Tags:
Romance,
Literature & Fiction,
Contemporary,
Mystery; Thriller & Suspense,
Religion & Spirituality,
Contemporary Fiction,
Contemporary Women,
Christian fiction,
Christian,
Women's Fiction,
Mystery & Suspense,
Christian Books & Bibles,
Religious & Inspirational Fiction
yesterday.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? Where?”
“At the resort. Clifton wanted to go look around.”
Sandy groaned and lowered her head to the table. “And after I outright told him not to go snooping.”
“Don’t be too mad at him. I was curious about the place, too. Besides, Clifton was hoping Mr. Hobart might have some other jobs available.”
“So did you talk to him?”
“Mr. Hobart? Yeah, we had a conversation of sorts.” I stirred my melting ice cream and tried to think of something nice I could say about Sandy’s new boss before grilling her with questions. “He seems to like animals.”
Sandy wrinkled her nose. “That’s a non sequitur if I ever heard one.”
I bit my lip. “The resort is where I found Brynna.”
“Brynna?”
“The mama dog.” I told her how Clifton and I found the dog and puppies in one of the cabins.
“That explains it,” Sandy said with a nod. “I overheard Mr. Hobart on the phone this morning with the humane society. Sounded like they’d gone out to the place to look for some animal but it was already gone. I thought it was a raccoon or a rabid possum or something.” She licked her spoon. “He’ll be so happy tomorrow when I tell him you rescued the dogs.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” I leaned back and crossed my arms.
Sandy narrowed her gaze. “Julie Pearl Stiles, you better not be keeping anything from me. Especially something that could jeopardize my new job.”
Her mouth twisted as I described how Hobart practically threw us off the property. I left out the part about catching a glimmer of remorse in his eyes . . . or was it something else? Easier to keep my own emotions in check if I focused on his rudeness.
She shook her head. “That’s just not the man I know.”
“Well, you weren’t there.” I finished the last spoonful of my sundae and pushed the bowl aside.
Frowning, Sandy pulled a paper napkin from the dispenser and reached over to blot a dribble of chocolate syrup I’d accidentally dripped onto the table. “I gather things didn’t go real smoothly Monday afternoon when he closed the deal on the property. Maybe he was still upset when he ran into you and Clifton.”
My skin prickled—exactly the lead-in I’d been waiting for. “You mean his meeting with Renata Pearl Channing?”
Sandy’s eyebrows creased. “How do you know her name?”
“She was in the flea market on Monday. And then she drove up at the resort yesterday right after Grandpa and I got the dogs into the van.” I shuddered. “I don’t like her, Sandy. Something about her gives me the scroochies.”
“No kidding. I hear she’s been nothing but trouble for Mr. Hobart. Fussing over every little detail of the sale, demanding things be handled a certain way. Before she’d sign the papers, he practically had to get on his knees and swear to her he wouldn’t leave any of the original structures. She doesn’t want a trace of the old resort left behind.”
An image of the child’s room with the cheery ducks and rabbits filled my mind, along with the growing conviction that something horrible happened there. Some connection to the child’s drowning twenty-five years ago that Grandpa didn’t want to talk about. What possible reason could he have for keeping it bottled up inside when it clearly ate at him like acid on metal?
Unless . . . could it have anything to do with my own past? Maybe even my father and why he disappeared from our lives and never returned?
An image of a tall, green-eyed man wasting away in a prison cell filled my brain. What if my very own father had something to do with the drowning and that was why no one ever spoke of him around me?
“Julie?” Sandy tapped my hand. “You look like you’re a million miles away.”
Giving myself a mental shake, I stuffed the chocolate-smeared napkin into my empty bowl and scooted out of the booth. “I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
Without looking back, I shoved