hot coals before taking a dime.
Her father wasn’t upset that she’d moved to Ohio. He was upset that she was working for a bank . She wondered how he’d feel if he knew the truth – that the armed security guards in the lobby had made her feel safer about going to work than she’d felt in the entire ten years she’d counseled victims of sexual assault.
‘The job at the bank’s not forever, Dad,’ she said gently. ‘It’s just until I can figure out what to do with my life. I’m kind of at a crossroads. Looking for a change. But I need to pay the bills while I figure things out.’
‘Of course you do,’ he said firmly, his disapproval, if not gone, at least hidden for the time being. ‘But honey, if you’re at a crossroads, you should come home. You could live here, with me and Lily.’ His voice became wheedling. ‘We have a new neighbor who would be perfect for you. He’s handsome and I’ve told him all about you.’
Faith’s response was a strangled groan. ‘ Dad. ’
‘Richard!’ Lily exclaimed. ‘Leave her be. She’s got to find her own way.’
‘Her own way is too damn far away,’ he grumbled. ‘What if she meets some guy? How will I grill him? On Skype? Hell, I don’t look half as threatening on Skype.’
Faith smiled, the first time she’d done so in more than four weeks. ‘I’m not meeting any men, but if I do and it’s serious, I’ll bring him home so that you can give him the full treatment.’
‘Promise?’
Her smile faltered, her eyes stinging, and she was suddenly, fiercely glad they weren’t on Skype. She injected a bright note into her voice and hoped she’d pulled it off. ‘I promise.’
The long pause told her she had not. ‘You’ll call me if you need me?’ he asked.
‘I just did,’ she said softly. ‘I love you, Dad.’
‘I love you too, baby,’ he whispered. He cleared his throat. ‘Call me again, please. Soon. The sound of your voice is so much nicer than all those texts and emails.’
Faith swallowed hard. ‘I will, Dad. I promise. I have to hang up now. I’m at the curvy part of the road. I need to concentrate on driving.’
‘I don’t like you being all alone in that big house,’ he said, making one last-ditch effort to keep her on the line. ‘It’s in the middle of nowhere and anybody could break in and hurt you.’
‘Maybe,’ Lily interjected quietly, ‘you’d feel better if Faith had an alarm system installed.’
‘It would cost too much,’ her father said. ‘She doesn’t have money to spend on an alarm.’
‘Actually, it already has one. Gran’s attorney said they put one in years ago because they’d had some squatters.’ Faith didn’t mention her gun. Her father didn’t like guns.
‘I’d feel better if you got a dog,’ he said. ‘A big dog. With big teeth.’
‘I’ll think about it,’ Faith said, surprised to realize how appealing the idea was. A dog would make coming home to an empty house a lot less lonely. ‘I really have to go now. I love you both.’ She tapped her earpiece to hang up before he could offer any new worries or before Lily could finish the interrogation she’d started.
Tim McGraw’s voice took over her speakers once again, but she turned the volume down a little so that she could think.
Calling Detective Vega would have to wait until she got to the house. She didn’t have the number for Miami PD programmed into her new phone, so she’d have to Google it.
A glance at the clock on her dash had her grimacing. Traffic had made her a few minutes late. The locksmith was probably there already, but she wasn’t about to speed on these curves. She hoped the man wouldn’t leave without—
The animal came out of nowhere, hurling itself into her path. A big animal. Faith slammed on the brakes and wrenched the wheel to the left to avoid it – just as the road curved again.
Before she could adjust, her tires slipped off the edge of the road, propelling her down the embankment. Panic
Her father wasn’t upset that she’d moved to Ohio. He was upset that she was working for a bank . She wondered how he’d feel if he knew the truth – that the armed security guards in the lobby had made her feel safer about going to work than she’d felt in the entire ten years she’d counseled victims of sexual assault.
‘The job at the bank’s not forever, Dad,’ she said gently. ‘It’s just until I can figure out what to do with my life. I’m kind of at a crossroads. Looking for a change. But I need to pay the bills while I figure things out.’
‘Of course you do,’ he said firmly, his disapproval, if not gone, at least hidden for the time being. ‘But honey, if you’re at a crossroads, you should come home. You could live here, with me and Lily.’ His voice became wheedling. ‘We have a new neighbor who would be perfect for you. He’s handsome and I’ve told him all about you.’
Faith’s response was a strangled groan. ‘ Dad. ’
‘Richard!’ Lily exclaimed. ‘Leave her be. She’s got to find her own way.’
‘Her own way is too damn far away,’ he grumbled. ‘What if she meets some guy? How will I grill him? On Skype? Hell, I don’t look half as threatening on Skype.’
Faith smiled, the first time she’d done so in more than four weeks. ‘I’m not meeting any men, but if I do and it’s serious, I’ll bring him home so that you can give him the full treatment.’
‘Promise?’
Her smile faltered, her eyes stinging, and she was suddenly, fiercely glad they weren’t on Skype. She injected a bright note into her voice and hoped she’d pulled it off. ‘I promise.’
The long pause told her she had not. ‘You’ll call me if you need me?’ he asked.
‘I just did,’ she said softly. ‘I love you, Dad.’
‘I love you too, baby,’ he whispered. He cleared his throat. ‘Call me again, please. Soon. The sound of your voice is so much nicer than all those texts and emails.’
Faith swallowed hard. ‘I will, Dad. I promise. I have to hang up now. I’m at the curvy part of the road. I need to concentrate on driving.’
‘I don’t like you being all alone in that big house,’ he said, making one last-ditch effort to keep her on the line. ‘It’s in the middle of nowhere and anybody could break in and hurt you.’
‘Maybe,’ Lily interjected quietly, ‘you’d feel better if Faith had an alarm system installed.’
‘It would cost too much,’ her father said. ‘She doesn’t have money to spend on an alarm.’
‘Actually, it already has one. Gran’s attorney said they put one in years ago because they’d had some squatters.’ Faith didn’t mention her gun. Her father didn’t like guns.
‘I’d feel better if you got a dog,’ he said. ‘A big dog. With big teeth.’
‘I’ll think about it,’ Faith said, surprised to realize how appealing the idea was. A dog would make coming home to an empty house a lot less lonely. ‘I really have to go now. I love you both.’ She tapped her earpiece to hang up before he could offer any new worries or before Lily could finish the interrogation she’d started.
Tim McGraw’s voice took over her speakers once again, but she turned the volume down a little so that she could think.
Calling Detective Vega would have to wait until she got to the house. She didn’t have the number for Miami PD programmed into her new phone, so she’d have to Google it.
A glance at the clock on her dash had her grimacing. Traffic had made her a few minutes late. The locksmith was probably there already, but she wasn’t about to speed on these curves. She hoped the man wouldn’t leave without—
The animal came out of nowhere, hurling itself into her path. A big animal. Faith slammed on the brakes and wrenched the wheel to the left to avoid it – just as the road curved again.
Before she could adjust, her tires slipped off the edge of the road, propelling her down the embankment. Panic
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