Jaded (Walkers Ford #2)

“I’d appreciate it,” he said in return.

When she got back to the house, the street and driveway were empty of cars, except for Mrs. Battle’s. Pastor Theresa helped her into the passenger seat, then waited when Alana called out her name.

She explained the situation as quickly as possible. “Do you know of anything that would help the Burtons?”

“I can look into it,” she said. “But I can’t think of anything that would let Cody leave for school.”

“I’m afraid I just broke his heart,” she confessed.

“Are you a person of faith?” Pastor Theresa asked gently.

“We’re Methodist,” Alana responded tentatively, not sure where this was headed.

“I believe that we all have a purpose in life, that God created us to fulfill a responsibility here on earth. We all have a place to be, where we’ll make an impact on the world. We can choose to listen to that call, or we can ignore it. The question is, when you hear the call, will you respond with your whole heart?”

That was easy enough to answer. Her whole heart belonged in Chicago, working for the foundation on issues like global poverty, health care for developing nations. Next year they were focusing on human trafficking, and Freddie was getting married. Chicago was where her family and her work was. It would be selfish to ignore the call of national service just because she felt validated.

What about Cody, so clearly called to art and equally clearly stifled in that vocation?

“Thank you. That’s very helpful,” Alana said.

Pastor Theresa didn’t look like she believed that at all. “You’re welcome. Call anytime.”

She walked into her house and found Lucas prying up the countertops while Duke watched with interest from his spot by the door. What had happened with Cody was too raw for her to bring up, so she crouched by Duke and scratched the top of his head very gently. He grunted his appreciation.

Lucas spoke first. “For a while, the house sounded like it did when Gran was alive. She always had people over, planning something.”

“Mrs. Battle said the same thing,” Alana said. “I don’t understand this place,” she said finally. “Delaney seemed to genuinely care that Marissa and Adam were happy, even after everything that happened between her and Adam. Even though I stood up for Marissa, she wants to do the right thing for the town and the library.”

“Delaney’s a good person. A kind person. People saw her as wronged when Adam broke off their engagement. Loyalty matters in a community like this. In the end, all we have to depend on is each other. You saw Walkers Ford at its worst with Marissa. You’re seeing them at their best now. If you were staying, you could give it a few weeks and you would see them at their worst again.”

“Like the weather. Wait five minutes and it changes.” She sat down in a chair and put her head in her hands.

“You take Cody home?”

“I did.”

“Was it Colt’s stash in the car?”

Grateful her face was hidden from him, she said, “Please don’t ask me that.”

“I’m asking.”

“Lucas. Don’t do it. Don’t go search that trailer.”

He tossed the pry bar on the counter. “That’s my job. That’s what it’s like when you stick with one place long enough to learn each other’s secrets. You hurt people. They hurt you. You have to do hard things, like sending a twenty-year-old kid to jail because he’s hurting other people in the community, or take kids from their meth-addicted parents. You send some to jail and you bury some. That’s life, when you’re not avoiding every goddamn thing by skimming the surface.”

For the first time in Lucas’s presence, she felt the blood drain from her face.

“That’s not what I do. That is not what I do.”

He looked down, swallowed hard. “I’m sorry,” he said gruffly.

“It’s fine.”

“I don’t have probable cause to search the trailer,” he said finally. “Even if you tell me what I already know.”

She looked at Duke, dozing on the floor. She understood why men preferred dogs. Duke’s loyalty was unquestioningly to Lucas. He felt no qualms about searching out the drugs and giving Lucas the answers that could tear Cody’s family apart.

“I have some work to do,” she said finally. “I’ll be in the office, unless you need me to help with something.”

One hand on his hip, he looked like he was being ground between two stones. “Demo’s easy,” he said. “It’s the rebuilding where I need another set of hands.”

She went into the office and closed the door, then pulled up her e-mail and prioritized the work she needed to do in the next two weeks. The Senator’s party. Preliminary calls around Freddie’s wedding. Research for Freddie’s upcoming trip. Project management for the library renovation.

Find a way to say good-bye to Lucas that would show him exactly what he’d meant to her.





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