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  Chance gritted his teeth, then forcibly relaxed his jaw. “That is the last time I want to hear you refer to Leo and Eve that way. They’re good people. And I feel privileged to have them in my life.”

  “Good grief, son, you sound as if these two are lifelong friends. You only just met them a few weeks ago.”

  “Let’s just say that for as long as they are living in my home, they are under my protection.”

  “And how long might that be?”

  “For as long as they need a place to stay. I’m in no hurry to see them go. Now, why don’t we change the subject before one of us crosses a line he shouldn’t.”

  His father gave him one of those authoritarian looks, but this time Chance maintained a controlled expression and waited him out.

  Finally his father nodded. “Very well. Tell me about this Adam Barr fellow we’re going to meet. He’s one of the men Judge Madison recruited to travel here with you a year and a half ago, isn’t he?”

  “He is. Adam is a friend. As you undoubtedly already know, he’s not actually your new partner—his adopted son, Jack, is. Adam is just managing the business until Jack comes of age.”

  “I did some research into the men who accompanied you here.”

  Of course he had.

  “Do you know Adam Barr spent time in prison for embezzlement?”

  “I do.” His father looked surprised at that. “I also know he was innocent of the charges.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because he told me.”

  “As simple as that?”

  “Yes. As simple as that. Because I know Adam. He’s an honorable, responsible man who values truth and justice. He would no more steal than he would cut his own throat.”

  “And are you familiar with all of the clauses he put into your loan agreement?”

  “Of course.”

  “So you know that your loan is due, payable in full plus interest, at the end of this year.”

  Chance stiffened as he realized what direction this discussion might be taking. He’d known about the due date of course. When he’d first approached Adam about getting the loan, they’d discussed the project and how long it might take to complete. Adam had suggested they make it a one-year loan but Chance had been certain he could finish up much sooner than that. “Adam and I discussed the availability of an extension on this loan should I need one.”

  “And did you get that in writing?” His father was wearing that I-have-you-now look.

  “There was no need. Adam’s word is enough for me.”

  “But Adam isn’t the only decision maker involved here, is he?”

  He had been when the loan was signed. Eileen Pierce had always been more or less a silent partner. “So, are you saying there will be no extension?”

  His father grasped his lapels. “I’m not in the habit of throwing good money after bad. One should always be a good steward of his money.”

  No matter who got hurt in the process.

  “To extend such a loan, I’d have to first be convinced there was a good chance of seeing a return in a reasonable amount of time.” His father seemed mighty pleased with himself. “Or have something else I want in exchange.”

  There it was. “And what might that be?” But he already knew.

  “For you to come back to Philadelphia, where you belong. Hang it all, Chance, this provincial backwater is not for you. You belong in Philadelphia where you would have access to the finer things in life. And where your family is.”

  “I disagree.” Chance was pleased that his voice was calm and measured. “I think I fit in much better here in Turnabout than I ever did in Philadelphia.”

  “You can’t possibly believe that.”

  “I do. I have my own business here, which I enjoy and am actually good at. And more important, I have the respect of my friends and neighbors because of who I am, not what family I come from or how much money I have access to.”

  His father drew himself up. “These so-called friends, have you shared with them your...your problem?”

  So his father was finally ready to confront him on this issue. “Say it, Father—my shame—the fact that I can’t read. For once just call it what it is.”

  His father gave him an annoyed look. “There’s no need for these melodramatics.” He glanced around. “Thank goodness there’s no one close enough to overhear.”

  Chance swallowed the retort sitting on his tongue and took a breath. “To answer your question, the only person here who knows about my problem is Dotty.”

  “Ah, yes, your friend Dotty. Interesting woman.”

  “Dotty has been a good friend to me this past year and a half. And she understands my inability to read because she had a brother who suffered the same condition.”

  That seemed to take his father aback and he was silent for a few moments.

  Finally, Chance broke the silence. “This matter of the loan—I’d prefer we keep that between you and me for the moment. There’s no need to bring Adam into this.” When his father raised a brow, he added an argument he knew would carry the most weight with him. “It is, after all, a family matter.”

  His father thought a moment, then nodded. “Very well. For now.”

  Chance fired off a question of his own. “Tell me, why are you in Turnabout? I mean, why did you really come here?”

  “You’re my son and I wanted to see you. Isn’t that reason enough?”

  “You wanted to see me, or you wanted to check up on me? It seems you’re more concerned with finding fault with my home and houseguests than with understanding my new life.”

  Predictably, his father had to explain why he was right and Chance was wrong. “I come here and find you’ve surrounded yourself with hangers-on who are living in your place rent free and have turned half of your workspace into their own business—from which you get no recompense. Of course I’m concerned that you’ve allowed yourself to be taken advantage of. What father wouldn’t want to protect his son from such a thing?”

  It was no use. His father would never be able to come to terms with the fact that Chance was happy in Texas.

  Or did that even matter to him?

  * * *

  “So what did you think of Chance’s father?” Dotty asked.

  Eve put away the last of the dishes as she tried to choose just the right word. “He seems a very self-assured man.”

