to Emily’s visitation.” She glanced at Blair. “I talked to a lot of people, got a lot of quotes.”
Blair turned back to her. “Anything we can use?”
“No hard facts. Just comments from friends and mourners.”
Her mother looked at her. “Sadie, until this killer is found, you don’t need to be out walking around at night.”
“She’s right,” Morgan said. “You could have used the car.”
Sadie lowered into a chair and contemplated her mother’s newfound sense of authority over her. She’d never given her parameters before—not until she’d come to Hanover House, and watched how Morgan and Jonathan drew limitations.
Sadie got a cookie and took a bite. “What would you think if I’m with a cop when I go out?”
Morgan and Blair turned to look at her, and Sheila frowned. “What cop? Cade?”
Sadie grinned. “No, Scott Crown. He kind of asked me out.”
Blair grinned, but Morgan was clearly troubled. “The new cop? How old is he, Sadie?”
“One year older than me. He’s nineteen. And Cade thinks he’s trustworthy enough to be upholding the law.”
She could see Morgan was searching for a reason to keep her from going. She never liked for her to date, since Sadie had shown poor judgment in her choices before. It was as if she was sure of Sadie being led down the proverbial “wrong path” again. Blair looked triumphant, though, and Sheila seemed to gauge both of their reactions, before reacting herself.
“He’s the one who found Emily’s body yesterday,” Blair said. “Seems like a nice guy. Cade wouldn’t have hired him if he weren’t.”
“Still,” Morgan said. “Sadie’s in high school. He’s already out, probably has his own apartment.”
“I won’t go there,” she said. “I know better than that. We just want to go to the movies.”
She saw the struggle on Morgan’s face, but finally, her mother saved the day. “When are you going, baby?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Then we need to go through your closet and figure out what you’re gonna wear. No hand-me-downs for a first date. Has to be something nice if you’re going out with somebody important like that.”
Sadie looked at Morgan, and saw that she was biting back her reservations. She’d deferred to Sheila, and Sheila was letting her go.
She hoped it didn’t cause problems between them.
The front doorbell rang, and Sadie heard the door opening. “Anybody home?”
Blair came out of her seat. “In here, Cade!”
He appeared in the doorway. “How’s it going?”
Everyone greeted him, and Blair went to reach up and kiss him. The sight of that did Sadie good. Blair and Cade—two of her favorite people on the island—deserved each other.
“Just the man we needed to see,” Sheila said.
Sadie noted a flicker of something as Blair turned to look at her mother. Blair clearly thought Sheila had a crush on Cade. The truth was, Sadie thought so, too.
“Oh, yeah?” Cade smiled.
“Yeah. Sadie has a date with Scott Crown tomorrow night. Should we let her go?”
“Mom!” Sadie felt sick. What if Cade went back and ribbed Scott about it, or worse, chewed him out for dating a school-aged kid? She wanted to crawl under the table.
Cade looked from Sheila to Sadie, as if he didn’t quite like the idea. But then he shrugged. “He’s a good man. I wouldn’t worry too much.”
Sadie breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned back to Blair. “Can I talk to you out back for a minute?”
“Yeah, sure.”
As Cade took Blair’s hand and led her out to the backyard, Sadie turned back to her mother. Sheila was watching them with a trace of longing in her eyes.
If she was interested in Cade, maybe it was a good thing. Maybe it meant that her tastes had changed. And since Cade wasn’t exactly available, maybe it would keep her from making any mistakes with other men.
There were worse things than setting her sights too high.
S o what did you want to tell me?” Blair asked as they stepped into the
Blair turned back to her. “Anything we can use?”
“No hard facts. Just comments from friends and mourners.”
Her mother looked at her. “Sadie, until this killer is found, you don’t need to be out walking around at night.”
“She’s right,” Morgan said. “You could have used the car.”
Sadie lowered into a chair and contemplated her mother’s newfound sense of authority over her. She’d never given her parameters before—not until she’d come to Hanover House, and watched how Morgan and Jonathan drew limitations.
Sadie got a cookie and took a bite. “What would you think if I’m with a cop when I go out?”
Morgan and Blair turned to look at her, and Sheila frowned. “What cop? Cade?”
Sadie grinned. “No, Scott Crown. He kind of asked me out.”
Blair grinned, but Morgan was clearly troubled. “The new cop? How old is he, Sadie?”
“One year older than me. He’s nineteen. And Cade thinks he’s trustworthy enough to be upholding the law.”
She could see Morgan was searching for a reason to keep her from going. She never liked for her to date, since Sadie had shown poor judgment in her choices before. It was as if she was sure of Sadie being led down the proverbial “wrong path” again. Blair looked triumphant, though, and Sheila seemed to gauge both of their reactions, before reacting herself.
“He’s the one who found Emily’s body yesterday,” Blair said. “Seems like a nice guy. Cade wouldn’t have hired him if he weren’t.”
“Still,” Morgan said. “Sadie’s in high school. He’s already out, probably has his own apartment.”
“I won’t go there,” she said. “I know better than that. We just want to go to the movies.”
She saw the struggle on Morgan’s face, but finally, her mother saved the day. “When are you going, baby?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Then we need to go through your closet and figure out what you’re gonna wear. No hand-me-downs for a first date. Has to be something nice if you’re going out with somebody important like that.”
Sadie looked at Morgan, and saw that she was biting back her reservations. She’d deferred to Sheila, and Sheila was letting her go.
She hoped it didn’t cause problems between them.
The front doorbell rang, and Sadie heard the door opening. “Anybody home?”
Blair came out of her seat. “In here, Cade!”
He appeared in the doorway. “How’s it going?”
Everyone greeted him, and Blair went to reach up and kiss him. The sight of that did Sadie good. Blair and Cade—two of her favorite people on the island—deserved each other.
“Just the man we needed to see,” Sheila said.
Sadie noted a flicker of something as Blair turned to look at her mother. Blair clearly thought Sheila had a crush on Cade. The truth was, Sadie thought so, too.
“Oh, yeah?” Cade smiled.
“Yeah. Sadie has a date with Scott Crown tomorrow night. Should we let her go?”
“Mom!” Sadie felt sick. What if Cade went back and ribbed Scott about it, or worse, chewed him out for dating a school-aged kid? She wanted to crawl under the table.
Cade looked from Sheila to Sadie, as if he didn’t quite like the idea. But then he shrugged. “He’s a good man. I wouldn’t worry too much.”
Sadie breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned back to Blair. “Can I talk to you out back for a minute?”
“Yeah, sure.”
As Cade took Blair’s hand and led her out to the backyard, Sadie turned back to her mother. Sheila was watching them with a trace of longing in her eyes.
If she was interested in Cade, maybe it was a good thing. Maybe it meant that her tastes had changed. And since Cade wasn’t exactly available, maybe it would keep her from making any mistakes with other men.
There were worse things than setting her sights too high.
S o what did you want to tell me?” Blair asked as they stepped into the
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