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Just when she thought the call was going to go unanswered, Morgan connected, her delicate features immediately looking flustered on the small screen.

“I’m so sorry. My tablet was dead and I didn’t realize it. I had to find my charger.” Familiar exhaustion threaded through her voice, making Hannah’s heart ache.

She pasted on a smile. “Totally fine. I’m sorry we didn’t call yesterday. As I texted you, by the time I left the gift swap with my friends and we returned from my parents’ house it was late and I didn’t want to wake you. Plus the children were pretty tired.”

Morgan looked around Hannah through the screen, her brow creasing with concern. “Where are they? Is everything okay with them?”

Hannah shifted on her bed, glancing at the locked door between her bedroom and the rest of the house, where she could hear the soft murmur of children’s voices. “They’re fine. They’re in the other room coloring some pictures for you. I didn’t tell them I was FaceTiming you right now because I wanted a chance to talk to you first.”

“Okay.” Morgan’s voice carried a note of wariness.

“Everything is fine,” she assured her friend quickly. “I just wanted to speak with you alone without the children here. I need to tell you something.”

Morgan shifted uneasily, her face wavering slightly on the screen. “What is it?” she asked, her voice thready with sudden nerves. “Are they okay?”

“They’re fine.”

Hannah took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Morgan, you told me things were strained between you and your father. I don’t know any particulars. But I need to tell you that your father is here in Shelter Springs.”

She watched shock and dismay flash across Morgan’s features, followed by something else that looked surprisingly like yearning, a raw expression that was there and gone in an instant.

“What? No, he’s not. That’s impossible.”

“He is. I know it must be a shock, but I’ve spoken with him.”

“You’ve what?” What little color was on her pale cheeks seemed to leach away.

Hannah let out a breath. “I haven’t told you that I’ve seen a strange pickup truck around town several times over the past few weeks. I’ll admit, it unnerved me a little as it seemed to be following me and the children. Last night, Wes finally intervened and discovered the man I thought was stalking us is your father.”

“Stalking you? What is he doing there? I told him I did not want to see him.” Color rushed back to her features in a hot tide, her expression clearly conveying her distress. This was exactly why Hannah had not wanted to tell her.

“He’s here because he’s worried about you. He came to see you in Shelter Springs because apparently you’ve blocked his number and blocked him on your social media.”

“I had to.” The words came out broken, filled with a pain that made Hannah’s chest tighten.

“He tried to visit your house several times but you weren’t there. He also stopped at your place of work and was told by someone at the school that you’re on indefinite leave.”

“That’s none of his business. They should not have told him anything.” Morgan’s voice carried a sharp edge now, despite her fragile state.

Hannah could not disagree and expected Morgan would have a word with the school staff about sharing her personal, private information.

“Regardless, the day he went to the school trying to find you, he happened to see Riley and Carter leaving, walking to my house. Without letting them know he was there, he followed them, trying to figure out where you might be.”

“He had no right!” Morgan’s voice cracked with emotion. “This is exactly why I had to take a break from him.”

Hannah could see tears beginning to well in Morgan’s eyes, and her friend seemed to grow increasingly upset.

Hannah thought of the anguish she had seen in Ed Walker’s eyes the night before and the hopeful yearning when he looked at his grandchildren.

Despite Morgan’s negative reaction, Ed did not strike her as a cruel man, focused only on himself. He had been staying here for weeks, trying to watch over his grandchildren while he figured out what was going on with them.

Admittedly, she had only met the man briefly and couldn’t speak to Morgan’s years of experience with her father.

“The second I’m out of town, he goes behind my back to connect with the children, despite my clear wishes to the contrary. It’s so like him.”

“For the record, despite the fact that he has been in town for several days, he has not approached the children at all. He specifically said he did not want to use them to reach out to you.”

Morgan’s expression shifted slightly, surprise flickering across her features. “Well, that’s something, at least.”