  “It was generous of you to give up your room to him. Though I’m not certain Chance sees it in the same light.”

  “There’s some tension between them, that much is obvious. But that’s more reason to keep them together as much as possible, don’t you think? It will give them a better opportunity to work things out.”

  “I agree. I know Chance thinks he has valid reasons to feel as he does, but the Bible teaches that we should honor our mothers and our fathers. There are no conditions placed on that command. It will bless Chance as much as his father if he can find it in his heart to do that.”

  That brought Eve up short. The teaching applied to her as well, of course. True, her parents had never been a part of her life physically. But that didn’t excuse her from the obligation to show them honor. Truth to tell, in her heart she’d only ever felt hurt and betrayal when she thought of them.

  But how could she feel otherwise? Given the circumstances of her life, surely no one could expect her to—

  Dotty’s words, There are no conditions placed on that command, left her with no room for excuses.

  But Dotty had moved on to another topic. “And I do think Woodrow, down deep, is a good man with his son’s best interests at heart.”

  Eve gave her friend a grin. “Are you perhaps a bit taken with Mr. Dawson?”

  Dotty returned her grin. “Let’s just say I find him an interesting man. I can see where Chance gets some of his charm.”

  She thought Mr. Dawson had charm?

  Then Dotty laughed. “But don’t worry. I’m a mature woman, set in my ways. I’m just enjoying his com
pany, nothing more.”

  The shop bell sounded just then and they both headed to the outer room. To Eve’s surprise, it was Eunice Ortolon, the boardinghouse proprietress. This was her first visit to the candy store.

  “Hello there,” she greeted them. “I’ve heard such good things about these candies that I thought it was high time I come check them out for myself.”

  “Well, we’re very happy you did,” Eve responded. “Do you already know what you’d like or would you like to sample a few things to help you decide?”

  “Sample? Oh my, yes, that would be most helpful.”

  As the woman took a piece from the first tray, she eyed Eve with a cat-at-the-cream-pitcher smile. “I hear Chance’s father is in town for a visit.”

  “Why, yes, he arrived on the morning train.”

  The woman plucked a piece from the second tray. “Does he plan to stay long?”

  “Through Christmas I believe.”

  “How nice. One should spend Christmas with family if one can, don’t you think?”

  This time Dotty answered. “Of course. And is your daughter, Susan, coming to spend the holidays with you?”

  Eunice’s face lit up in pleasure. “Naturally. Susan wouldn’t dream of spending Christmas anywhere else.” For the next several minutes, the woman chatted nonstop about her daughter and all her wonderful attributes. At one point, Dotty actually glanced Eve’s way and winked, forcing Eve to stifle a giggle.

  Then Eunice turned to Dotty. “But speaking of daughters, I suppose you are going to Jefferson to spend Christmas with Judith and her family.”

  Eve blinked. She’d just assumed that Dotty would be part of their Christmas here at The Blue Bottle. She should have realized that her friend would want to spend the holiday with her own family. Did Chance know? How would Leo take it?

  But Dotty was shaking her head. “Not this year, I’m afraid. Her husband’s grandmother is getting on in years and the entire family wants to make this Christmas special for her. All of them are traveling to Kansas City to spend time with her.”

  Eunice touched Dotty’s sleeve in a gesture of sympathy. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Dotty dear. I thought they would have invited you to come along.”

  “They did. But this is their time.” She smiled at Eve. “And I have some good friends to spend the holidays with right here.” Then Dotty changed the subject. “Now, you’ve tasted every variety of candy Eve has. Have you decided which ones you’d like to purchase?”

  “Oh dear, they were all so very good, it’s hard to decide. And I find I’m no longer in the mood for anything quite so sweet at the moment. Perhaps I’ll think on it and return another time.”

  “You’re always welcome,” Eve said.

  Once the woman had left, Dotty grimaced. “You should never have offered her samples. Then she would have had to buy something.”

  “Whatever do you mean?”

  “Eunice only came in here to see what she could find out about Woodrow. She would have made a purchase just to have an excuse to stand here and chat.”

  Eve laughed. “I don’t mind. It’s a slow day today anyway.” Then she sobered. “I’m sorry you won’t get to spend time with your family for Christmas.”

  Dotty gave her hand a squeeze. “This Christmas, you all will be my family. Besides, my birthday is in February and we are already planning a nice get together to celebrate.”

  The talk of family brought Eve’s thoughts back around to Chance and his father. Was the walk through town drawing them any closer together?

  Or driving them further apart?

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “You’re Mr. Dawson’s pa?” Leo had gotten home from school a few minutes earlier and been introduced to the visitor. Chance was keeping a close eye on them, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice if his father went too far.

  “I am,” his father said with considerable satisfaction. Chance recognized it for what it was—the pride of ownership, not pride in the man he had become.

  Leo, who was as direct as any ten-year-old boy, frowned. “How come you two don’t live closer by? Don’t y’all like each other?”

  The man didn’t hesitate. “Because Chance decided to set out on his own and come here.”

