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Jennifer gave an apologetic smile before turning and walking in the direction they’d been heading.
The staff room was empty when they arrived and Jennifer’s eyebrows wove together. “They should be at lunch, but perhaps they got held up with one of the patients. Take a seat and I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said.
Jackson and Mitch sat at the table. He was about to check his emails when the newspaper on the table grabbed his attention—not because of the headline or the large photograph, but because of the name of the paper.
The Redwater Tribune.
CHAPTER26
ZOE
Zoe stared at the Bible on her dining table like it had been dropped down to her by a UFO. It had been so long since she’d read one—since she’d believed God’s word. But ever since she’d found it in Lana’s box, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Zoe had always thought that Lana hadn’t been a believer, but she had to question that now. And if she was, when had she become one? And why hadn’t she mentioned it to Zoe?
That was perhaps the hardest pill to swallow.
She rubbed the back of her neck, wondering for the millionth time if she’d been too hard on Lana. If she’d been more like a sister instead of trying to replace their mother, maybe Lana would still be here.
The grief crept up her throat like a million tiny spiders and she stood abruptly, her chair falling backward. She forced herself to breathe deeply before a full-fledged panic attack set in.
She tilted her head back, squeezing her eyes shut.
If God was real, she needed a sign. She needed something more than the hell she was living in every day to make her believe again.
Zoe padded to the kitchen and reached into the overhead cabinet for a mug. She shrieked, dropping the cup into the sink when something flew at the window. Her hand went to her chest and she gasped then realized it had been a bird. She exhaled a long breath, shaking her head as she looked at the broken cup in the sink. She wondered if that was the sign she’d asked for. If it was, she couldn’t see how it could convince her God was real.
She was still staring at the broken mug when her doorbell rang.
Her eyebrows wove together—she wasn’t expecting a visitor.
She went to the front door and looked through the peephole, surprised to see Jonathan.
“Hi,” she said with a smile as she opened the door.
“Hey. I’m sorry—but not really,” he added with a small smile, “for arriving unannounced. However, while your hair is looking so good I thought you should come out with me tonight. A group of friends are going to Jackie’s.” He paused. “You do know about Jackie’s, right?” he asked, as if not knowing the place would be the greatest sin of her life.
She giggled. “I have left my house, you know.”
“Not enough. So go change and I’ll drive—that way you can have a few drinks and loosen up a little,” he said. “It will be good for you to meet some new people. By the way,” he whispered, leaning in, “what’s with the security?”
She smiled. “That’s a long story.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Well then, go get changed and you can tell it to me in the car.” When she didn’t move, he insisted. “Trust me, you’ll have a good time. They’re nice people, I promise, and if you’re going to stay in Redwater you need to make a few friends. Life is easier with friends—especially when you’ve been through what you have.”
She considered it and decided she had little to lose. She needed to build her social life again—she was done being the hermit widow. And Jonathon seemed like he’d hang around decent people.
“Come in,” she said, holding the door wide. “Wait here in the living room; I’ll be two minutes.”
She hurried off to get changed. In the back of her mind she wondered if it was a good idea leaving someone she’d just met in her house unattended, but she would only be a few minutes. Besides, she had security cameras and she could check them afterward. It would be a good test for Jonathan.
She pulled on skinny jeans, a lace camisole, and a black blazer. She checked her outfit choice in the mirror and then decided on her Gucci sneakers—chic, but casual enough for Jackie’s.
She went back to the living room to find Jonathan staring at the photo of Lana.
“This is your sister, isn’t it?” he asked gently.
“That’s her,” Zoe said, forcing herself to smile. She wanted to celebrate Lana’s life, not mourn it.
