Small-Town Hearts Read Online Free PDF Page A

Brad and Denise, but Brad’s mother kept her fingers on the town pulse, and Meg’s ad in the weekly paper was hitting the stands today. She could only pray for a quick lease before Jacqui realized she’d been played, because that possible scenario wouldn’t bode well for anyone.
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    Danny scanned the day-old classified list, frowned and headed back to his rental car. He climbed in, started the engine, studied the map and his directions from Google, missing the GPS on his Beemer but not willing to have his car mark him as a man with money.
    Making a K-turn, he headed south and west to view this last apartment. With any luck, he might be able to move in tomorrow. Get established. That would be perfect.
    His phone jangled the opening notes to “My Boy Lollipop,” his sister’s signature ringtone, an inside joke among the Romesser clan. They’d agreed to use candy songs to identify themselves, including Grandma Mary, making the quirk totally childish but fun. Danny hit the speakerphone button, in no mood for a traffic ticket for not being hands free. “Hey, sis. What’s up?”
    â€œCan we change places?”
    He bit back the phrase in a heartbeat, wanting to helpher. But he couldn’t, and that cut into his protective instincts. “What’s going on?”
    â€œTrouble in Philly at the University City location.”
    Ouch. That particular Philly store had been problematic lately; a string of small thefts and possible gang influence had targeted their location adjacent to the University of Pennsylvania campus. “Do we need additional security?”
    â€œDone. I amped up the internal monitoring and didn’t tell the staff, but I feel like a spy, watching them like this.”
    â€œAll it takes is one bad apple, Mary Clare. One dishonest person can totally ruin your bottom line and set a store up for failure. You know that.”
    â€œYou’re right, of course, it’s just a weird feeling. The security agency will be doing the hands-on video scan so I feel slightly less intrusive.”
    Danny understood the dilemma. Security was an unfortunate necessity, more so in certain locales, and Mary Clare hadn’t overseen those venues as yet. Time and circumstance had gotten in the way. He broached that subject cautiously. “Are you doing okay, Mare?”
    â€œMostly.”
    Danny cringed, wanting to help, knowing there was nothing he could do.
    â€œI’m keeping busy. Working here actually helps, it keeps me away from places that Christian and I used to go to. A few degrees of separation isn’t a bad thing right now.”
    â€œAnd you know you can call me anytime, right?” Danny was stating the obvious since she’d just called, but her vulnerability called to the guardian in him. Plus Philly had been dealing with an upswing in violent crimes lately, not exactly the setting he’d normally choose for his younger sister. “About anything.”
    â€œI know.” She breathed a tiny sigh and hesitated for long ticks of the clock before adding, “This is good for me.”
    Danny heard the silent exception. “But?”
    â€œIt’s hard.”
    â€œI know.” They’d buried her fiancé less than a year before, an army officer killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan. “I miss him, too.”
    â€œHe’d get a kick out of you being tucked in the foothills of Appalachia. You know that, don’t you?”
    â€œYes, I do. But no more so than my friends who make it a point to text me about their weekend plans in the big city.”
    â€œHarsh.”
    Danny laughed. “It’s pretty here, though.” The word pretty conjured up mental images of Megan Russo. Danny shut them out. “And if you’re doing okay, and it sounds like you are, I’ve got to hang up because I’m about to look at an apartment that sounds ideal.”
    â€œWonderful. Thanks for being my