Marlin's Faith: The Virtues Book II by A.J. Downey Page A

street. Fuck. I needed some fuckin’ coffee.
    “Look man, I would take you up on breakfast, but we got some place we gotta be, and probably just enough time to hit a drive through and eat in the parking lot.”
    “I hear you. It’s been a while, Man. Y’all should come back for a proper visit soon.”
    “Yeah, what about you?” I asked, bending to retrieve my blanket off the ground, wadding it, leaf litter and all into a bundle I could shove it in my saddle bags. I thrust my chin in the direction where I’d parked the bike and Faith fell into step on my one side, Bobby on the other, his rifle resting nonchalantly on his shoulder.
    “What about me?”
    “When was the last time you came out my direction, Boy?”
    “You got me there, I could use a day on the water with some beer and some fishin’.”
    “Sounds good, you know how to hit me up.”
    “That I do,” he stuck out his hand and I shook it, and then he stuck out his hand to Faith, who shied back and quickly grasped his fingers before letting go, equally quick.
    “Nice to meet you, Faith.” Bobby tipped his red trucker hat at her and turned, walking back the way he’d come after shooting me a look that clearly read he’d be hittin’ me up sooner rather than later. Fine by me, we had to go.
    “Ready, Baby Girl?” I asked her. She nodded rapidly, and I shoved the blanket back in my saddle bag while she donned my helmet and safety glasses I’d left on the seat for her.
    We rode through a coffee stand and drank it in the parking lot, she barely picked at her pastry I’d bought to go along with it, but she put enough of it down to satisfy me. It was just to hold her until we got back to Ft. Royal.
    I drove her over to the office building that the good doctor had her set up in and sat back against the bike, pulling out a cigarette.
    “Aren’t you going in with me?” she asked softly.
    “Nope.”
    She frowned slightly, “Why not?”
    “This is all you, Baby Girl. I’m not here to make you do nothin’. You asked me to drive you to your appointment and I’ve done that. The rest is on you. No one but you can make the decision to go in there, to get better. We can help you here and there, but this part of the journey is all yours.” She stared at me, her aquamarine eyes wide and fuckin’ stunning in the bright sunshine.
    “You won’t even come into the waiting room?” she asked.
    “Nope, this place, this time, it’s all yours. I’ll be right here waiting for you to come out.” I watched her chew her bottom lip in apprehension and smiled. Of course, that must be it. I pulled my keys to the bike out of my pocket and up ended her hand, dropping them in. I curled her fingers around them and said, “I promise, and you can count on that, alright?”
    She stared at the keys, at her hand resting in my palm, and I took it away. She looked up at me solemn, but a big chunk of the anxiety that’d been in her face the moment before was gone. She took a deep, deep breath and handed me the keys back.
    “I believe you, Marlin,” she said quietly and I smiled.
    “Glad to hear it, Baby Girl.” And with one last lingering look over her shoulder she went into the building.
     

Chapter 12
    Faith
     
    I’d been quiet when I’d come out of the office, and on the ride back to the house. I’d had a lot to think about. I still had a lot to think about. Dr. Shiendland had been quiet and attentive, had listened and asked questions, and I was surprised to find that it was easy to talk to her. We’d talked about the boy, about his gift of the leather wristband and why I couldn’t stop thinking about him, but I found myself extremely reluctant to talk about Marlin, so I simply hadn’t brought him up.
    When we arrived back at the house, Hope and Cutter were waiting on the front steps, my sister was agitated, bouncing in place, Cutter’s hand on her shoulders as if he were the only thing holding her in place, and that very well could be. When we pulled up, I