A Daughter's Redemption. Georgiana Daniels

She locked into his gaze, causing his heart to react in ways it had no right to. “Maybe we should stick with brown. What do you think?”

      “I was going to keep it the same color Dan chose, but it’s up to you.” He snuck a glance around the area for workers or customers who might know who Robyn was. So far, everyone but Old Joe seemed content to ignore him. “Why don’t you choose, and I’ll finish up in here.”

      “We’ll stick with dark brown then.” She stashed the fan of paint chips on the display. “I probably shouldn’t worry over the details so much. It’s just that I really want to get this right. It’s not all about selling and the money. As much as I hate to admit it, this is my last chance to do something for him.”

      Mine, too. Caleb steeled his emotions, blocking out every runaway memory that threatened to surface. He held out his keys. “Go ahead and wait in the truck. I’ll pay.”

      “I thought that was my responsibility.” She narrowed her eyes, as though not quite believing his motives were pure.

      “I told you that it’s all been handled.” He jingled the keys in front of her, briefly wondering if he was doing the wise thing by using his own savings. He wanted to do right by Dan, who’d obviously fallen on hard times before his death, but it wasn’t like his bank account was anything to brag on. “I’ll be right out.”

      Robyn stuffed her hands into her pockets, the corners of her mouth tilting in what would be a teasing gesture under any other circumstances. “Are you giving me the brush-off? I have to warn you—” she leaned in close “—I’m not that easy to get rid of.”

      His heart skidded. The fact that she wasn’t going to be easy to get rid of—and that her shimmering eyes and easygoing confidence were already wearing down his protective wall—was precisely the problem.

      Chapter Three

      Robyn spent the better part of the next morning trying not to notice Caleb, who was clad in a fitted white T-shirt and baggy jeans. As he fixed the leak under the kitchen sink, he finally appeared to relax and carry his end of the conversation, though he still seemed reluctant to venture beyond talk about plumbing and floorboards. She wondered if Brad and Abby had gotten to him with negative comments about her before she arrived.

      Since she hadn’t found Ginger Hanson the day before, she headed into town while Caleb sawed wood for the porch. She made a mental note to swing by the grocery store since she’d had to skimp by on stale crackers and tuna she’d found in a cupboard. At least Brad and Abby had left something.

      Seeing Ginger for the first time brought back a rush of memories, as did the windy stroll through the town square where the women stopped at a coffee cart.

      Iced mochas in hand, Ginger launched into the conversation as though not even a year had passed, much less a decade. “The news about your dad was a shock. I didn’t find out until I got back from vacation. I was hoping to see you, but I figured you’d be gone by the time I got back.” She gently laid her hand on Robyn’s arm.

      “It looks like I’ll be stuck here for a while.” As they walked, Robyn sipped her mocha and soaked in the sights of the lazy, secluded town. The Tasty Pastry, the ice cream parlor and the pizza joint hadn’t changed a bit. Across the road sat a new bookstore and a youth center to complete the town square. Several people milled about the courthouse lawn, despite the storm looming overhead. She’d forgotten how quickly the weather changed during monsoon season.

      “Stuck? How so?” Ginger’s jet-black hair fluttered in the wind.

      “Believe it or not, Dad left the cabins to me, and they’re in pretty bad shape. I was surprised to be named in the will. I figured everything would go to Brad and Abby since I haven’t seen or heard from any of them in over a decade. Actually, I think they were more surprised than I was.” Robyn hadn’t a clue why her father had picked her over the children he’d raised at Lakeside with his wife. As a real family. She refused to dwell on the past or the fact she’d faced some of the hardest years of her life without a father and with the constant reminder she was the product of an illegitimate relationship.

      Ginger’s gaze penetrated Robyn’s thoughts. “He was your father, too. Of course he’d leave you something.”

      “Still surprising. Anyway, I was sad to see how they’d been let go. I remember Lakeside being alive with guests, but now it’s like a ghost town.” Robyn veered down a path that bisected the courthouse lawn. “When I saw Abby and Brad at the service, they treated me like an outcast. I thought maybe we’d all grown up enough to be civil. But I was wrong. Really wrong.” She missed the secrets and fun they’d shared growing up. While she hadn’t expected to pick up where they left off, she also hadn’t anticipated the cold indifference. How would she even begin to restore their relationship? It was a long shot, but she had to try. She didn’t want to go through her entire life without her family.

      Ginger sat on an empty bench at the edge of the town square. “They never did change. I mean, they have to be pushing thirty years old.”

      “I think Brad just turned twenty-six.”

      “Still, they act like kids. Spoiled—both of them. No loss for Pine Hollow when they moved to Phoenix. Your dad was always the nicest man, but those two took after their mom. They seemed to get even worse after Marilyn died.”

      Dad had married Marilyn Bell, the hometown sweetheart, who’d hounded Robyn for the smallest mistakes. Treating her like an outsider in her father’s home, even though she was there before Marilyn. Robyn squirmed. “I thought they were the perfect family, that they didn’t need me or even have room for me in their lives.”

      “His wife may not have come to terms with him having a daughter from a previous relationship, but that’s not your fault. I’m sure Dan never felt like there was no room for you in the family.”

      Robyn settled herself on the bench and tried to block out the memories that said otherwise. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. Once my mother told me that I wasn’t welcome to come back, I did my best to forget all about Pine Hollow.” She spoke past the knot forming in her throat, remembering the Lord’s promise to be a father to the fatherless. “That should never have included you. After I left, Mom and I spent years drifting from one beach to the next, and I never really felt settled.”

      “As much as I like the beach, I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like not to have a place to call home.” Ginger’s mouth slid into an easy grin. “But as for our friendship, thank the Lord for new beginnings.”

      “I’m glad I found you.” She was thankful for another chance with her childhood friend.

      Ginger held up her phone. “Once I have your number, you won’t be able to get rid of me. Now, am I right in guessing you’d like me to sell the property? It’s going to take a while for the estate to settle. I can look at it anytime, but we won’t be able to list it yet. You’ll have to get an appraisal and whatnot first, but it’ll give us more time together—at least once I get back from a conference I have to attend in Phoenix next week.”

      “I took an indefinite leave from my job, so I’m staying until it’s sold.” Even though a few nights spent in her father’s home had left her more disquieted than ever, especially since she hadn’t found any clues about her dad’s feelings for her.

      “Have you already found a contractor? I know a few people.”

      “The lawyer hired someone, but I don’t think he’s a contractor. More like a handyman.” Robyn’s pulse jumped as she remembered the scent of Caleb’s cologne and the way he held the doors open for her every time they entered one of the cabins. He was a refreshing change from her surfer buddies who’d never heard the word chivalry. She chucked her cup into the trash can next to the bench.

      “Hopefully it takes months to fix up the cabins.” Ginger grinned. “I want to keep you here as long as possible.”

      “That’d be nice, but sooner or later I’ll