Second Chance Courtship

“Speaking of gossip—” She paused, preparing to ask if her mom was aware that Trey Kenton had returned to town. Then she thought better of it. Should her mother confess, it would only lead to an argument. “Never mind.”

If God had the time and inclination to take mercy on her, she’d be out of town in a couple of weeks and never have to see Trey again.

Trey kept his voice low as he spoke into his cell phone.

“Sure wish you’d stop talking about my love life in front of the girls, Reyna.”

His sister-in-law’s whoop echoed in his ear. “And what love life would that be?”

He pictured the wide smile of his brother’s pretty, plump wife. White teeth flashing in contrast to her creamy Hispanic skin tone, her dark eyes dancing. Not only lovely, but her husband’s number one fan, a great mom and a woman of deep faith. How’d his little brother rate such a catch? Must have extra pull in the heavenly realms.

“Very funny, Rey. But I’m serious.”

“Ooh, serious, huh?” She giggled. “As in you’re going to do what if I don’t stop?”

“If you want me to stay here like you keep saying you do, knock it off. Mary’s too young to be fixating on kissing and romance and marriage and stuff.”

“Kissing and stuff?” Reyna giggled again. “Were you dealing with birds and bees issues this week, Uncle Trey?”

Fighting a smile, he walked sock-footed across the cabin’s hardwood floor to the living room, then pulled back one of the insulated drapes. Still snowing. “Put Jason on, will you?”

His sis-in-law laughed again, then he could tell she’d covered the mouthpiece to bring his younger sibling up to speed. They were in Tucson for a pastoral retreat, enjoying cactus and warm sunshine. Lucky dogs.

“Yo, bro.” The voice of Jason Kenton, pastor of Canyon Springs Christian Church, greeted him. “Reyna giving you a hard time?”

Trey’s smile broadened as he continued to stare at the wind-shaken ponderosa pines. “Is there ever a time she doesn’t?”

“So, what’s up?”

“Just checking in. You still planning to get home tonight?”

“Last session’s over around noon. Hope to be home before dark.” Jason paused. “But we’re willing to stay another night if you’ll cover the worship service tomorrow morning. And devotions at the care facility in the afternoon.”

“Dream on, preacher man.” His brother had been on his case for months to take a more active role in the family “business.”

“Unless, of course, you think your congregation can ferret out a deeper meaning in a ridin’ and ropin’ demonstration.”

Jason chuckled, and Trey envisioned him scrubbing a hand alongside his neatly clipped beard, facial hair he’d grown in recent months in hopes of looking more mature.

“So, the girls behaving themselves this morning?”

“Still in bed.” Trey raked a hand through his sleep-matted hair. “Hey, while I have you on the line—I was wondering if you remember the name of a guy who was in your graduating class. The one with the big ears and funny laugh. Couldn’t even wait to get off school property before he’d pull out a cigarette and light up. Was always wanting to borrow my lighter.”

“Pete. Pete Burlene.” Jason paused for a moment. “Why? You think he’s the one?”

“Grasping at straws is more like it.”

“You know, Trey—” His younger brother let out a huff of air, then continued in his best pastoral tone that for some reason always irritated Trey. Even after four years in ministry in Canyon Springs, it remained a stretch for Jason to sound older and wiser than his twenty-eight years. “You have to ask yourself, bro, is it worth it? Worth getting tied up in knots trying to uncover the real culprit’s identity?”

“Look, Jason—”

“If this is what it’s going to do to you, maybe settling back in Canyon Springs isn’t the best move after all.” He lowered his voice. “In spite of what my wife thinks.”

Trey’s jaw tightened. Jason still didn’t get it. “I don’t think there’s any harm in trying to clear my name.”

“But look what it’s doing to you. And you’re no closer to finding out who left your lighter at the scene of that fire than when you first hit town. Face it. It’s been twelve years.”

“Every man needs a hobby.”

Jason scoffed.

“Look, Jas, injury cost me my livelihood. Then my new job brings me back here. You’re the one who’s always saying there’s no such thing as coincidence. Doesn’t it sound to you like God’s providing an opportunity for resolution? Justice?”

“’Fraid I can’t speak for the Man Upstairs on this one, dude.”

What he meant was he thought his big brother was chasing after something better left alone. Well, he could think whatever he wanted. He wasn’t the one locals looked at with suspicion. Nobody questioned his honesty. His integrity. They didn’t whisper behind his back.

“It’s a shame,” Jason continued, “that you were such a loner—and that our folks had taken me to Phoenix to catch a plane for that spring break mission trip. You didn’t have anyone to confirm you were nowhere near Duffy’s place when the property caught fire.”

Trey’s lips tightened. It didn’t do you any good to have a rock-solid alibi if your star witness refused to come forward.

“Well, Jas, I’ll let you get back to your retreat. I have to pick up my toys, then hit the shower before the girls wake up.” He glanced around at the cabin strewn with kid stuff. A diaper bag toppled on its side. Stuffed animals and dolls in various stages of dress piled on the sofa. Pint-size shoes and socks under the coffee table. Yesterday’s dishes still in the sink. How’d it get to be such a disaster in only three days?

Jason barked a laugh. “Why do I have a feeling the girls will have lots to tell us when we get home?”

Trey groaned. “Yeah, well, just remember you owe me one.”

“You got it, buddy.”

“Take it easy coming up the mountain. Snowing.”

“Will do.”

Trey shut off the phone and again stared out the window at the swirling, wind-whipped flakes, making no move to wrestle his surroundings to order.

He shook his head as memories he’d fought all night resurfaced. Kara Lee Dixon. If he wasn’t mistaken, she’d been as surprised to see him last night as he’d been to see her. Maybe more so. Hadn’t she known he was back in town? Not from the look on her face. The fear in her expressive eyes.

What did she think he’d do after all these years? Chew her out on a public street? Make a spectacle of himself in front of the girls? Call the cops? No, he’d long ago forgiven her.

He hadn’t handled their reunion well. Caught off guard, he’d been every bit as tongue-tied around her as he’d ever been as a teen. Practically threw Missy in the truck, then climbed in and hit the gas. That must have impressed the former girl of his dreams.

But like it or not, he and Kara needed to have a little chat.

Chapter Three

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you went out with Trey Kenton last fall.” Kara looked up from where she knelt mopping a front corner of the Warehouse floor and leveled a disbelieving stare at her old college roommate.

Meg McGuire, soon to be Mrs. Joseph Diaz, had stopped by mid-afternoon Saturday to collect a trunk full of flattened cardboard boxes. Now here she stood, handing Kara another old bath towel and delivering the dismaying confirmation that Trey was indeed considering moving back to town. He was heading up a renovation of Duffy Logan’s old horse facility, a property that had closed and fallen into disrepair almost a decade ago when Duffy suffered a debilitating stroke and his wife moved him out of town for better medical care. But why would Trey come back here of all places? Right smack-dab on top of the scene of the crime that drove him from town as a teenager?