The night air was refreshingly cold and a welcome relief from the stuffy and unpleasantly warm meeting room. Before Hope opened the car door she stopped to look at the stars in the sky, took in a deep breath, exhaled, and watched the steam from her breath slowly evaporate. Finally — peace.
“Burger King, OK?” asked Linda, slipping her seatbelt over her shoulder. “It’s on the way.”
“That’ll work,” said Hope. “Was it my imagination or did I see sparks back there?”
“Sparks. What do you mean?”
“You couldn’t take your eyes off of Conrad. He had you lit up like a Christmas tree.”
“No way. I was happy to see him. It had been a long time.”
“Uh-huh. You were happy, all right.”
Hope’s cellphone rang loudly, causing her to jump. “Who could that be?” She pulled the device from her purse and checked the display. “It’s my daughter, Jessica.”
Hope swiped across the screen several times before connecting to the incoming call. “Hey, sweetheart. Wasn’t expecting to hear from you until tomorrow.”
“Where are you?”
“Harmony Springs. You know that.”
“Where at in Harmony Springs?”
“Well, right now we’re pulling out of the Town Hall parking lot. Why?”
“I’ve been trying to find you. A worker at Grandma’s house said he thought you might stay at Ware’s Bed and Breakfast. I’m there now.”
“You’re in Harmony Springs?”
“Yes, Mama,” snapped Jessica. “Ware’s Bed and Breakfast in Harmony Springs.”
A sweet little voice interrupted. “Hi, Gram. I came to see you.”
“Emma,” chimed Hope, thrilled to hear her granddaughter’s voice. “Hi, precious. Gram missed you.”
“Mommy. Let me talk to Gram.”
“Hold on, Emma,” whined Jessica. “Mommy needs you to be quiet now.”
Jessica’s tone bothered Hope. Her daughter sounded stressed, and she had a good idea why. “Jessica. What did Chase do this time?”
“He violated his restraining order and showed up at the apartment. Out of his mind, drunk. I had to call the cops.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’ve had a chance to settle down. Thought we would be safer if we came here to live with you. I’ve had it with him. Somehow I’ve got to come up with the money to get a lawyer and get out of this horrible marriage. Chase is a lost cause. I give up. I was hoping we could live with you for a while.”
“Of course, you can.” Hope removed the phone from her ear and turned to Linda. “How fast can we get back to your place?”
“Ten minutes if we don’t stop.”
“Jessica. We’ll be there in ten minutes. And sweetheart. Everything will be all right.”
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