. Instinctively he knew he would lose what little trust he had gained. “Okay, no new shoes from my forge.”
    The rush of color in her cheeks told him she wasn’t indifferent to his touch.
    â€œHow’s the roof coming?” she asked quickly.
    â€œI should be able to finish next week. The gables and the steep pitch make for slow going.” That and the fact that he wasn’t in any hurry to complete the project.
    â€œYou are staying for supper tonight, aren’t you?”
    â€œI’m looking forward to it.”
    â€œIf I get a move on, it will be ready in about an hour.”
    â€œYou aren’t cooking tonight after working so late, are you? You look exhausted.”
    â€œFood won’t fix itself because the cook is tired. We take turns with the chores and tonight is my night to make supper. I’ll manage.”
    He clearly remembered Olivia and Crystal laughing at the idea of Annie cooking. “Maybe we should call out for pizza or something.”
    She scowled at him. “Are you afraid I can’t cook a decent meal because I’m a little tired?”
    He found himself on the defensive and tried to backpedal. “That’s not what I was saying. I just thought that you should be taking it easy. You are