Lone Oak Feud (Harlequin Heartwarming) Read Online Free PDF Page B

lips puckered in sternness and he felt like hugging her again.
    “So where is he?”
    His grandma’s face fell and she shook her head as she lowered herself onto a ladder-back chair. “Wish I knew. Least he could’ve done is leave a note.”
    “Yeah, I can see Josh as the note type.” He shook his head. If Josh had ever done anything responsible in his life, their grandma would look ten years younger. But her devotion to both her grandsons had never wavered.
    “How long’s he been gone?”
    “Over a week. He’s never left for this long before, not without telling me.”
    The grave look on her face told him she was worried. And she didn’t worry easily. She’d raised her own two boys and then him and Josh as well. Raising boys, especially Rundle boys, wasn’t for the faint of heart.
    “That’s too bad. Instant fatherhood probably did him in.” For a moment, he wondered where his brother might be hiding out. Then he noticed his grandma staring at nothing, her forehead furrowed. “Is anything else wrong, Grandma?”
    Her head jerked toward him sharply. “Why do you ask?”
    Zach shrugged. “Just making sure. You’re not a spring chick anymore, much as you like to think. A five-year-old’s a lot to handle.” He hopped down from the counter and pulled out the chair and sat. “You doing okay, Gram?”
    He watched her throat move as she swallowed before answering. “I’m not dead yet, Zachary. I can handle that boy just fine. Compared to you and your brother, he’s a walk in the park.”
    Her answer soothed any fears he may have had. He doubted there was anything wrong outside of Lindsey Salinger’s imagination. However, one thing still nagged at him.
    “Lindsey said you were nice to her when she brought Owen back the other day.”
    His grandma considered his words for some time and scowled. “So? I’m old enough to decide when I want to be friendly. She brought the boy back.”
    That made sense. She couldn’t be rude to someone who’d just returned a lost kid. While being kind to a Salinger wasn’t her usual MO, there was a time and place for everything.
    Lindsey was paranoid.
    She had a long weekend to get unparanoid and butt out of Rundle business, because Zach had a job to get back to.

CHAPTER FOUR
    T HE THREE S ALINGER SISTERS together in one room was a good sign that something wasn’t normal. Middle sister Savannah rarely showed her face around their dad’s. Her two kids and her husband kept her running, or so she said. Katie, the youngest, was in her last semester at the University of Kansas and had more friends and dates than Lindsey had arm hairs. She made it home when she could but being a social butterfly took a lot of time.
    As it happened, they’d all shown up Sunday afternoon to check on their dad and had been easily convinced by Mrs. Hale, who might as well have been a member of the family, to stay for dinner.
    Lindsey hopped up to help serve homemade angel food cake with strawberries for dessert. Savannah’s kids, Allie and Logan, had already escaped to the basement to play Tarzan—or something equally loud. Lindsey had considered joining them but opted to spend time with her sisters while she could. Katie was heading back later tonight.
    “Anyone need a refill yet? It’s decaf.” Mrs. Hale carried the coffeepot to the table.
    “I need the real stuff,” Katie said. “I have a test in media law tomorrow.”
    “Let me guess,” Savannah said. “You haven’t started studying yet.”
    Katie grinned and pushed her hair off her forehead. “You got it. Too much going on.”
    “She’ll ace it,” Lindsey said. “She always does.”
    “Someone had to get the brains in the family,” Michael piped up.
    Savannah frowned at her husband then turned back to Katie. “Our favorite smart-aleck.”
    “Jealous?” Katie asked.
    “Hardly. Linds, are you still coming to the winter carnival next weekend?”
    “Unless you let me off kitchen duty,” Lindsey said. “What about you,