Free Seeking Shelter by Angel Smits Page A

know her and maybe tell her a little about her dad. That’s it.”
    “That’s bull,” Hank said too strongly.
    “Watch it, old man.”
    “No, you watch it, young man.” Hank leaned closer, and the look in his eyes gave Jace pause. It was more than anger and threat. It was cold and hard, an expression Jace had seen many times before. In the eyes of desperate men.
    “Mackenzie Grey abandoned his wife and daughter, left them with nothing,” Hank continued. “He was nobody’s friend .”
    “And how would you know that? Amy’s mom tell you? Were you there?” This man had no clue about Mac, and what he insinuated was not the Mac Jace remembered. Unfortunately, the attorney’s equally condemning words wouldn’t let Jace entirely deny the possibilities.
    “No, I wasn’t there.” Hank was once again too adamant, and Jace frowned.
    “Madeline came back here a broken woman.” The old man turned away and focused on the view outside the window. Jace knew he could see Amy’s store from here. “When she died, she left her daughter all alone.” He turned back around to face Jace. “I won’t believe she would have left Amy alone if she’d known her dad was out there willing to take her. It tore her apart that Amy would have no one.”
    Jace could tell he was prodding a still-open wound, but he needed to know everything. “How did she die?” he whispered.
    Hank didn’t answer. Rick did. “Cancer. Amy was fifteen. She came and lived here with Hank through the rest of high school.” Rick’s own voice held unasked questions, and he looked at the old man with confusion.
    “Madeline wouldn’t have left her alone,” Hank repeated, his gaze distant and sad. Too sad for a ten-year-old loss.
    “She didn’t, it seems. She left her with you,” Jace said.
    “That wasn’t her plan,” Hank admitted. “She didn’t make any arrangements.”
    “Sounds more like denial to me.” Jace watched the man’s cheeks redden and his glare sharpen.
    Rick shook his head at Jace and inclined his head toward the door. “Hey,” he said, his voice way too cheery as he put a hand on Hank’s shoulder. “Let’s not argue. Obviously, we don’t have all the facts.” To Jace he said, “Want to head over to the bar? I’m buying.”
    What bar? Jace wondered, but figured Rick would explain once they left. Jace knew there was no better place to learn about Amy and this town than at the local watering hole. He nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”
    Hank didn’t move as the two younger men headed out into the night. Jace glanced back when they reached the edge of the yard, and saw Hank still standing there, the kitchen light illuminating the yearning look on his weathered face.
    Rick didn’t speak until they were halfway across the darkened park. “Hank still carries a torch for Madeline. He was in love with her, but she didn’t love him back. Saying anything against her is just...useless.”
    As if that explained anything. “So, he raised Amy?”
    “Pretty much. Madeline had cancer for as long as I knew her. I was a teenager when she died.” Rick’s voice softened. “What the hell do you think happened between all of them?”
    “I don’t know. Apparently the Mac I knew and the Madeline he knew were different when they were younger and married.” Jace shrugged.
    “Too bad. Seems Amy and Hank were collateral damage.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Neither of them have normal lives. I don’t think they trust anyone completely. Not even each other.” Rick sounded sad.
    Jace knew a thing or two about trust, knew it could be an expensive and painful commodity. He also knew Mac was one of the few people who’d had his. Amy should have had Mac in her life. That realization only strengthened his resolve to share his memories with her.
    “Hell, I need that drink,” Rick said.
    They reached the diner and Rick yanked the door open, nearly pulling it off the hinges. Jace followed and looked around. The diner? An empty diner? The front