LITMIR.BIZ

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“I already have a contractor on his way.”

      Dillon looked at her as if…what? “Thank you so much for offering, Dillon, but—”

      “No problem,” he said. “Good luck with the renovations.” His expression hard, he nodded at Hank and walked away.

      Hank squeezed her shoulders and dropped a quick kiss on her head. “We’ll take care of this, honey. I called Jim Arturo to handle the repairs. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

      She stiffened and slipped out of his hold. “Don’t worry? This is my livelihood we’re talking about.”

      He patted her arm. She wanted to bite his hand. “I know it’s upsetting, but let me handle this. Now,” he said, taking his cell phone out of his pocket, “you have your insurance with Todd Alexis, right? I’ll call him and get things moving along.”

      She opened her mouth to tell him she could call her insurance agent herself but he was already dialing a number as he walked into the kitchen. She slumped into a chair. She had a bank loan to repay and Christmas gifts to buy, not to mention her ancient minivan needed new tires. And she’d kicked out her tenant, the only source of income she could count on.

      She blinked back tears. But she wasn’t supposed to worry. Or be strong enough to solve her own problems.

      The sad part was, even though it grated on her last nerve, she knew she wouldn’t stand up for herself. She was so damn tired. And scared. And since everyone expected her to stay in the background and let them take care of her, that’s what she’d end up doing.

      Even if she did want to take charge of her life.

      Chapter Three

      “YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO come in today,” Allie said from behind the polished, horseshoe-shaped bar.

      “Yeah, I did.” Dillon sat on a stool and shrugged out of his jacket. Early morning sunlight filtered through the windows, casting The Summit’s barroom in shadows. Despite a jukebox filled with classic rock songs, Allie hummed along to some bubblegum song playing on the radio underneath the bar. He grimaced as the singer hit a high note. “How can you listen to this crap?”

      She flipped her heavy, dark hair over her shoulder. “It’s pop music, not crap. And I like it.” She did a little shimmy and shake to the chorus. “Besides, if I have to listen to ‘Hotel California’ one more time, I’ll stick my head in the oven.”

      “It’s electric.”

      She waved that away. “So it’ll be a symbolic gesture.” She turned the music down. “I drove by the bakery on my way here. The damage is pretty extensive. What’s Nina going to do about it?”

      “Her father was there last night, said he’d take care of getting a carpenter to do the repairs.”

      Yeah, Mr. Erickson had jumped in real quick. Nina’s father hadn’t wanted the town’s most dangerous citizen anywhere near his precious daughter.

      Dillon’s shoulders tensed as he remembered how Nina had brushed off his offer to help. An offer he never should’ve made. She had enough people around to help her. He wasn’t going to lose any sleep over her.

      Allie polished a beer glass, her eyes narrowed in concentration. He didn’t bother pointing out that water spots weren’t going to keep her clientele from drinking their booze. “Joe Roberts called me before you got here. Wanted to get my opinion on what was going to happen to Kyle.”

      “Are you putting your lawyer shingle back out?”

      Regret flickered across her face but was quickly gone. “Hardly. I’m a business owner now.”

      Allie had been a successful defense attorney with a high-class law firm in New York City before returning to Serenity Springs last year. The few times he’d asked what had happened to send her back to her hometown, she either changed the subject, evaded his question or went into some long, boring dissertation about the legal system. His least favorite subject.

      If her ability to talk for thirty minutes straight and not say a damn thing was anything to go by, she must’ve been a hell of a lawyer.

      “So why’d they call you?” he asked.

      “My mom is friends with Karen’s mom and she told them to call me.”

      “Sounds like legal work to me.”

      Having wiped each and every spot off the glass, she set it down and picked up another one. “Only work I’m doing is figuring out how to keep a bartender longer than two months.”

      “Smart choice.”

      He was glad she wasn’t going to allow herself to be dragged back into trying to save people. Talk about a thankless—and futile—endeavor. He’d spent the first half of his life trying to save his mother from her addictions and Kelsey from abuse—and her own rebelliousness. And it hadn’t helped any of them.

      He’d almost stepped back into that bottomless pit again when he’d offered Nina help last night. Luckily her lack of backbone had come to his rescue.

      “I don’t know,” Allie said, holding the glass up to the light before putting it away. “After talking to Jack—”

      “If you’re not working the case, why talk to your brother about it?”

      “I wanted to get a feel for what’s going on. Kyle’s in big trouble. It’s a shame. He was doing so well with Joe and Karen.”

      “He stole from them.”

      “I know, but he was upset and he’s only fifteen. Poor kid’s been in the system most of his life. He’s had it tough.”

      Dillon shifted and hooked his foot on the rung of the stool. Fought to keep the bitterness from his voice. “Lots of people have it tough.”

      His own childhood—if you could call it that—had hardly been ideal. His father died from an overdose when Dillon was four and his mother spent most of her time drowning her sorrows in vodka.

      But he’d survived. He’d sucked it up and taken care of his mom and Kelsey. And even though there had never been enough money, he’d never resorted to stealing. He’d made sure Kelsey hadn’t, either.

      Until she’d stopped listening to him.

      He frowned as he realized there were more than a few similarities between his sister and Kyle. When Dillon helped Kyle out of the SUV last night, he’d seen defiance in the kid’s expression, the to-hell-with-the-world-I-don’t-need-anyone attitude. But he’d also seen the kid’s fear.

      All of which he’d seen plenty of times in Kelsey growing up.

      Compassion warred with his hard-earned good sense. Even after all that happened to him, his protective instincts still drew him to those in need.

      Like the kid. And Nina Carlson.

      “Kyle will be punished, that’s for sure,” Allie said. “He’ll probably be sentenced to juvenile hall.”

      “Is that what you told his foster parents?”

      “I told them the truth. And advised that it wouldn’t hurt to have Kyle try to make amends somehow. If he’s lucky and gets Judge Williams, showing remorse will go a long way toward a lenient sentence.”

      Did that really work? When Kelsey got busted for shoplifting or underage drinking, she never made amends. Just got into more trouble. Trouble he’d then do his damnedest to get her out of.

      He rolled his head side to side but his neck muscles remained tight. He hoped for Kyle’s sake, Allie’s idea worked. Being locked up changed a person. He’d hate to see that happen to a kid.

      He drummed his fingers on the bar before slapping it lightly with his palm. Not his problem. Even if it was, he was in no position to help.

      “Allie,

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