Her Very Own Family Read Online Free PDF

the tension regarding his father. The other tension on her part wouldn’t fade unless Brady fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. “Sure.”
    Brady climbed the ladder and made his way over to her side of the roof. “This may qualify as the fastest roofing job ever.”
    “It’s only going to get hotter, and I don’t fancy roasting into a lobster up here or going broke buying sunscreen. The curse of the blond.” She gestured toward her hair.
    After getting another piece of roofing in place andattached, Audrey lay back. “I am one hundred and ten percent wiped. I feel like I could lie in the grass and sleep for about two days.”
    “We’re almost done. Come on.”
    With a moan, she raised herself and got back to work. “This can’t be your idea of a good time on vacation.”
    “It’s not really vacation. Seems like Dad’s doing okay though, so maybe I should just go back home.”
    Audrey retrieved a nail and set it in place while trying to ignore the thought that she’d miss seeing his face. “Do you have something pressing at work?”
    “There’s always something pressing at work.”
    “Something your business partner can’t handle?”
    He glanced over at her, gave her a half smile at the focus she put on the word business . “No.”
    “Then maybe you should just hang out with your dad. I’m sure he enjoys being with you. And he might not say anything or act like it, but I suspect he needs the company when he goes home at night.”
    “He seemed surprisingly okay last night, except for the scolding I got for being rude to you.”
    Her eyes widened as she looked at him. “Scolding? At your age? How embarrassing.” She pressed her lips together to stifle a giggle at the image.
    Brady snorted. “Guess I deserved it.”
    “Don’t worry about it. I understand your wanting to look out for your dad.”
    After all, there were people out there more than willing to bilk others out of their hard-earned money. She knew that firsthand.
     
    T HEY FINISHED attaching the roofing but left applying the sealant for another day and climbed down the ladder. Brady followed Audrey to the side of the creek, where she untied and removed her boots and socks then slipped her feet into the flowing water.
    “Ah!” She flopped back into the grass, letting the water bob her feet. “I may never move again.”
    “You’ll move. The ants, mosquitoes and chiggers will eventually find you and have you for lunch.”
    “Oh, fine, ruin the moment,” she said in a light, teasing tone.
    This was definitely better than suspicion and animosity. So she was hiding something. Who didn’t have secrets? It didn’t mean it was anything aimed at hurting him or his dad. Roasting hot himself, Brady gave in to temptation and shucked his boots and socks, too. After rolling up his pant legs to the knees, he stuck his feet in the water and lay back in the grass only a couple of feet from Audrey.
    “I haven’t done this in years,” he said.
    She turned her head to look at him. “What, stuck your feet in the creek?”
    “Yeah. That and just lie in the grass, looking up at the trees.”
    Audrey let out a slow sigh as she returned her gaze to the sky above. “Guess we forget the simple ways to enjoy life when we grow up.”
    “That why you bought this place? To enjoy life?”
    “It just felt right. I woke up one morning and realized I needed a change.”
    “Was your job boring?”
    She didn’t answer immediately. He glanced toward her, but she was still staring toward the treetops high above them.
    “I was between jobs. Seemed like the right time to ask myself what I really wanted. Only, I had no idea what that might be. I went for a walk one afternoon, and I somehow ended up at a bookstore. I don’t even know why I went in, but I found myself standing in front of the magazine section. I started flipping through different magazines, and this story about a woman who refurbished an old lighthouse and made a B & B