Faith found Abby sitting at her desk, staring at the phone in her hand. She didn’t even look up when Faith entered the office and shut the door behind her. Her footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors, finally drawing Abby’s attention.
Abby’s red-rimmed eyes met Faith’s, and she said, “That was a lot harder than I expected.”
Faith leaned against her desk and placed a hand over her sister’s. “You don’t have to tell me. I just had a meltdown outside.”
Abby’s lips twitched into a tiny smile. “A meltdown? You? That doesn’t sound like my little sister.”
“I know. Poor Hunter. He had to put me back together.”
“Hunter, huh?” Abby asked with sudden interest. “What’s going on there?”
Faith could still feel his arms around her as she said, “We have a date on Saturday.”
“Oh, oh, oh! You should see the look on your face. You’re smitten.” Abby grinned. “Way smitten.”
“Maybe.” But the thought of being alone with him on Saturday made her giddy.
“Wait, don’t you have a date with Brian on Friday?” Abby asked, her brows drawn together in confusion. “Are you dating two guys now?”
“No. I’m not dating two guys.” Though, technically she supposed she was. “I think ‘dating’ is overstating things.”
“So you have a date on Friday with Brian and one on Saturday with Hunter. Damn, little sister.” Abby’s eyes glinted with mischief. “You’re a player.”
“Calm down. Weren’t you the one making eyes at Clay while you were technically still with whatshisname from New Orleans?”
Abby laughed. “Maybe. But I sure wasn’t dating both of them at the same time during the same weekend. I’m impressed, Faith. Seriously. You go months without a date, and now you have the two hottest guys in town vying for your attention. Well done, babe.”
“Thanks. I think,” Faith said, feeling anxious about her date with Brian. She liked him, but she already knew the person she really wanted to be with was Hunter. She grimaced. “I don’t think I’m cut out for playing the field. I should probably cancel my date with Brian.”
“So… you like Hunter that much?”
Faith nodded. “More than that much, I think.”
Abby gave her a sympathetic nod. “I get it. Good luck there.”
“Thanks,” Faith said. They both turned their attention to the phone that was lying on the desk. Faith bit down on her bottom lip before asking, “What did she say?”
Abby gripped the chair arms as her expression turned sour. “She’s sorry. Sorry for a lot, it appears. For leaving. For only writing to you. For asking you to keep her letter a secret.” Abby scoffed. “She said she wanted to ease back into our lives one at a time and that she thought you might be the most amenable because you were always an easy child.”
“Easy? Sure,” Faith said, matching her sister’s scoff. “She has some nerve. Did you tell her no one is interested in her apologies?”
“More or less.” Abby sat back in the chair, looking defeated.
“What is it, Abs?”
She visibly swallowed and then forced out, “I told her she could come on Sunday.”
“You… what? She’s coming here on Sunday? Where?” Faith’s heart started to hammer against her ribcage. What if she melted down again?
“I told her she could come to my house.” Abby closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. “I didn’t know what else to say.”
“Your house, Abs? What about Olive and Clay? Are you sure you want that?” Olive was Clay’s daughter from his first marriage and Abby’s stepdaughter. She had just turned ten, and introducing her to a grandmother that was likely to flee again didn’t sound like a good idea.
“No, I’m not sure I want her in our house at all, but I couldn’t think of anywhere else that wasn’t public. I’ll have Clay take Olive to his mom’s.” She opened her eyes, her expression pained. “Was that okay, Faith? I didn’t know what to say. But one thing I know for sure is that when I finally came home, I was tired of running. And the only thing I wanted was to reconnect with my family. That’s what she says she wants too, and if that’s true…”
“Your situation wasn’t even close to the same as Mom’s, Abby,” Faith said earnestly. “You left Keating Hollow, but you never left us. Never. I know you kept your distance for your own reasons, but we always knew where you were and how to reach you.”
“I know. I just… We don’t know her reasons for leaving, and Faith, I think I really need to know. For my own understanding about what happened, I need her to tell us why she left.” Her phone went off, causing her to jump. She fished it out of her pocket and read a text. “I need to go pick up Olive from a friend’s house.”
“Okay,” Faith said, running a hand through her long blond hair. “Thanks for coming. I guess I kind of dumped this on you.”
Her sister wrapped her in her arms and held on tight. “That’s what big sisters are here for.” When Abby released her, she gave Faith a devilish smile. “Now, it’s up to you to tell Noel and Yvette.”
“What? No. I’ll tell Yvette, but Noel’s your job,” Faith said, holding her hands up and walking backward.
Abby snorted. “Please. You’re the only one who could tell Noel without her stabbing someone with the closest sharp object.” She rushed across the room, her keys already in her hand. Just before she slipped out, she said, “I’d call Noel sooner rather than later. She’ll need time to calm down.” She blew Faith a kiss. “Love you.”
The door closed behind Abby, and Faith took her seat, staring at her phone. Shaking her head, she picked it up, cursed Abby, and called Noel.
Hunter’s muscles ached with fatigue after his long week of working at Lin Townsend’s farm and Faith’s spa. His body was screaming for a shower, a decent meal, and a nice long nap, but he was getting close to finishing Faith’s outdoor sanctuary and needed her opinion on lighting fixtures. Not to mention that he was dying to see her, to touch her, and to wrap her in his arms again.
It was late Friday afternoon, and darkness had fallen over the town of Keating Hollow. But the stars were shining bright, and he wondered if he could talk Faith into a stroll down by the river. His aching body be damned, all he really wanted to do was spend more time with her. He knocked on her office door and waited.
No answer.
He knocked again.
When he didn’t hear anything inside, he turned the knob and poked his head in. The office was dark. She’d already left.
Disappointed, he flipped the light on and headed to her desk, intending to leave a note and the fixture samples so she’d see them in the morning. But as he rummaged around for a pen and a piece of paper, he spotted a couple of old, faded pictures lying on her desk—pictures of a woman he knew. The woman who’d raised him since he was nine-years-old.
He dropped the light fixtures on the desk and held the picture up to the light to get a better look. He stared at Gia, his uncle’s long-term live-in girlfriend, the one he’d both loved and hated for nine years until he’d left his uncle’s house and moved out on his own.
What was Faith doing with a picture of his pseudo-aunt? He picked up the second picture and swore. Gia was front and center, with four little girls huddled around her. One had dark hair, and the other three were blond. He flipped it over and spotted the note scrawled on the bottom. Gabrielle, Yvette, Noel, Abby, and Faith Townsend.
He dropped the picture and shook his head. Gia was Faith’s mother? How was that possible? Why would Gia leave someone like Lincoln Townsend and four beautiful girls to live out in the middle of nowhere with Mason McCormick? But he suspected he already knew the answer. And he for sure didn’t want her bringing her troubles back to Keating Hollow.
After scrawling a note to Faith about the light fixtures, he pulled out his phone, took a picture of the photo, and sent a text to Vivian to let her know he’d be gone until the morning. Then he headed straight for his truck. He had a long drive ahead of him.