Free Sins (Vance Davis Dossier #2) by Heather Huffman

joy upon meeting Vance. It had been a struggle to not let Jeff see how enamored with her Vance had been the instant he’d laid eyes on her. It’s like she knew she was his dog now, too.
    Jeff had shaken his head and bid the pair farewell with a promise to touch base in a couple of days with a game plan for Oklahoma. Vance’s first stop had been downtown St. Louis. He’d checked each of the known hangouts for Emmett, Susie, and Otis. He’d been just about to give up when he’d spotted Otis walking back towards the bridge to Illinois. Vance pulled over and leaned out the window. “Can I interest you in some breakfast, Otis?”
    Otis turned, a smile lighting his face when he recognized Vance. “I was afraid I’d seen the last of you.”
    “Nope. Thanks to you, I’ll be right as rain in no time.” Vance smiled, even though it still hurt his face a little to do so.
    Otis seemed to breathe a little easier. “Good. That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.”
    “So, about that breakfast…” Vance reminded him.
    “Yeah, sure. Why not?”
    Vance pulled the dog closer to him so there would be room for Otis in the passenger seat.
    The man eyed the tri-colored canine as he climbed in. “Who’s your friend?”
    “Freckles. She’s a new addition. One of several.”
    “You got several dogs?”
    “One dog that comes with a passel of kids.”
    “Huh. That could be interesting. It’s only been a week since I picked you up out of the gutter, right?”
    “A busy week.”
    Otis’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. Vance couldn’t blame him. If he weren’t so terrified about the path he was embarking on, he might find it funny, too. Vance wanted to take Otis to a real breakfast but felt guilty leaving Freckles in the car alone, so they opted for a drive-thru breakfast in the truck. Vance ordered an extra sandwich for Freckles, sneaking her bites in between taking bites of his own. The two men talked a little as they ate, with long pauses in between bits of conversation. Otis still hadn’t found Emmett, and now Susie was missing, too. He was starting to fear the worst. Vance promised to see if his friends in law enforcement had heard anything, but he feared the worst, too.
    After breakfast, Vance took Otis back to his side of the river, where the two men said their goodbyes. Vance doubted he’d see Otis again, though he made himself a promise to check in on him from time to time.
    And then Vance and his dog climbed in the truck and headed back down the interstate one more time. The further he got from St. Louis, the more he realized that era in his life had truly drawn to a close. He was ready, at last, to put it behind him. Finally, his sins were part of his past, and he was content to let them stay there.
    For the first time in his life, he had a future to build.
     
     

W ANT M ORE V ANCE ?
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