Free From Winter's Ashes: Girl Next Door Crime Romance Series - Book Two by Amy Leigh Simpson

expectations. The constant shame of trying to earn grace and favor that were instead freely given yet still so difficult to grasp. Helping them find acceptance nibbled away at the load of guilt he now carried—tremendous, suffocating guilt that wasn’t meant for his shoulders, but both weighed him down and circled overhead like a vulture, ready to devour the crumbling remnants of his faith.
    Obviously the lesson was as much for him as it was for the kids. Hopefully they’d do a better job applying it to their lives. Because the Monroe fire had burned more than an old house and the skin on his neck, it turned the last of his hope to ash. So he’d put his shields up and smile like he hadn’t a care in the world. A lesson he learned from Snow Whyte herself way back when. Fake it till you make it.
    Oh yeah, he thought without a hint of mirth, he was one helluva role model.

    After Finn and the teens wrapped up their small group meeting in the gymnasium, they shot some hoops and then Finn headed up to the sanctuary for the late church service.
    The powerful swell of music was a tangible presence. He tried to cling to the promises painted so eloquently with lyrics, tried to absorb the words to fill up the barren and weak places still festering from old wounds, but the harder he tried to grab onto the truth he knew so well the more it seemed to slip through his fingers.
    He scanned the crowded room until he found Archer towering over, well, everyone, and went to claim the seat next to Sadie.
    “Where’s Joss?” Finn whispered when the room quieted. He was pretty sure Joselyn had never set foot in a church before, but he had assumed, for safety reasons, she’d be in attendance with them today.
    “She had some stuff she needed to do this morning. I know she’s supposed to be with an escort, but she left before Archer picked me up. I did all but barricade the door.”
    His heart beat a little faster. “You know where she went?”
    Sadie nodded. “I did tell her that for the remainder of her stay she will be joining us for church. It is the safest place for her to be since we’re all going to be here anyways. She wasn’t too happy but promised she’d start coming next week.”
    “So, where is she?” Finn crossed his ankle over his knee, his erratic foot giving away his sudden unease.
    “Finn, she’s fine. And she’s entitled to have her secrets. If you wanna know, ask her. Maybe it will help sort out whatever this beef is between you two.”
    “But—”
    “Shh. The sermon is starting, and Francine Walters is giving you the stink eye.” Sadie squinted at him, then clenched the shoe that jittered near her leg, stopping the motion. “Would you relax? It’s not likely she’ll have a protective detail twenty-four seven. She’s safe where she’s at. Have a little faith, okay?”
    Finn tugged his foot free, crossed his ankles, and slouched back into the seat, giving his best imitation of relaxation.
    This was already harder than he’d thought. And with Joselyn Whyte, that was the one thing he could always count on.
    Streaky beams of winter white sunshine escaped through the clouds, and the silky breeze exhaled the last breath of autumn’s warmth for the year. The rare elemental beauty of the day stripped away the anxious feeling in his chest until all that remained was Finn, his bike, and the open road. He didn’t normally take the motorcycle out during the colder months, but since the temperature was mild-ish, it would likely be his last chance to ride until spring.
    The wind took on a bite as he zipped around the back roads while making tracks toward Sadie’s place. She’d prepared some sort of baked-ziti thing and invited the whole family over for lunch. Joselyn too. She’d also mentioned Joss would be meeting with the investigators and the insurance adjusters tomorrow. He knew the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit had already conducted their investigation with the fire dogs, but if they needed to