AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“This is Wolf. Where the hell have you been?”
Julio flinched. “Running. Hiding. Hiding from you and my truth.”
“I already know you started the fire,” Wolf snapped. “I also know you were stealing from me. One crime led to a terrible one, didn’t it, Julio?”
Julio was stunned. “I am ashamed, and I am so sorry. I am on my way home to turn myself in,senhor. Please forgive me for abusing your trust.”
“To hell with my trust,” Wolf snapped. “Men are dead. You don’t need my forgiveness. You need to talk to God about that.”
Julio sighed. “I already did. That is why I’m going back.”
There was a long moment of silence, and then the timbre of Wolf’s voice shifted.
“It is good to know your conscience is still guiding you. I trusted you completely and I have been struggling with myself, wondering how I missed this weakness in you.”
Julio was crying. “I have been struggling with the weakness in myself.”
“Yes, well…” Wolf let his voice trail off.
“Senhor Wolf. I have one question. How did you know?”
Wolf thought a moment and then realized that of all the people, Julio Ruiz would be someone who would believe.
“My daughter is psychic. She sees into the past. She sees into the future. She said your name. That’s when I knew that it was you.”
Julio gasped. “Querido Deus! Uma psíquica!I did not know you had a daughter.”
Wolf sighed. “For a long, long time, neither did I. Thank you for calling me. Go with God, Julio. You’re going to need Him.”
Wolf dropped the phone back in his pocket. Chapter closed.
Julio started the car and drove away, still crying, still afraid, but going home.
Chapter 19
It was the fourteenth of February.
The dining room at the Serenity Inn was decorated for Valentine’s Day and completely booked for the night. Eating establishments all over Jubilee had been running special ads all week, and Sean jumped at the Serenity Inn offer the first day it ran and reserved a table for two for 7:00 p.m.
Yesterday, he’d picked up his suit from the cleaners and polished his boots, bought gifts for Amalie and his mom.
Wiley cleared his conscience and his girls on speed dial by choosing Mom as his Valentine date, and Aaron and Dani had gifted her a trip to the hair salon and a manicure.
Shirley left the house that morning with a spring in her step, unaware.
Sean had hidden her flowers and candy in the back bedroom. After she left for her hair appointment, he got everything out and arranged it on the kitchen island so she’d see it when she came back.
From the time they were big enough to know what theday was about, they always made mama their “favorite” Valentine and found a way to do or give her something special, because they knew the only thing their father would give her was another black eye. Even grown-up and with lives of their own, they never forgot her place in their lives.
But this year Sean had a whole new agenda. This year, Valentine’s Day was most especially for his girl. All day, it felt like Christmas and the anticipation of waiting for daylight to get out of bed and open presents. Waiting for the turkey to cook. Waiting for the football game to begin. Waiting to hear Shirley call, “Go wash your hands. Dinner is ready!”
He wanted that life with Amalie. He wanted the babies and the tree and the dinner on the table and family all around it, and his mom with a grandbaby in her lap.
He’d called Amalie early that morning to wish her Happy Valentine’s Day, then sent a text to Wolf.
I’m going to ask Amalie to marry me tonight. We’ll FaceTime you afterward so she can tell you herself, but I wanted you to know.
Within minutes, he had a response.
