Page 35 (1/2)

Author: Robyn Carr

Gina laughed "Isn’t being a single le father romantic?"

"And then I think we broke up"

Shock showed all over Gina’s face "Are you kiddingI did I think I screwed up"

She could tell Gina was momentarily speechless "What could you have done?"

"I asked hih very well I should have waited It was too soon, but at the tih I reminded him that I have no family, just Rawley, and he’s not really fa happens to me, would he watch over Mercy Take her on Take her in And it was like he closed the blinds right at that moment Pulled down the shades Closed the door He said he thought he was sick, but that was an excuse to avoid me I tracked him down at Cooper’s on Sunday and he leveled withthat serious I haven’t heard fro her head "Oh, brother"

"He doesn’t really want leness is not so single as ot Cooper and Sarah to look after Austin He said he’d take on Mercy if so happened to me, but he needs so for a few days, so I’ to that idea" She sat back and pasted a fake sht on my own"

"Maybe a little tihed "Yeah Well, I spent a few days fantasizing he’d call saying he just panickedbut the call didn’t couy who feels like he’s all in and then he suddenly freezes up like that"

"Maybe it has soested

"Oh, definitely He mentioned that, but we’ve talked about her before, about what a huge life lesson that was for hiht with the world, you know? But he’s got secrets--did you know his parents both died last summer?"

"I knew about his dad He left Austin with Cooper and went back east to see him buried But I didn’t realize"

"I think Spencer has stuff to work out And I know I have stuff to work out I think maybe this is for the best,stuff out on each other"

"I can’t argue with that," Gina said, sipping her coffee "I’m just so sorry And surprised Not only do you seem like one of the least troubled people I know, so did Spencer I don’t know hiage You know?"

"I know Solass of wine and I’ll tell you hoell I know about that"

"I guess everyone has their stuff," Devon said "You know, I look at allin life figured out and sometimes I feel like the only person with a past to put in perspective Sometimes I pray one day I can be like everyone else"

"There is no everyone else, Devon Life is complicated and difficult for everyone Absolutely everyone And you shouldn’t feel alone You’re just like the rest of us--hard stuff to work through so you can have a stable, productive, happy life There’s no reason you can’t If you ever start to feel like the struggle is bigger than you are, there’s help I have the nagested toscale based on inco her fees if it hadn’t If you ever want her naht be, just let me know"

"Is she a friend of yours?" Devon asked

"No, sweetheart She was h patch Counseling works"

Devon gave the idea of counseling soht look into that, but for now she was deteret on with her life She picked up Mercy from Gabriella and took her home Once there she asked Mrs Bledsoe if she could keep an eye on her for a little while so she could get a little exercise While it was still light, a run on the beach would solve so sorry for herself And if she saw him or he saw her, she would just run in the other direction

"A half hour? Maybe forty-five minutes at the ive her dinner when I’m back"

She was about twelve minutes into her run when the adrenaline kicked in and she was reminded that what had just happened with Spencer was probably norular" people go through when forotten a little off the track because of her unusual circumstances People who lived in the real world, people eren’t so alone and screwed up probably examined and reexamined their relationships constantly

Spencer was not in evidence on the beach She didn’t see him on the deck, either She ran across the beach as far as the dock, then back across and up the hill, past Spencer’s house to her own

And in front of her house was the deputy sheriff’s car!

She sprinted to her door and burst inside Mrs Bledsoe, looking so s into a tissue

"What?" she shouted "What is it?"

Mrs Bledsoe struggled for control "He took her," she said "He said he was her father and he took her"

Devon looked at Mac "Jacob?" she asked "Was it him?"

"Sounds like it was I’ve notified the sheriff and the FBI"

Looking back at Mrs Bledsoe, she demanded, "What did he look like?"

"I don’t know," the poor woray, but not et hurt He said this was a dangerous world and he was taking Mercy to a safe place Oh, ?" Devon demanded