“Sounds like a plan, thanks.”
“You’re welcome. But you need one more plan. Finding a new place to stay. It’s high season and I may need your room.”
So he’d worn out his not-so-welcome welcome. “I’ll ask around some today.”
“It won’t be anywhere in town. My dad sent an e-mail this morning saying no one is to rent you a place. I turned the Internet back on in your room so you can search for someplace nearby.”
That son of a bitch. “Thanks. I’ll get on it.”
He made to leave but Casey called out, “Meg told me you’re meeting Haley today. Tread carefully there, Granger.”
He’d lain awake all night thinking about meeting his daughter. With few memories of his mother and never knowing his father, he had no idea how to be a parent. But he’d vowed his child would know who he was and that he’d do everything in his power to always be there for her.
As much as Casey could be a pain in his ass, he respected her fierce loyalty to Megan. “I’m not sure what to say to Haley today. Got a plan for that?”
Casey blinked as if taken aback that he’d ask her. He wasn’t sure she was going to answer, but finally she said, “Well, I guess just don’t try to push it. Let it happen naturally. Meg’s done a really good job with Haley. She doesn’t need you messing things up.”
The not-messing-up part was what weighed on him. “Got it. Thanks. See you later.”
Josh headed out the door and toward the town square. He passed by a house with a large workshop on the side. The whine of a power tool piqued his curiosity, so he headed for the big set of open doors. Zeke leaned inside an old tractor’s engine. Josh didn’t want to scare him and make him hit his head, so maybe he’d poke around the shop until Zeke came up for air.
The guy had some badass tools.
Josh was admiring an air compressor as tall as he was when Zeke called out, “Help ya with something?”
“Just checking out your incredible shop.” He moved beside Zeke and stuck his head inside the tractor’s engine compartment. Nothing like the simple engines back in the day. A guy could work on one without hooking up to a computer. “What’s the trouble?”
Zeke leaned back and slowly wiped his hands on a rag. “Won’t start. Slick guy like you know about engines?”
“Worked at a garage all through high school and college.”
“That so?” He pointed to a pile of dirty parts on a nearby workbench. “Know anything about rebuilding carburetors?”
“Sure. Need a hand?”
Zeke squinted as he tucked his rag into his back pocket, as if debating. “Not with that. But I could use a young guy like you to help pull a transmission tomorrow. If you’ve got the time.”
Josh missed getting his hands dirty. Anything was better than interrogating lying, scumbag criminals day in and day out. He wasn’t missing his old job in the least. “Sure. Eight work?”
“Yep. Going to the doings?”
“Yeah, I thought I’d stop by.”
“Let’s go.”
They started down the drive and then headed toward the town square. Zeke set a brisk pace, surprising Josh. The guy had to be in his seventies.
Josh said, “I met a kid who said you told everyone not to talk to me. Why the change of heart, Zeke?”
“Meggy’s mad at you, but she once saw something to like. Curious what that is. And this way I can keep an eye on you.”
Casey and now Zeke—Meg’s Rottweilers. “Fair enough. So, how are you related to Meg, Zeke?”
“I’m not.” The slight hesitation in Zeke’s gait and the way his eyes shifted contradicted his answer. “My last name’s Grant, not Anderson.”
Interesting. Zeke had just told him a big fat lie.
The day was warm and the sun bright, making the ice cream booth a popular place. Ben had dropped Haley off just after noon and, being the typical fun uncle, hadn’t thought to ask if she wanted some lunch. So a half hour into Meg’s hour-long shift, Haley declared she was starving.
Meg made her a cone.
Skipping church and now feeding her kid an ice cream cone for lunch? Just hand over the bad-mommy blue ribbon now. “Why don’t you go sit over in the shade and eat this? I’ll just be a little bit longer, then we can go do some of the games.”
“’Kay.” Haley’s mischievous grin told Meg she knew she was getting away with something big.
Reaching for the scoop, Meg looked up and her already shaky gut lurched. The Three Amigos were next in line with determined looks on their wrinkly faces. “Hi, ladies. Chocolate or vanilla?”