was shining bright, making a sun worshiper like Hope groan in delight.
“I thought I’d find you up here,” said Sister Olive. She was in her sixties, dressed in faded, plain street clothes rather than a habit. Her iron gray hair was pulled back in a tight bun at her nape, and her eyes were the same color as the sky above her head.
“Did you need me?” asked Hope.
Sister Olive shook her head and went about tending her plants. “No, I just wanted to see if you were okay. You look tired.”
The scents of tomato plants and herbs filled the greenhouse, calming Hope’s frayed nerves. “I had a late night.”
Concern drew Sister Olive’s overgrown brows together. “I hope there was no trouble.”
Hope didn’t want to worry her. Sister Olive was the closest thing to a mother Hope had. She’d taken Hope in when no one else claimed her, given her enough education to get her GED, and helped her start her photography business. And while Hope would never make big bucks, her work helped fill some of the void her lack of memory had left behind by creating lasting memories for others.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” she said, praying it was the truth.
“You went out looking for people again, didn’t you?”
Hope couldn’t lie to a nun. “Someone has to.”
“You need to leave that to the police. You’re going to get hurt if you go sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. I know there are gaps in your education, but I thought I’d at least taught you that much.”
“I’m being careful,” said Hope. “Besides, the police can’t do much. They’re already stretched thin as it is. There aren’t resources for them to devote much time to looking for a handful of people they aren’t even convinced are really missing.”
“We’ve talked about this. People move on. They don’t always say good-bye.”
Hope filled a plastic watering can and hefted it up onto the bench beside Sister Olive. “I know that, but I have a bad feeling.”
“So do I. I’m worried you’re going to get hurt doing something you’re not even remotely equipped to do.”
“I have eyes. I can look for people as well as anyone else.”
Sister Olive’s mouth turned down at the edges as she stared over her glasses at Hope. “My fear is that you’ll actually find out what’s happened to them. The hard way.”
“So you do believe I’m right. There is something bad going on.”
Sister Olive stripped off her glove and cupped Hope’s cheek. “What I believe is that I wouldn’t survive if anything happened to you. You, child, are part of my heart. I knew from the moment I found you that you were special.”
Hope soaked up the older woman’s words like thirsty plants soaked up water, and then sent up a prayer of thanks that this woman had been the one who’d found her all those years ago. “You say that about everyone.”
“Well, you’re especially special. God has plans for you. I can feel it.”
Hope covered the woman’s hand, knowing she’d never meet another soul as sweet as Sister Olive. “For all we know His plan is for me to find what’s happening and stop it.”
“Is that what you think?”
“I don’t know. What I do know is that I can’t stand by and do nothing. We’ve lost four regulars in as many months. And it’s been a week since I saw Rory.”
“That young woman with all the piercings and the pink hair?”
Hope nodded. “That’s the one. She didn’t come in every day, but she was here at least a couple times a week.”
“She was probably just passing through. It happens all the time.”
“She’s been around for more than a year. How is that passing through?” asked Hope. “Don’t I have a responsibility to look for her?”
Sister Olive sighed, pulled off the other glove, and set them on the workbench. “A shepherdess guarding her sheep. I guess I shouldn’t complain about that now, should I?”
“I’ll be careful,” she promised Sister Olive.
“You do that. This place
“I thought I’d find you up here,” said Sister Olive. She was in her sixties, dressed in faded, plain street clothes rather than a habit. Her iron gray hair was pulled back in a tight bun at her nape, and her eyes were the same color as the sky above her head.
“Did you need me?” asked Hope.
Sister Olive shook her head and went about tending her plants. “No, I just wanted to see if you were okay. You look tired.”
The scents of tomato plants and herbs filled the greenhouse, calming Hope’s frayed nerves. “I had a late night.”
Concern drew Sister Olive’s overgrown brows together. “I hope there was no trouble.”
Hope didn’t want to worry her. Sister Olive was the closest thing to a mother Hope had. She’d taken Hope in when no one else claimed her, given her enough education to get her GED, and helped her start her photography business. And while Hope would never make big bucks, her work helped fill some of the void her lack of memory had left behind by creating lasting memories for others.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” she said, praying it was the truth.
“You went out looking for people again, didn’t you?”
Hope couldn’t lie to a nun. “Someone has to.”
“You need to leave that to the police. You’re going to get hurt if you go sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. I know there are gaps in your education, but I thought I’d at least taught you that much.”
“I’m being careful,” said Hope. “Besides, the police can’t do much. They’re already stretched thin as it is. There aren’t resources for them to devote much time to looking for a handful of people they aren’t even convinced are really missing.”
“We’ve talked about this. People move on. They don’t always say good-bye.”
Hope filled a plastic watering can and hefted it up onto the bench beside Sister Olive. “I know that, but I have a bad feeling.”
“So do I. I’m worried you’re going to get hurt doing something you’re not even remotely equipped to do.”
“I have eyes. I can look for people as well as anyone else.”
Sister Olive’s mouth turned down at the edges as she stared over her glasses at Hope. “My fear is that you’ll actually find out what’s happened to them. The hard way.”
“So you do believe I’m right. There is something bad going on.”
Sister Olive stripped off her glove and cupped Hope’s cheek. “What I believe is that I wouldn’t survive if anything happened to you. You, child, are part of my heart. I knew from the moment I found you that you were special.”
Hope soaked up the older woman’s words like thirsty plants soaked up water, and then sent up a prayer of thanks that this woman had been the one who’d found her all those years ago. “You say that about everyone.”
“Well, you’re especially special. God has plans for you. I can feel it.”
Hope covered the woman’s hand, knowing she’d never meet another soul as sweet as Sister Olive. “For all we know His plan is for me to find what’s happening and stop it.”
“Is that what you think?”
“I don’t know. What I do know is that I can’t stand by and do nothing. We’ve lost four regulars in as many months. And it’s been a week since I saw Rory.”
“That young woman with all the piercings and the pink hair?”
Hope nodded. “That’s the one. She didn’t come in every day, but she was here at least a couple times a week.”
“She was probably just passing through. It happens all the time.”
“She’s been around for more than a year. How is that passing through?” asked Hope. “Don’t I have a responsibility to look for her?”
Sister Olive sighed, pulled off the other glove, and set them on the workbench. “A shepherdess guarding her sheep. I guess I shouldn’t complain about that now, should I?”
“I’ll be careful,” she promised Sister Olive.
“You do that. This place
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