  He supposed he couldn’t fault the man for that answer—it was 100 percent true. He also noticed his father completely avoided answering the second part of Leo’s question.

  But apparently Eve wasn’t ready to leave it at that.

  “Keep in mind,” she said, “if Chance hadn’t moved here, you and I would never have met him.”

  “Oh.” Leo took a moment to mull that over, then gave a nod. “Then I guess I’m glad you did.” He grinned. “Did you know he has a motor carriage?”

  “Does he now?”

  “Yes, sir. And I’m sure he’d give you a ride if you wanted one.”

  Now, there was a picture to expand the imagination—his father riding in a motor car.

  But Leo was already off on another subject. “Do you like our decorations? We made them ourselves.”

  His father eyed them critically. “They are certainly unique.”

  Leo scrunched his nose. “What does unique mean?”

  While Chance’s father and Leo carried on their conversation, Eve caught his eye and gestured toward the kitchen. “Would you help me with something?” she asked.

  He straightened. “Of course.”

  Once they were inside the kitchen, he looked around. “What do you need help with?”

  She smiled and pointed to a platter on the top shelf of the cupboard. “Would you hand that down to me please?”

  He gave her a puzzled look. Her short stature, of course, made it difficult for her to reach high objects, but it seemed like a strange request all the same. He turned and did as she asked while he tried to hear what was going on in the other room. “Anything else?”

  “Yes. Sit here and talk to me while I peel some carrots.”

  This time she had his complete attention. “What?”

  “You heard me. Sit and talk to me.”

  “All right—what’s this really about?”

  She grinned. “I guess I can’t fool you. I just think your father needs a little dose of Leo without you hovering around ready to pounce the minute he says something wrong.”

  Is that what he’d been doing? “You don’t understand. My father—”

  “Your father is a forceful individual. But I think Leo can hold his own. Besides, Dotty is there. She’ll watch out for Leo. And she’s armed with her knitting needles.”

  He smiled at her joke, marveling that it wasn’t so long ago when she wouldn’t have dared say such a thing. He slowly took a seat at the table, studying her face. Was it possible she was on his father’s side?

  Eve took the chair next to his. “Chance, it’s obvious there is something causing tension between you and your father. Perhaps his visit here is an opportunity for the two of you to work things out and reach a more tolerant understanding of each other.”

  “Tolerant understanding. Do you know why he came here? To force me to return to Philadelphia with him—something I’m prepared to fight with all I’m worth.”

  She placed a hand on his. “If he’s come all this way in order to convince you to return, it must mean he cares for you a great deal.”

  She gave him a smile that she probably thought was encouraging. “Besides, he can’t really make you go back if you don’t want to go.”

  “You’d be surprised. He can make it very uncomfortable for me to stay.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Should he tell her? Suddenly he wanted very much to share his concerns with her. He placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Through a bit of scheming and manipulation, he now holds an interest in the note to this place. If I don’t pay up by the first of the year, he can take The Blue Bottle from me.”

  He heard her sharp intake of breath as he watched her eyes widen in dismay. “Oh, Chance, I’m so sorry.
I know how much this place means to you.”

  There was such genuine caring, such tenderness, reflected in her eyes—it was a balm to his very soul. He was almost afraid to move for fear it would dissolve away, but he gently took her hand, sandwiching her delicate appendage between his two larger, work-roughened ones. The memory of that kiss, a memory he’d been working very hard to repress, came flooding inexorably back. He ached to taste her lips again, to pull her so close he could feel the beat of her heart keeping time with his, to thread his fingers through her hair and finally see what it looked like when it was free of those confining pins.

  But he couldn’t do any of those things. Not here with three people on the other side of that door.

  And not until he’d been completely honest with her. He had to tell her everything, reveal his secret shame. Only then could he begin to trust this sweet something he felt growing between them.

  But at times like this it was so difficult to remember....

  She blinked and at last the spell was broken. In truth it had probably lasted only a few seconds. But it had felt so much longer.

  Eve leaned back with a smile, but he thought he saw the slightest trembling in her lips. Was that regret in her eyes? Or relief?

  “We must have faith that it will all work out as it should,” she said bracingly, and it took him a moment to remember she was talking about his father holding his note. “I think in the end your father cares too much about you to do such a thing. And if I’m wrong, well, that still doesn’t mean you have to go back to Philadelphia. You started over once, didn’t you? Surely you can do it again if you must.”

  The last time he’d had a safety net of sorts—this time there would be none. Could he do it? Perhaps, with the right person by his side.

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said as he stood. “If I can get my project working, perhaps I can pay off the loan and the whole question will be moot.” He moved toward the door. “Now, delightful as this little interlude has been, I really do think I should get back out there and see how things are going.”

  * * *

  Eve watched him leave the kitchen and slowly began peeling the carrots. Had he also felt that connection when they touched? It had been like that day in the woods when they’d kissed and for the barest moment in time she thought perhaps it would happen again, had thought he wanted it, too. But she’d felt the exact moment when he’d pulled back, had sensed his withdrawal as truly as if he’d removed a physical touch.