The Christmas Kite. Gail Gaymer Martin

Читать онлайн.
Название The Christmas Kite
Автор произведения Gail Gaymer Martin
Жанр Религия: прочее
Серия Mills & Boon Steeple Hill
Издательство Религия: прочее
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781472089489



Скачать книгу

question for ya. And by the way, I checked out the zoning board. Looks like the church is a few feet clear of the property restriction limit, so that doesn’t help us one bit.”

      “I’m sorry to hear that.” He’d hoped the board might solve the problem without further action. Now he’d have to give the issue more thought. “Come in,” he said, holding open the screen.

      Otis stepped inside but stayed by the door. “This won’t take a minute.”

      “Sure you don’t want to sit?”

      “No, the wife’s probably wondering where I am. She’s expectin’ me home. I had a question from this woman and son who came by the shop a couple times. First time lookin’ for those cheap kites. I sent her to the gift shop. Anyway, she passed by again and came in. Her boy is a charmer and loves kites.”

      Curious, Jordan’s stomach tightened.

      “She’s lookin’ for a rental. Happened to mention it, and I thought about the apartment above the shop. You have any interest in renting out the place? She’s alone with the boy and could probably use a cheap rental.”

      Jordan stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to decide how to ask the question. “Do you know her name?”

      “Nope. The boy’s name is Mac. He introduced himself to me like a little man. Down syndrome boy, but bright as a new penny.”

      Jordan’s tensed shoulders rose and relaxed as he released a blast of pent-up air. “Can you guess what boy I was helping with the kite a few minutes ago?”

      Otis snapped to attention. “Mac?”

      Jordan nodded.

      “You don’t say.”

      “They’re renting a cabin down the beach. Those rustic ones.”

      “She said they were down the road. Never thought you’d know her. Funny thing, I mentioned your name. She didn’t act like she knew you at all.”

      He shook his head. “We introduced ourselves today.” Curious. She hadn’t shown she recognized his name. He gave a mental shrug. “I met them one day when the boy saw me kite-flying. Then Dooley knocked the woman over on the beach yesterday and we chatted a minute.”

      “You sure know how to win friends and influence people, don’t you.”

      Otis’s words held more truth than he knew. “I don’t seem to have the knack, Otis.”

      He gave a soft chuckle. “So what about the apartment? I haven’t seen it in a long time. Not sure what shape it’s in. I told her to drop by, and I’d let her know.”

      “How about checking it out. I don’t want to rent a firetrap to anyone.”

      “Sure thing. Might even have the missus look it over. You know, from a woman’s point of view.”

      “Do you have a key for the place?”

      “I think so. It should be on the ring.” Otis pulled a set of keys from his pocket and eyed them. “Check this one out if you would. I think that’s it.”

      Jordan took the key and burrowed through a drawer until he found a set of tagged keys. He matched it against the other. “That’s it, Otis.”

      “Good. By the way, I mentioned earlier that I posted the Help Wanted in the window. Nothin’ yet. Darla can work only another week or so. I’ll need at least a part-timer.”

      “Whatever you need, Otis. Run an ad in the paper if you want to.”

      Otis stepped backward, his hand against the screen-door handle. “I’ll check the apartment in the morning.”

      Jordan gave him a nod, and Otis headed back to his car.

      Standing with a full view of the lake, Jordan gazed out at the glinting sun hanging low in the sky. Sparkles of gold and copper bounced on the waves. If he thought Lila’s God really cared one iota for him, he’d believe the Lord was working in his life. Meara and Mac had walked into his walled-up world, and for the first time in years, life seemed tolerable. More than tolerable. He found himself looking down the beach, wishing he’d see Mac’s smiling face and hear Meara’s soft, lilting voice.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4RQhRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAAEsAAAAAQAAASwAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDEzOjEy OjE5IDE5OjQ2OjE5AAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAQABAACgAgAEAAAAAQAABXigAwAEAAAAAQAAB0sAAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAAS8wAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAf/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAYAMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAb/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AN52K3a2dCQCCRPZAdhmT3jXwC221NNbZ19ojw4UHUMAkGD49vmtETcyz9Hn 7sRxEFnOu5UbcZrSWvLWlsFwJAgHVu/93cunDQ0g2NkAg/EfulZ9OHmVUOpYd7gbnNua5gD32usu ZbkVWua5tn6RleQ19drNlf6JSCZCDwy1u3FOJB4+SmzF8tefvmD/ANFy2K8Hc4NcQCAA4jgkD37f o/nfQUz0u/1Krmlp1LLqYaHCp+rf0/quZb9jsrrsZtZ+k9TK/wBInHLW5Wxhezktw54Hmp1Yoe1r 2EPY4Atc3UEHhzXD6TVvUYIZY15/NMiP9qfp/TX14WLXc3bdXRVXYJDgHsY2t8OZua/3NUcsw7s0 MUugcK/HFNTzDXWtZvFRIDi2fTD9v0vT3+3es+5mQ9m/6DD2ZoJ8J+luXS9XwrhexzGB1LsY1fTY 0+oLhkfQe9jtmz89Bx+k2XYpI990+9hO1tjY+iz81r6v8FYqHNc1P3Bjgem0T6r/APRWxjw6cUh1 eXwcez13T9Etgg+I9zVaONzota3pxpvY+v8Amne2SIIMhrmWN/NsalZhFs6Kfks3FjIJ1B/6ScsK P0f/0O3NtVVDrrXBlVVZsteeGsY3e98fyGNQBbbdXXaMd7W27Tsc5vqta76Nl1H5nt99lbLrbqv9 Gn2MtpdTa0WVWsNdrDw5j27LGGP3mOQj04WY9WPfdZfVS+qxvqBhsJoc22j1siP0nurZ6j/Sruu/ PsV3YudYI1Ssr3OgCSdI8VHGFV7rgxrgaXBvuEbmuG+u+v8A4C33+k//AIKxHcC9jmh5Y5wIFjdS 2e7f5SerCxa8pmVjgUFtRofVW0Bj2bhZV6n8vHdu9B3/AAtyRmUQxxO7Vymtx3VF7Yqsd6br5AbW 52lPqtj+bus/Q+ru/R2bPURKA5zZLdrT9AnUub+bZtgenv8A3FYzcVmXiX4j3FjMit1T3NAJDXfS 2h3tUyC5xceXGT8UuOxqngANjRreq1ubTiFh3ZDHPqs02lzP+0//ABrqmWXs/wCDptRcLIZlC5zG lrabXUgmPftbXYLmbf8ABWsua6r+Qo5HTqspj23PcNzqnVuZDX1mkuc11Nnu/nPUsZb/AMFbZWjV Y7KbcixjvbkPbZ6UANYWV140VbfzHVUVJkqbECRRtHnvx2/Z2XVteMiw1Bz3isMLa7Mnc6za/wBu 2l/9tPTjt9NpBIDmiBIdAPu9tjNrbG/ylO/H9Z9D95rdj2G1vtDgS6uzH2vDvzdlz0zb21zW8WvL SQbBUdvkxvohzG7G+1rVGcUCRLh9Q69V4yy2vTs0OqljXWhjC2yqul7rA7Rwussx663Y+39M5tlP 5j/X/wC4/wCk/RJzjNeCwkepXo9oO6CDsPu/rNVm7Coy7X3OFwc5lTGEM9N1b6XW3U5NN1v0Ld2T Zv3N9Oyv9FZX/OeoQY7atg3Bz3OILgA3e5xNlvtH+d+4nR