Tidings of Joy. Margaret Daley

you find one. I can ask around.” There was something about Chance that drew her to him. She wanted to help him, especially in light of him offering to assist her with her budget.

      He frowned, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. “You don’t—”

      “Mom, I’m going out on the deck to do my homework. Now that the sun’s going down behind the trees, it’s cooler outside.” With a book and pad in her lap, Crystal wheeled herself toward the back door.

      Chance hurried to open it before her daughter could. “What subject are you working on?”

      “English. I have an essay to write. I do my best thinking outside.”

      “So do I.”

      When Crystal was out on the deck, Chance turned toward Tanya. “I’d better go. It’s been a long day, and tomorrow I have that job interview, then I need to buy some supplies.”

      “Pretty much whatever you need can be found on Main Street or right off it. There’s a grocery store four blocks from here on Third Avenue.”

      “Is that right after Second?”

      “Yep.”

      “Then I think I can find it on my walk,” he said with a smile.

      “You don’t have a car?”

      “No, I came on the bus.”

      “I’m going to Alice’s Café tomorrow at ten. What time is your interview?”

      “Nine.”

      “I can give you a lift, if you’d like. I have a few errands I need to run before I meet my friends.”

      “Thanks, but I can walk. I like the exercise.”

      His half grin appeared, and for a few seconds Tanya’s heart responded by quickening its beat. Her physical reaction took her by surprise. After her ordeal with Tom, men hadn’t interested her—until now.

      Chance left and stopped next to Crystal to say a few words to her, then proceeded toward the detached garage at the side of the house. Tanya came out onto the deck and watched him. While he’d talked with her daughter, Tanya had glimpsed a vulnerability leaking into his expression. He had managed to cover it quickly, but she had seen it.

      “What do you think of our new tenant?” Tanya asked when she noticed her daughter watching her staring at Chance.

      “What do you think?”

      “He seems nice. Kinda lonely.”

      “Yeah.”

      “What did he say to you?”

      Crystal tilted her head, screwing up her face into a quizzical expression. “He offered to tutor me in math if I needed it.”

      Tanya laughed. “Did you tell him you had a ninety-eight in Algebra I and that you’re taking Algebra II?”

      She nodded. “I wonder why he offered.”

      “Did you ask him?”

      “He left before I could. Maybe I will tomorrow.”

      “Speaking of tomorrow, I’d better get a load of laundry done tonight or neither of us will have anything to wear.”

      When Tanya entered the kitchen, her gaze fell on the table where Chance had sat for dinner. He was a puzzle. And one of her favorite things to do was put together jigsaw puzzles, the more pieces the better. She had a feeling there were a lot of pieces to Chance Taylor.

      “Have a seat.” Nick Blackburn indicated a brown leather chair in front of his large desk.

      Chance quickly scanned the spacious office as he sat. The rich walnut tones of the furniture with a navy-and-brown color scheme lent a refined elegance to the room. He’d been in many offices that conveyed power and wealth. This one ranked near the top.

      Mr. Blackburn perused the application Chance had filled out, and he knew the second the man read about his time spent in the state penitentiary. To give Mr. Blackburn credit, he finished the application before he glanced up at Chance and asked, “What did you do time for?”

      “Murder.”

      The man’s eyes widened slightly before he put the paper down, a bland expression veiling his curiosity. “You only served two years?”

      “My conviction was overturned when the real murderer was apprehended last month.”

      “So you served two years for a crime you didn’t commit.”

      Even though it really wasn’t a question, Chance said, “Yes.”

      “That’s where you met Samuel?”

      “Yes, sir. He took an interest in me and we became friends.”

      “You know you’re overqualified for this job. You have an MBA from Harvard. You’ve worked for several top money-managing companies in the country and were on the fast track.”

      “Were is the operative word here. That was in my past. Besides—” Chance grinned “—Blackburn Industries is well respected and a multimillion dollar business. I consider this job an opportunity to do something different.”

      “Because you don’t see people letting you manage their money after spending time in prison?”

      Chance leaned forward. “To be frank, I don’t want to be reminded of the life I once had. I need to start over in something totally different. What are the duties of the job?”

      After Mr. Blackburn listed them for Chance, the man said, “Do you think you can handle those?”

      In his sleep, Chance thought and nodded.

      “There will be some traveling to my Chicago office. The dress is casual here but not in Chicago.”

      “I understand.”

      Nick Blackburn pushed back his chair and stood. Offering Chance his hand, he said, “Then you’ve got yourself a job. I’ve never known Samuel to be wrong about a person, and he thinks you can do this job.”

      “When do I start, Mr. Blackburn?”

      “It’s Nick, and you can start Wednesday morning when I get back from Chicago. Be here at nine and I’ll show you around and introduce you to the staff here in Sweetwater.”

      A few minutes later as Chance left the building, he couldn’t resist turning his face to the sun, relishing its warmth as it bathed him. He would never tire of doing that.

      He had a job. That was one worry taken care of. Now all he had to figure out was how to be there for Tanya and Crystal without them knowing why. After spending time with them the night before, he wasn’t sure he wanted them ever to know his involvement in Tom’s death.

      “Okay, you have to tell us about the guy renting your apartment.” Jesse scooted over in the booth at Alice’s Café to allow Tanya to slide in beside her. “We’ve all been waiting with bated breath.”

      “Jesse Blackburn, don’t you get any ideas. No matchmaking! He’s only my tenant. Just passing through.” Taking a sip of her coffee, Tanya looked around the group and added, “How did you know I have a man renting my garage apartment?”

      Beth Morgan grinned. “Samuel told me. Do you think there are any secrets among us after all these years?”

      “What else did your husband say?” Tanya thought about all she wanted to know concerning her tenant, especially what or who was responsible for the pain behind his half smile that never quite reached his eyes. She hadn’t slept much the night before, her mind insisting on playing through all kinds of scenarios.

      “Not much. Samuel just told me you rented your apartment to Chance Taylor, a friend from his past. You know my husband. He doesn’t say much about a person he knows. He always likes people to make up their own mind.