Hometown Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

longer sounded bitter, a huge change from a few months ago. “Don’t worry about it. How’s Taylor?” She’d only met Taylor once since the girl had entered Sean and Charlie’s lives, but she seemed like a nice kid.
    “Good. She’s looking forward to skiing this winter.” Sean followed Jessie toward the backroom where special orders were stored.
    “This one is yours.” She pointed to the huge box as she hit the button that raised the garage-style door. Sean had picked up enough orders over the years to know he should park his truck near the door.
    “Do you want me to get Brian to help you?” She stepped outside for a moment of fresh air.
    “I’ll help you with it,” Mack said from the parking spot next to Sean’s truck as he helped Grace out.
    “You promised we’d pick out paint,” Grace said, stepping between the two vehicles, a slight whine coming out in her voice.
    “We will. This won’t take long. Promise.”
    Jessie heard the note of irritation in Mack’s voice and wondered if the father and daughter had a rough morning. “If you want, I can bring Grace inside to start looking. Just close the door when you’re done.”
    “Please, Daddy.”
    “Go ahead. I’ll be right in.”
    Jessie took Grace by the hand and led her through the back room. “Did you have fun last night?”
    “I got to stay up past my bedtime.”
    As a little girl, staying up past her bedtime had always seemed like a major event to Jessie, and evidently it was universal for all children. “I’ll tell you a secret. So did I.” Jessie kept her voice low as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear.
    Grace giggled. “Adults don’t have a bedtime.”
    “Says who?” Jessie led her toward the display of paint cards.
    “Adults go to bed when they want,” Grace answered with authority. “Nobody tells Daddy when to go to bed.”
    A vision of Mrs. Ellsbury telling an adult Mack to brush his teeth and go to bed passed through Jessie’s head and she laughed. “I guess you’re right.” Together they stopped, a rainbow of color before them. “Let’s start over here. That’s where all the pinks are.” Jessie pointed to an area filled with everything from pastel to neon.
    When Mack joined them a few minutes later, Grace already had several color samples in her hand.
    “I see you’ve already found some, buddy.”
    Jessie hadn’t noticed last night, but now, seeing Mack next to his daughter, she realized they looked nothing alike except for their eyes. They were the same shape and the same shade of light hazel. But while Mack’s hair was almost black, Grace sported two lopsided strawberry-blonde pigtails. Her skin was fair with a dusting of freckles across her nose, and Jessie suspected she burned easily if she spent too much time in the sun. Mack’s skin was a few shades darker
    “These are just the pink ones.” Grace handed her father the cards and moved down toward the purples, her hand immediately going for the brightest, most vibrant shade available.
    Mack shuffled through the cards, then looked up at Jessie. “People buy these colors?”
    “You’d be surprised.”  You’re in big trouble, Mack.
    “Here, Daddy.” Grace held up another set of cards.
    Without a word, he added them to his stack and began sorting them, discarding some on a shelf as he went.
    “That’s my favorite,” Grace said when one particular card joined the stack forming on the shelf.
    A pink almost as bright as a highlighter, Jessie cringed at the thought of an entire room that shade.
    “Way too bright.” Mack continued to add cards to his rejection pile. “How about this one?” He held up a card and pointed to the third square on the bottom; a shade of pink so light it appeared almost white.
    Grace shook her head, her pigtails swinging back and forth. “I like this one.” She grabbed the bright pink card from the rejection pile.
    “Sorry, Grace, but we’re not painting your room that color,” Mack said.
    Understanding Grace’s