Page 35 of Crazy in Love

Faith’s chest tightened with worry as she watched him read the short letter before gently laying it on the table, his face expressionless.

“You knew?”

“I mildly suspected,” he corrected. “A few things here and there. The fact that you were supposedly three weeks premature but weighed over eight pounds at birth was my first clue.”

“You never acted like you doubted.”

“Because it didn’t matter to me. I love your mom, and I love you. You’re my daughter, Faith. But if you decide to find this fellow, I understand.”

“Oh, Dad,” Faith said, taking both his hands in hers. “Even if I do look him up, it wouldn’t be to replace you. You must know that.”

“I do.” He nodded. “I figured this day might come, but never really thought about how I’d handle it.”

“Are you mad at Mom? For not telling you?”

He paused for a second and shrugged. “Wouldn’t do any good. It is what it is. Are you?”

“Not mad, just, I don’t know…wondering. Why didn’t she say anything before she passed? What if she hadn’t written these letters? Would we have ever known?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But she must have had her reasons.”

“I suppose.”

They ate in silence for a minute, before her dad spoke again.

“So, I made dinner tonight to say thank you. You’ve been so great since your mom got sick, caring for everyone and dealing with the household stuff. But it’s time I step up. Starting now. As nice as it’s been having you here, if you want to move back to your place, I can handle Hope, and making dinner, and taking care of things.”

“That’s great, Dad. I’m happy to hear it. I won’t be able to go just yet though. I kinda sublet my bedroom to Tess’s brother. Maybe we can work on how to use the oven before I go?”

He laughed. “I won’t deny my cooking skills could use some improvement.”

While they finished dinner and cleaned up, Faith told him about her plans for Page Turners.

“Those are great ideas. Have you stopped doing hair then?”

“For now. I have a few pre-booked appointments left, but basically, yes. At least until I get things under control at the bookstore.”

She would keep the door open to return to hairstyling, but the more she worked at the store, the more she kind of liked it.

By the time Faith climbed into bed, Hope still hadn’t come home or answered her texts. That was troubling but not alarming. She was sixteen and enjoying her last few days of summer before school started.

Faith was thrilled and relieved that her father was finally ready to reengage. She was also glad she’d come clean about the letters. With those couple of burdens lifted, she found sleep easily that night.

CHAPTER TWELVE

It had been a long, eventful day, but Nick was still unable to fall asleep. Not even his new book could keep his mind off his worries. His first physical therapy session that afternoon had not gone well.

According to the tech, the therapy shouldn’t hurt so much, and he should have been further along in the healing process. He’d been religiously doing the prescribed, painful exercises, but the discomfort in his leg was not abating. And he was still as reliant on the cane as he had been on day one.

Frustrated with his lack of progress, and desperate to figure out why he wasn’t healing properly, he’d called the doctor he planned to see about a second opinion to ask if he could get in any earlier. But it was Labor Day weekend. They were closing early on Friday, not open on Monday, and they’d already scheduled him for Tuesday.

He ought to thank his lucky stars they could schedule him so quickly at all. In Boston, as a new patient, he would’ve had to wait weeks for an appointment. He supposed that was one good thing about a small town.

Hope had waited for him in the lobby, and on the way home, while he pouted from the passenger seat, she babbled on about the upcoming start of school. Whose locker was next to hers, and what her class schedule would be. Her drivel lightened his mood a little, but he still worried.

Nick had just bookmarked and stored his book when his phone buzzed. Late-night calls were never good news, and he grabbed for it right away. “Hello?”

“I need a favor.”

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