Love's Embers (Canon City Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

instant, she felt her anger return and didn’t move from the table.
    Gran looked at her and frowned. “I’m busy here. Would you please get the door?”
    Lark looked at her and scowled. She shook her head, stood up and walked to the door. She opened it halfway and didn’t greet Charlie, but just stared at him.
    “Hi,” he said. “I don’t have a phone and I need to get someone to come and turn the heat on or at least figure out why it won’t come on. The fireplace doesn’t keep the house warm.”
    Lark wasn’t going to open the door any further, but felt her grandmother’s hand on her back.
    “Open the door, sweetheart. Yes, Charlie, you can use our phone. Come on in. Would you like some soup to warm you up?”
    Lark pulled the door open and let Charlie walk in. She felt like all her good Christmas cheer flew out the door. As she closed it and turned, she saw him take off his coat.
    “That would be great. I have electricity, but I don’t really have anything to cook with at this point. Thank you,” he said to Gran.
    “How convenient,” Lark mumbled and went around him into the kitchen. She thought about going back up the stairs and let them have lunch without her, but decided she needed to keep Gran happy. She sat back down at the table.
    Gran showed Charlie where the phone and phone books were and he spent a few minutes calling around to get emergency service.
    She could see him in the living room. He looked at the tree and smiled. For some reason it pissed her off. As she watched Charlie talk on the phone and make notes, she felt something stir deep in her chest. She wasn’t sure what it was, but spent a moment convincing herself that he wasn’t attractive. Sure he was tall and fit, but that shoulder-length brown hair and five o’clock shadow looked stupid and sloppy. She was glad she’d told him last night that he needed a haircut.
    Lark suddenly felt warm and realized he stared at her, while he spoke on the phone. He smiled a little and she couldn’t tell if he was smiling at her or if the person on the phone said something humorous. She looked away, got up and poured herself a cup of coffee.
    Gran latched onto her arm and whispered, “Just because you’re angry doesn’t mean we’re bad hostesses. You need to offer him a cup of coffee, too.”
    Lark grabbed another cup, stepped into his line of vision and pointed at the cup. He smiled again and nodded. She poured it, took it into the living room and set it on the table by him.
    She walked back into the kitchen. “He has coffee. Are you happy Gran?”
    Her grandmother turned from the stove and huffed at her. “Don’t act that way, young lady. Just be nice.” Gran scowled at her and turned back around.
    Lark sat at the table and heard Charlie hang up the phone. He carried his cup into the kitchen. “Well, that’s one thing done.” He sat across from Lark and took a sip of coffee.
    “Will someone come out today?” Gran asked.
    “Yeah, they said there would be a repairman out sometime between three and four o’clock. I hope they can get the furnace started.”
    Charlie and Gran chatted up a storm during lunch. Lark commented very little. The minute the soup and bread were finished, she excused herself and ran upstairs to her attic office. She claimed her work needed her attention. It did, but she found it difficult to concentrate. Her brain kept floating back to memories of her childhood and growing up with Charlie. She remembered the lanky kid who taught her to roller skate and ski. They rode their bikes all over Canon City and made their own adventures. They played cards and marbles and then Gran got her the first computer either one of them used and they’d discovered electronic games.
    There were times, when Mr. Stone would be on one of his rampages, that Charlie climbed the cinderblock fence behind her house and showed up at her window. When they were young they had sleepovers and she always felt good about keeping him safe from his