Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Sarcasm flowed out with my every word. “How selfless of you.”
“You always protected and defended Amy. I’m glad to see you still do,” Noah said.
I wanted to swipe his false smile and his lies off his face that was looking less and less handsome to me.
He turned his attention back to Amy. “Age and time have made me look at things differently. I woke up one morning thinking I didn’t want to take the chance of never seeing you again, never get the chance to make amends, and never get the chance to once again tell you that I love you.”
His lies were turning my stomach, but not Amy’s and I could understand why. She had never stopped loving her dad.
“What are you doing here, Noah?”
I was never so relieved to hear my dad’s sheriff voice, and I slipped back into the leather seat to leave Noah to my dad… the sheriff.
“Sheriff, it’s nice to see you again,” Noah said and held his hand out.
I was glad my dad didn’t accept his handshake.
“Like I said, what are you doing here?”
“I’m not doing anything against the law, Sheriff.”
“I didn’t say you were. I asked a simple question you have yet to answer.”
“I came to see my daughter.”
“Why?”
“I don’t think that concerns you.”
“After leaving her the way you did when she was nothing more than a little tyke, I’d say it concerns me,” my dad said, his hands resting on his gun belt.
Not that my dad would shoot him. It was a show of authority.
“I’d very much like to make amends with her,” Noah said and turned to Amy. “I did not mean to upset you. I was so eager to see you that I gave no thought that you might not feel the same way or at least I hoped you would want to see me. As I said, I’m staying at the B&B. I would very much like for us to talk, just you and me.”
That was never going to happen. At least I hoped not. Already I was forming plans in my head to discreetly follow her if she did meet with him.
“Please think about it. We could meet here for breakfast one morning if you’d like.” He reached in his jacket pocket. “Here’s my card with my cell phone number. I do hope you will call, Amy. I really would love for us to talk.”
He turned to leave but my dad blocked his path.
“This is up to Amy. If she chooses not to talk with you, I will let you know and escort you out of town.”
“As you say, Sheriff,” Noah said, and my dad moved to let him pass.
My dad looked to Amy. “You let me know if you don’t want to talk with him and I’ll see that he leaves town.”
“What do you think I should do?” Amy asked.
My dad had been the only father figure Amy knew and she had come to him for advice countless times through the years. So, I wasn’t surprised she asked him now.
“I don’t trust, Noah. Instinct and past actions tell me he’s not a decent man, and instinct also has me wanting to protect you, the little girl who is like a second daughter to me. I would prefer you didn’t talk to him, and he moved on never to return, but…” He shook his head. “If you don’t speak with him at least once, you’ll never have answers to your never-ending questions and still might not, but at least you’ll have tried and, no doubt, that will make a difference to you. So, if you choose to meet with him, you won’t be meeting with him alone.”
Amy hurried out of the booth to hug my dad. “You are more a dad to me than he could ever be.”
I got teary-eyed along with my dad.
Okay,” my dad said, turning his face away for a minute. “I’ve got work to do. You keep me updated, Amy.”
“I will,” she said, wiping tears off her cheeks.
“That was so heartwarming,” Zelda said, sniffling after my dad left. “Warren may be a tough sheriff but he’s a softy at heart.” Zelda chuckled. “Here comes another hero to the rescue.”
I was surprised to see my brother Thomas head our way.
He went straight to Amy, sliding in the booth beside her and wrapping his arm around her. I could almost hear Amy’s heart flutter.
“Are you all right? I heard your dad was in town. I remembered how bad it was for you when he left. I can’t imagine how his returning must make you feel. I had to see for myself that you were all right.”
“You remembered that?” Amy asked, as surprised as I was.
Thomas was my middle brother and five years older than Amy. He wasn’t handsome like Josh, but he was a good-looking guy. He had height to him being shy of six feet. He taught math at the high school and since he was here, the school probably had a snow day.