Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
“I know,” Devy said as she forced a smile.
“Great. I’ll pick you up first, and then we’ll get the kids from school. Does that work?”
She nodded. “Are you leaving now?”
“I can stay,” he told her. “Even if you don’t want to talk.”
“That would be nice, Hayden.” She wanted him to stay, at least until Colt or her father came home. She didn’t like the idea of being alone, even though Maren was upstairs sleeping. There was a certain sense of security that came when a man was in the house, at least for her.
Ten
Hayden
On Friday, Hayden parked in front of Sheriff Crow’s house, left his truck running, and jogged up the steps. He knocked twice on the wooden screen door and stepped back, giving Devorah space to open the door and step out. He heard her walking toward him. The house creaked from old age or, as people in New England would say, “wicked old age.” Hayden pulled the metal handle on the screen door and held it open. He smiled as soon as Devy came into view.
“Are you ready to shop?”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. He hated that he couldn’t fix her problems. Not that he could fix his own, but his were much more straightforward to deal with.
“I’m ready,” she said as she pulled the door shut behind her and tested the knob to make sure it was locked. He remembered a time when they didn’t lock doors or worry about being robbed. Those days were long gone. Even at the ranch in Wyoming, they locked the doors.
When they reached the truck, Hayden held the passenger-side door open for her, waited for her to get in, and then shut it. He jogged around to the driver’s side and hopped in, fastened his seat belt, and headed toward the school.
“How were the past couple of days?” he asked.
“They were okay,” she said. “I started looking for a job.”
“Oh yeah? Doing what?” Hayden turned at the corner and again a block later, then drove straight on until they arrived at the school. He got behind the last car and waited in the pickup line.
“I’m not sure,” she said, answering his question. “When it comes down to it, I don’t have a whole lot of experience doing much of anything except organizing. And it’s not like there are a ton of estate sales around here or I have the clientele to get a business off the ground. I can’t wait for someone to hire me.”
“I hear ya.”
“What about you?”
“Well, right now I’m living off life insurance and parents. I don’t know if I want to go back into law enforcement or go to law school like I’d originally planned. Until then, I have a camper on the land I bought that I’m supposed to be living in while my house is being built. But I have yet to stay in it. My mom likes having me in the house.”
“I wish Crow felt the same.”
“He does,” Hayden said. “He just has a hard time showing his soft side.”
Devy choked on a laugh. “There is nothing soft about Crow.”
“Has he always been this gruff?”
“No.” Devy sighed. “He changed after my mom died. She was the love of his life, and . . . I don’t know, I think he figured if he loved Colt and me like he loved her, he’d lose us too.”
“He’s a good dad, though?”
Devorah shrugged. “In comparison to who? Your dad?”
“Valid point.” Lee McKenna was everyone’s favorite. Being the longtime doctor in town, he knew everyone, and they knew him. It didn’t matter what time it was; Dr. McKenna would make a house call. “I’m not sure it’s fair to compare the two, though.”
“Maybe not.”
Hayden inched forward, even though the line hadn’t moved. He looked out the window at the parents who’d parked in the pickup lane and then got out of their cars to chat. He scanned the other cars and groaned when he saw Sapphire Fleming heading his way.
“Shit.”
“Is that—”
“Sapphire Fleming? Yep.”
Sapphire smiled when she got closer to the truck. She stopped at his window, leaving him no choice but to push the button to put the window down. “Hey, Hayden.”
“Sapphire.”
She put her hands on the truck and leaned against the door. “I didn’t know you were doing the carpool thing. I can put you on the list if you want.” Sapphire looked at Devorah and said nothing.
“Nah, I’m good. I think Conor will walk home most days, unless it’s raining.”
“Oh, I see. What about you, Deborah?” she asked, mispronouncing her name.
“Devorah,” Hayden corrected her.
“Oh, right. I must’ve forgotten.”
Devorah barely acknowledged Sapphire. Hayden suspected there was some history there. “No thanks.”
“You sure?” Sapphire asked.
“Positive. Thanks for the offer, though.”
“So, listen,” Sapphire continued, attention solely fixated on Hayden. “I was wondering what you’re doing tomorrow night. How about dinner at my place? My ex will have my kids.”