Home to Stay (The Long Road Home #2) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,29

she said.

John was at the top of the ladder, repairing some of Gramps’ guttering that had pulled loose from the edge of the roof. With only a few small trees in the vicinity of the house, at least he didn’t have to clean out the gutters first. An image of Lucy’s cottage in the woods with tall trees all around caused him to wonder about the condition of her gutters. He remembered she’d said her mother didn’t want her to climb onto the roof, but she didn’t mention whether or not she’d been on a ladder.

He hated the way he left things with her, and the desire to call or at least send a text just to know that she was okay was strong. Maybe to tell her he was sorry. Maybe to tell her they could start over.

He’d taken his grandfather’s words to heart the other evening but couldn’t brush away the feeling that he had nothing to offer her at the moment. Well, I can always offer to help her with her gutters, but I doubt that would go over very well.

He was lost in thought, but years in special forces had honed his senses to a fine point and he heard a vehicle slow down before it turned onto Gramps’ drive. Twisting around, he watched as a large, black SUV drove to the house, parking next to Gramps’ old truck. Horace climbed down from the passenger side, throwing his hand up in a wave toward Gramps, who had stepped out onto the front porch.

The driver of the vehicle alighted, and John had no doubt he was looking at Horace’s boss, the owner of Lighthouse Security Investigations. The man was tall and broad, with black hair and a shadowed jaw. His eyes were covered by aviator glasses, and he walked with an air of confidence and accomplishment. Horace was in the process of introducing Gramps but he was aware the man’s gaze shot up the ladder toward him.

Climbing down, nervousness bolted through him, an emotion he wasn’t used to. But considering he’d felt the same thing before going into the school last week, he wondered if being outside his comfort zone was something he would have to get used to. Not liking that thought, he shoved it to the side as he reached the bottom of the ladder. Pulling off his leather work gloves, he dropped them, along with a hammer, to the ground and stepped forward.

Gramps was grinning ear to ear, a sight he’d rarely seen. “John, you remember my friend, Horace.”

Reaching out his hand, he shook the older man’s firm grip. “Good to see you again.”

Horace nodded, smiling. “Good to see you, too. As I promised, I talked to my boss. I’d like you to meet Mason Hanover. Mace, this is John Roster.”

The two men shook hands, outwardly friendly but both sizing each other up and knowing that was exactly what they were doing.

“John,” Mace began. “Horace suggested spending some time with your grandfather, so I thought I’d come along and we could have a chance to meet and talk informally.”

“I’d like that, sir.”

“It’s just Mace, not sir.”

Gramps piped up. “Why don’t you go sit inside the house? There’s beer or iced tea, and Horace is going to take me into town to pick up a couple of things. We’ll take my truck so if Mace needs to leave, he can do so, and I can drop Horace off at his place.”

John left the decision up to Mace but wasn’t surprised at the other man’s easy acquiescence. Soon, the two older men left, and he and Mace were in the living room, beers in front of them.

“Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, John?”

Mace’s demeanor was casual, but John knew the man was sharp and intuitive, anything but casual. This was the initial stage of a job interview, and he was certain Mace would pick up on every nuance. All I can be is me. Either he thinks I’ve got possibilities or I don’t, but his opinion has to be based on the real me. The tension he’d carried in his shoulders eased with that thought, and he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as he held Mace’s gaze.

“My pre-military background was varied. My father was in the Army, and my early years were spent moving around a lot. My parents got a divorce when I was about ten, and my dad had custody. When he was deployed, I would come here