“Good morning, Guy. They’re just fine. I wanted to give you a call and let you know that Rachel has kept some broth down. I think the worst is over.”
A sigh slid out as he closed his eyes in relief. He tightened his mouth trying to keep his lips from uttering a prayer of thanks. He didn’t deserve his thanks. “Thank you so much for watching them Nana. I’m sorry I couldn’t take the day off.”
“Oh, hush. You know I don’t mind.”
He smiled. Nana Baker was a life saver. He hoped Jo knew how lucky she was to have her. “I appreciate you, Nana. If nothing comes up, I’ll be there by five to get them.”
“You take your time. You know what...why don’t you go eat dinner with Evan or Darryl and take some time for yourself. You’ve got to be exhausted from staying up all night.”
“Maybe I’ll do that.” Or not.
Even though Evan and Darryl were his boys, he had no desire to hang around with them. They were in too deep with God and he wanted no part of it. But a couple of hours to himself did sound nice. Maybe he’d take a nap.
“Yes, you do that. I’ll see you sometime after seven, Sheriff.”
“Thanks, Nana. See you then.”
He glanced at the phone then to his office door. Should he call Holly and apologize or do it face-to-face? Guy knew he’d reacted badly, even if he hadn’t been talking to her. The look of fright on her face was enough to propel him toward his door.
“Hey, Holly?”
His secretary looked up. Her red hair was pulled into a bun with a pencil sticking out of it. The brown rimmed glasses matched the freckles running across her pale face.
“Yes, Sheriff?”
“I really am sorry about earlier. I was thinking about something and...”
She held a hand up. “No worries. I’ve had days like that. Let’s just chalk it up to a case of Mondays, okay?” Her smile was almost blinding.
Guy exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath. “Thanks. I’ll try to make sure the rest of my Monday improves.”
“Of course. It’s hard being a single parent, isn’t it?”
“It sure is.”
She snickered. “You definitely have it harder than me though. I only have one.”
Holly was a single parent? He could only hope the shock didn’t show on his face. How did he miss the fact that she had a kid? How could he be so oblivious? “How old...” he trailed off. He had no clue if she had a boy or girl.
“Samantha just turned four. Your girls are three, right?”
He nodded. What happened to her husband? Then again, she didn’t wear a ring. Maybe she had never been married. He wanted to ask, but it felt weird. There were so many laws about what you could and couldn’t ask your employees.
But Freedom Lake is different.
“How long, um...have you been a single parent?”
Please don’t have already told me.
“Two years, now. Jake was in the Army on deployment...and he didn’t come back.”
Ouch. He felt like a heel. Guy looked at her as she continued talking.
“He’d been gone for six months and was supposed to come home the next day, but he didn’t.” She cleared her throat then turned to her desk, shuffling items. “Most days I’m okay, but then there are those moments like the one you had earlier.” She turned back to him and smiled.
He stood straighter. He’d been single for three years, but he still recognized the look of interest she was throwing his way. Guy blinked. “Yeah. Thanks again for accepting my apology.”
The phone rang, and he suppressed a prayer of thanks. Saved by the bell. He turned and headed back to the sanctuary of his office.
Chapter Two
Michelle pressed the lock button on her car key fob. She shivered as she walked toward her office. Freedom Lake was a few degrees cooler than Kodiak City, but it was also prettier. When she had driven through the small town, the lake’s surface had gleamed, winking at her. The bloodroots’ white color had been almost blinding. Freedom Lake showcased spring well, in her opinion.
She waved to her friend as she walked by. Chloe owned the interior design business, The Space, which was right next door to Michelle’s law office. Chloe motioned her to come in, so she stopped and headed for her friend’s business instead.
The chime tinkled softly as she entered. The soft yellow color scheme Chloe used was masterful. She loved the colors in her own office, but she could spend all day in the soothing atmosphere of The Space.
“Hey, Chlo, how are you?”
“Good. How was court?”
She couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her face. “We got him. He’ll be hanging out at state for twenty.”
Chloe nodded, a solemn look on her face. For a moment, Michelle felt chagrined. She knew Chloe wouldn’t celebrate his fate. The girl was probably saying a prayer for the man right now. Yet, Michelle couldn’t help but feel pride that she ensured he stayed off the roads.
“So, did you need anything, or did you just want to say hi?” She flashed Chloe a quick smile hoping it would take the sting out of her words. She wasn’t mad, but she knew how judgmental Chloe could be.
“Actually, I was wondering if you could help me with something.”
“Sure, what’s up?” Michelle sat her briefcase on the floor and took a seat. Chloe never asked her for a favor.
“Um, well.” She looked down, fingering the frayed edge of her bohemian styled shirt.
What is going on? “Chlo, are you okay?”
Her friend nodded, then met her gaze. “I want to find my father.” The words rushed out of her mouth, and her cheeks turned red.
Michelle felt her eyebrow rise. “Your father?” Chloe never talked about him.
“Yeah, I don’t know how hard it will be. I mean, my grandmother never knew who he was, and my mom certainly didn’t say.”
“Have you
