Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 100853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
“Ford is complicated,” Hope said slowly. “I spent a lot of years so angry at him for what he did to Griffen, for playing along with Prentice. But he changed, or he is trying to, which amounts to the same thing to me. He’s more vulnerable than he seems to be. And I saw the way he looked at you in Griffen’s office. He’s got a strong protective streak, which I think is as much a surprise to him as it is to everyone else. But it’s there. And you’re one of the people he wants to protect. So, I find myself in the odd position of needing to ask you to be careful with him.”
I nodded, understanding. “This isn’t casual for me,” I said, because it was the truth. “I can’t make any promises about how things will work out. It’s too new, and I don’t even know what Ford wants. But I care about him—a lot more than I should, given how long we’ve known each other. I don’t have any guarantees.”
“I’m not asking for a guarantee,” Hope said, “just that you take care—with both of you.” She turned to me, a newly dressed Stella in her arms, and reached out with one hand to take mine, squeezing my fingers much the same way Ford had. “You haven’t had an easy time of it either, Paige. If things go sideways, you can talk to me, okay? I know I’m Ford’s sister-in-law, but I’m also your friend.”
“I know,” I said, squeezing her hand back. Her words sent me over the edge, all the tension from the last twelve hours releasing. Tears welled up and spilled over, streaking down my face.
“Oh, Paige,” she said.
“I just—oh, I don’t know why I’m crying now,” I said. “I was so worried you guys would fire me. I feel at home here. I’ve never worked for a family I wanted to leave—I’ve been lucky that way—but you’re different. I thought I would miss the travel. I thought Sawyers Bend and Heartstone would be too small. But it’s the opposite. It’s always an adventure around here.”
At her wry expression, I laughed.
“I don’t mean the danger, or Ford getting stalked by assassins—I could do without that part. But the kids and all of you, it’s just…there’s always something going on. And your family, there’s just so much love. I didn’t want to leave, and it made me stay quiet long after I should have told you about my father and Sarah. I just didn’t know how. And I’m so glad you’re not throwing me out.”
Hope tightened her grip on my hand and tugged me forward into a hug, Stella chortling happily between us.
“You didn’t mean any harm,” Hope said. “That’s the important part. I guarantee you Griffen gave your dad’s name to Cooper Sinclair. Maybe they can dig something up. I don’t know that Griffen and Ford have dreams of seeing their mother again. They did when they were kids, but a lot of time has passed. Still, it would be good to know where they are, what they did with their lives. It might be some kind of closure, you know?”
I nodded. “That’s exactly how I feel. I don’t know if I want to see my father. He left me, and he hasn’t bothered to reach out in all these years. Maybe they’ve been living on the beach in Belize for the last thirty years, or off with the Peace Corps, or— Who the hell knows? But I want to erase the question mark and put a period at the end of the sentence.”
Hope nodded. “I don’t think Griffen or Ford has ever looked for her. Griffen walked away from his family when Prentice kicked him out, and he did it full throttle, so I doubt he tried to find her. She left him first, after all.” Hope shook her head, squeezing Stella in her arms. “I just don’t understand. I get leaving Prentice. He was an asshole on his best day and a monster at his worst. But leaving Griffen and Ford—” She stroked a hand over Stella’s curls, laughing as her daughter caught a finger in her little grip and squeezed, yanking her mother’s hand back and forth. “I don’t get how she could leave her children. And worse, she left them with Prentice. Maybe she thought Miss Martha would be the mother they needed. I know she tried, but it’s not the same.”
Hope dropped a kiss on Stella’s head, then met my eyes.
“That’s who you should talk to—Miss Martha. You probably can’t go out, given lockdown and all—” Hope rolled her eyes. “But she’s the only one I can think of who might know what happened when Sarah left. She might remember your father if he was ever here. Let’s go see Savannah. We need to figure out where we’re going to put any extra staff that’s coming in for security, and she’ll know better than anyone when her mother will be by next.”