Free Lily of the Valley in May by Clare Revell Page B

moved back to his side. She sat down and put her book away.
    Joel smiled at the child standing the other side of the table. Here we go . “Hello, what’s your name?”

7
    Book tours, were not as easy as Faith thought they would be. Never sleeping in the same bed for more than two nights running, meant she got very little sleep. Joel was famous enough that they didn’t sit idle in the book stores for long. Some days the queue reached out of the door, and they didn’t have time to breathe. Other days they had time to sip the glasses of water that sat on the table and actually talk a little between fans. Their friendship had blossomed and, sitting next to him each day, Faith found herself wishing it would turn into something more.
    They found a church to go to on Sunday and spent an hour together each morning, reading the Bible and praying. Some days, it’d be before breakfast, other days they’d find a park or cliff top and sit there. She enjoyed each moment spent with Joel more and more as time passed. She liked him a lot, an awful lot. There was something about him that set her heart soaring and her pulse racing. Even her fear of men diminished around him.
    Today however, was Hope’s birthday and not even the thought of spending the day with Joel could lift her spirits. She looked out of the hotel room window and sighed. Hotel number eight. Tenth day, same as the first, a little bit longer and a little bit worse. She broke off.
    Hope loved that rhyme, and would use it to describe every situation she didn’t like.
    Yet another hotel wasn’t the problem. Nor was there being no word from the police that Damien was safely back behind bars where he belonged. They were in the Fens, a stone’s throw from her old stomping grounds. She could see Ely cathedral on the horizon. It hurt being so close and yet unable to go home. So near and yet so far.
    A knock at the bedroom door made her turn. “It’s open.”
    Joel peered around from the sitting room. “Are you ready?”
    “I didn’t think we had to be there until two.”
    “We don’t. Figured we’d go find a park, feed the ducks for Hope’s birthday.”
    She got up, smoothing down her shirt. “Thank you.” She slid her jacket on and picked up her bag. “I’m ready.”
    “Really? I thought most women took hours to get ready?”
    “I’m not most women.”
    Joel’s smile lit his eyes as it did so often lately. “I noticed. Come on, day’s a wasting.”
    Faith followed him to the car, butterflies soaring in her stomach and warming her heart. She studied his figure as he unlocked the car. Was she a fool for trusting him so implicitly? Was he stringing her along? Waiting until they were alone before making her pay for something she had or hadn’t done.
    Twenty minutes later, she looked at him as they passed the Ely town boundary. “What are we doing here? I thought we were going to find a park.”
    “We are. I thought perhaps you’d like to go to the park you used to go to with Hope. You just need to tell me where to go.”
    “Joel, I can’t be here.” Worry filled her, knotting her stomach. “What if Damien sees us? What if…”
    Joel’s hand rested lightly on her knee for a moment. “We’ll be here and gone in an hour. It’ll be fine.” His tone was just as gentle.
    DC Blondell put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m right here. It’ll be OK.”
    Joel looked at her. “I know what it’s like to lose someone. Even though she’s missing not dead, the feelings are probably the same. Elliott is doing the same thing with Grace today. Though not here, obviously.”
    “Oh, thank you.” Intense gratitude filled her. How could she make it up to him? If he hadn’t been driving she’d have hugged him.
    Joel parked the car and Faith led him around the park to the pond. DC Blondell kept right beside them. Her steps slowed as she saw two figures standing by the pond. It couldn’t be, could it?
    She glanced at Joel and he grinned. “I called ahead. Go on.