car door. “Listen, I need to go. I only wanted to tell you to quit this fundraiser nonsense and think logically.”
She balked. “Tell me?”
The chief coughed. “All right, all right—
ask
you to reconsider your involvement with the fundraiser. I’d rather you stay out of the media altogether. We don’t want any criminals getting ideas.”
The word
ask
had likely lodged in his throat a few times before emerging. Marissa would have laughed if the entire situation wasn’t so unbelievably frustrating. She clenched the phone in a tight grip and shook her head. “It’s too late. Things are already in the works.” An image of Jacob teased the fringes of her mind and she swallowed.
More than you know.
“Besides, I’m still not convinced this fire is connected anyway. You’re jaded.”
“And you’re naive.” He muttered something that might have been a goodbye before the line clicked into silence.
Marissa returned the phone to its receiver, wishing she’d been able to ask about Jacob’s involvement with the fire tonight. But her father would have said something if any of his men had been injured—and so would the news anchor.
The chief’s words replayed in Marissa’s head as she watched the flames slowly extinguish on the television.
The media reports what we tell them.
She turned the TV off with a click and made her way through the dark living room to her bedroom. Her dad didn’t have the right to be overprotective anymore. He gave that up with every missed party, late dinner andskipped school play. Besides, she knew the people of Orchid Hill. No one would react to the layoffs in such a drastic manner. Her father was mistaken. About a lot of things.
Chapter Nine
J acob had never seen anyone so beautiful look so nervous. He watched Marissa clutch a Bible in her left hand, her right hand absently working the purple jeweled charm on the end of her necklace as she looked down at Owen. “You sure you’ll be okay, buddy?” Her purple silky dress, cinched in the middle with a black belt, set off the blond in her hair and the green in her eyes until Jacob could hardly bear to look away.
Owen frowned up at his mom, as if he couldn’t imagine why she’d even ask such a thing. “Uh, yeah, Mom. You said this would be fun, didn’t you? Not like real school.”
Marissa smiled, but the motion was almost lost beneath the worry in her eyes. “You’re right. It will be fun.” She looked away, biting her lower lip, and Jacob frowned. There was no way she was this worked up over her son going to a Sunday school class. No, there was something else causing the bags beneath her eyes and the lines in her brow and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the stress over Olivia’s upcoming party or the fundraiser.
More likely it had everything to do with the panickedglances she kept casting around them as if the church might literally bite her if she stayed a moment longer.
“It’ll be great.” Jacob shifted his weight, not used to standing in one place for so long in his dress shoes that squashed his toes—and also not fooled by Marissa’s fake smile. He wished he could hug her. But that would be overstepping the defined line drawn in the proverbial sand. He cleared his throat, leaning closer and lowering his voice to avoid drawing Owen’s attention. “Are you okay?”
Marissa nodded, meeting his eyes briefly before glancing back at her son. “I’m fine.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but Olivia interrupted. “Our teacher is nice,” she assured Owen, looking sweet as always in a floral-print dress and pink shoes. “I think this week we’re going to learn about Noah. He’s the guy who built a really big boat.”
“Awesome. Boats are almost as cool as fire trucks.” Owen beamed with excitement, and Jacob caught the wince Marissa stifled a moment too late. He quickly checked his watch. The service was about to start, and not a minute too soon. He still didn’t understand Marissa’s
She balked. “Tell me?”
The chief coughed. “All right, all right—
ask
you to reconsider your involvement with the fundraiser. I’d rather you stay out of the media altogether. We don’t want any criminals getting ideas.”
The word
ask
had likely lodged in his throat a few times before emerging. Marissa would have laughed if the entire situation wasn’t so unbelievably frustrating. She clenched the phone in a tight grip and shook her head. “It’s too late. Things are already in the works.” An image of Jacob teased the fringes of her mind and she swallowed.
More than you know.
“Besides, I’m still not convinced this fire is connected anyway. You’re jaded.”
“And you’re naive.” He muttered something that might have been a goodbye before the line clicked into silence.
Marissa returned the phone to its receiver, wishing she’d been able to ask about Jacob’s involvement with the fire tonight. But her father would have said something if any of his men had been injured—and so would the news anchor.
The chief’s words replayed in Marissa’s head as she watched the flames slowly extinguish on the television.
The media reports what we tell them.
She turned the TV off with a click and made her way through the dark living room to her bedroom. Her dad didn’t have the right to be overprotective anymore. He gave that up with every missed party, late dinner andskipped school play. Besides, she knew the people of Orchid Hill. No one would react to the layoffs in such a drastic manner. Her father was mistaken. About a lot of things.
Chapter Nine
J acob had never seen anyone so beautiful look so nervous. He watched Marissa clutch a Bible in her left hand, her right hand absently working the purple jeweled charm on the end of her necklace as she looked down at Owen. “You sure you’ll be okay, buddy?” Her purple silky dress, cinched in the middle with a black belt, set off the blond in her hair and the green in her eyes until Jacob could hardly bear to look away.
Owen frowned up at his mom, as if he couldn’t imagine why she’d even ask such a thing. “Uh, yeah, Mom. You said this would be fun, didn’t you? Not like real school.”
Marissa smiled, but the motion was almost lost beneath the worry in her eyes. “You’re right. It will be fun.” She looked away, biting her lower lip, and Jacob frowned. There was no way she was this worked up over her son going to a Sunday school class. No, there was something else causing the bags beneath her eyes and the lines in her brow and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the stress over Olivia’s upcoming party or the fundraiser.
More likely it had everything to do with the panickedglances she kept casting around them as if the church might literally bite her if she stayed a moment longer.
“It’ll be great.” Jacob shifted his weight, not used to standing in one place for so long in his dress shoes that squashed his toes—and also not fooled by Marissa’s fake smile. He wished he could hug her. But that would be overstepping the defined line drawn in the proverbial sand. He cleared his throat, leaning closer and lowering his voice to avoid drawing Owen’s attention. “Are you okay?”
Marissa nodded, meeting his eyes briefly before glancing back at her son. “I’m fine.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but Olivia interrupted. “Our teacher is nice,” she assured Owen, looking sweet as always in a floral-print dress and pink shoes. “I think this week we’re going to learn about Noah. He’s the guy who built a really big boat.”
“Awesome. Boats are almost as cool as fire trucks.” Owen beamed with excitement, and Jacob caught the wince Marissa stifled a moment too late. He quickly checked his watch. The service was about to start, and not a minute too soon. He still didn’t understand Marissa’s
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