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“Augusta Hughes has a sister, Rosemary.”
“The reverend’s housekeeper, Miss Hughes?”
I can see where he’s heading, and he nods, spearing a forkful of food and chewing it thoughtfully.
“She lives in Brindley Ridge, the next town over.”
“I never knew she had a sister.”
Come to think of it, why would I and Albert nods. “She left a while back when their mom died. She is a teacher and went to work in the school there. Apparently, she fell in love with the place and set up home there permanently. She’s never married though, and I’m guessing is the perfect person to care for a small baby.”
“You could be right.”
I reach for my cell and dash out a text to Brewer, before saying with a hard edge to my voice.
“Then I know where I’m going today.”
“Is that wise?” He says with an arched brow.
“It’s very wise.” I bite back, and he shakes his head slowly.
“Listen, Jonny, the minute you ride in there, she will be on the phone to her sister before you can park the bike. Then what will you do? Take your daughter and get her to ride shotgun. She’s a baby and they don’t hang on very well.”
His amused grin almost makes me laugh and I say wearily, “What do you suggest?”
He taps his finger on the table and says sternly, “You’re a military man. Plan the operation.”
Once again, somebody reminds me of my training and I’m grateful for it.
“Thanks, Albert.”
I sigh and slump back in my seat. “You’re right, as always.”
I grin as I lift the mug to my lips and start to form a plan in my head.
Albert says carefully, “You will need help.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“You may be good, Jonny, but you have a town against you. Those people may appear docile and subservient, but they’re not against grabbing a shotgun or a pitchfork to defend their way of life. You go in all guns blazing and you’ll have fifty more trained on you. The reverend has done an excellent job of brainwashing them, so you need to be smart about this.”
He stops and fixes me with a hard stare. “Then there’s Faith.”
At the mention of her name, my heart lurches because seeing her yesterday was a blow to it that I’m still recovering from.
“What about her?” I say carefully.
“What are your intentions toward that poor girl?”
He appears almost fierce, and it makes me smile.
“I love her.” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them and he appears happy about that and smiles, his eyes twinkling in the daylight.
“Then I have every answer I need. So, here’s the plan.”
For the next hour we discuss the operation that will bring my family back to me and now I have a mission, emotion is firmly checked and placed inside its box. The soldier in me takes over and I operate as a machine because, as it now happens, this will be the fight of my life and losing is definitely not an option.
CHAPTER15
