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“It may take a few weeks for me to find someone, but I will be very careful with any recommendations. I want Simon only with someone I could trust completely.”
“Okay, see what you can find, and I’ll tell my sister. I appreciate your help.” After a few more pleasantries, she ended the call. Marley rose and stretched before nosing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his soft fur. Even the best dog in the world wasn’t going to make her feel better about this.
A car stopped at the curb, and she gasped. “Dad?” She jumped up and hurried down the steps to hug him. His familiar scent of pipe tobacco and lemon gumdrops enveloped her, and he looked as assured and handsome as ever, though his auburn hair had softened to brown with the years. He’d help—wouldn’t he?
“How’s my girl? We have the big game this weekend, so I thought I’d surprise you. That quarterback, Will Dixon, is setting new school records.”
“I’m sure his mom is proud.” She had to keep him out on the porch so he didn’t see Simon. Jess would die if he found out she’d had a child out of wedlock. “I’m so glad to see you. Let’s sit on the porch. It’s a beautiful fall morning.”
He inhaled as he followed her to the porch. “Ah, the scent of gardenias and roses. There’s no place like Tupelo Grove.” He stopped to pet Marley, who came to greet him. “Good boy.”
An idea began to form as they settled on the porch chairs. She could stay at his condo in Pensacola with Simon. It shouldn’t be hard to find a sitter while she worked, and she’d be out of the neighborhood without running the risk of someone spotting Simon.
“I’ve missed you. Hey, Dad, you still have your condo, don’t you?”
“Of course. It’s my sanctuary.”
“I have an emergency and really need your help. Could I borrow it for a few weeks?”
His brown eyes narrowed, and he frowned. “Aren’t you up for tenure here? You’re not quitting, are you?”
“No, no, nothing like that. It’s not something I can talk about. It would only be for a couple of weeks.”
He shook his head, and a thick lock of hair fell over his forehead. “No can do, Savannah. I like my own space, and besides, it wouldn’t be that convenient for you. I’m sure you can find something closer.”
She hadn’t meant she wanted to live with him, but she could hardly say that. Her initial bubble of hope deflated. “I understand.” Dad’s life revolved around golf, the occasional TGU board meeting, and his money.
He studied her face. “What’s going on?”
While she frantically tried to come up with a way to deflect his question, his phone sounded. “It’s Beckett. I need to take this. Let’s do dinner one night this week.” He swiped on his phone and ambled back toward his car.
Beckett. She still had to deal with his behavior too. What a mess she had on her plate. She watched her dad get in his blue sedan and drive away. No matter how much she wished she could forget how he’d treated Jess, reminders of his selfishness always surfaced. She needed to realize he was never going to change.
The door stood ajar when she went to the front door, and she frowned. Had Simon been listening at some point? She hoped he hadn’t caught the gist of the conversation with Sarita. She called for her nephew and he didn’t answer. His room was empty, and she picked up the iPad on his bed. The screen lit, and she saw a newspaper article about Jess’s arrest. “Oh no,” she said under her breath. She’d put off his questions, so he’d gone looking for answers.
She went back through the house again, calling for him. The refrigerator stood open, and the back door was unlocked. She hurried outside and called for him again. Her agitation mounted with every step. Had he overheard her plans to ship him off? If so, he might have run away again.
Chapter 32
Hez loved Dirt. He started playing back in law school during study breaks, and he quickly got addicted. So when Simon said he enjoyed racing games, Hez couldn’t wait to go home and dig up all the Dirt he had. He’d managed to locate almost the entire series, which he now carried in a box with his PlayStation. Regrettably, Savannah had banned all of his war games.
He walked up the path to her cottage, humming a catchy theme from Dirt 5. He bounced up the steps to her porch and knocked on her door. It creaked open.
“Savannah?”
No response.
He set the box of games on a chair and pushed the door open. “Savannah?” he called more loudly. “Simon?”
Silence.
His heart hammered as he walked through the empty house, calling their names. It felt like the awful moments he always relived in nightmares, searching the empty house for Ella and finding the sliding door open.
The cottage’s back door stood ajar. The familiar horror threatened to strangle him as he pushed it open. She’d been attacked once. He should have made sure she was using her security. Horrific images of finding her and Simon lying in a pool of blood ran through his head.
Please, God. Don’t let it happen again.
“Savannah!” He stepped out onto the back deck. She was his whole world, and she had to be safe. He stopped and called her name again.
