Marta Perry by Search the Dark

tomorrow, because Sarah is busy with church and family on Sunday. Monday I have to be in Williamsport on business, but I can stop and see her on the way back.”
    “I thought you worked from home.” Where her mother was a constant interference, he’d guess.
    “Mostly, yes, but I have to make some site visits. I’m doing an employee health and welfare handbook for a new client, and that means spending hours at the company.”
    “You like doing that?” She didn’t sound especially enthused.
    “It’s not my favorite part of the job, no. I’d rather work with figures.” Her smile flickered. “They’re easier to understand.”
    He studied her face. Was this life really what she wanted? “Why here?” he said. “With your skills, you could work anywhere. Why Deer Run?”
    “Why not Deer Run?” She said it lightly, but her eyes evaded his. “It’s home.”
    “I remember a girl who dreamed of seeing the world. What happened to her?” A girl who had encouraged him to dream big plans for the future. He remembered that, as well.
    Her expression didn’t change, but he thought she winced very slightly.
    “She grew up.” She turned, looking out at the water again, and linked her hands around her knee. “I was in my freshman year of college when my father got sick. Mom couldn’t cope, so I had to come home.” Her voice trembled a little on the words, and she seemed to steady herself. “He wanted to die at home, so I had to make that work.”
    “You. Not your mother.” That was Margo, shoving her responsibility off on her daughter.
    “She has a heart condition. She couldn’t manage.” Defensiveness threaded Meredith’s voice. “Anyway, I wanted to.” Her lips pressed together for a moment. “He left everything to me, and he asked me to promise I’d take care of my mother, just as he had.”
    Zach wanted to rage at her—to insist that John had had no right to ask her to give up her life for Margo’s sake. But he knew it wouldn’t do any good. She was held here as tightly as a princess in a tower, shackled by her own sense of responsibility.
    Meredith straightened, seeming to feel there was nothing else to be said on that subject. “What about Jeannette? Were you able to get anything out of her about my dad?”
    “Not much. She doesn’t trust me—no reason why she should. Even when I hinted that I had reason to dislike your father, she didn’t say much.” And what she did say would only make Meredith feel worse.
    “Was that really necessary?” Her eyes narrowed.
    “Can you think of a better way to get her talking? She was ready to believe I’d come back nursing a grudge for the way I was treated here.”
    Meredith studied his face. “That would be a logical assumption.”
    “Only if I were still a love-struck kid,” he said deliberately.
    Meredith drew back. “What exactly did Jeannette say to that? You may as well tell me. I can see there was something.”
    His jaw clenched. So he’d hurt her with his comment to push her away from the subject, but he was still going to have to tell her.
    “You know Jeannette. She’ll put the worst possible interpretation on anything.”
    “What did she say?”
    Clearly Meredith wouldn’t let it go. “It was more implication than an outright statement. She hinted that John hung around the teenagers. That he kept trying to talk to Laura privately. That he was too interested in her.”
    “That’s ridiculous.” Meredith snapped the words, her hands clenching into fists. “My father would never do anything like that. How can you say that?”
    “I didn’t say I believed it,” he protested. “I’m not even sure Jeannette does. She claimed all the kids noticed it, but I doubt that, since the rumor would have surfaced before now.”
    He watched her draw in a breath, fight for control and deliberately unclench her fists. “If she starts spreading that lie around, I’ll sue her.”
    “Relax, Meredith. Jeannette was just using the threat to make you