Page 73 of Crazy in Love

“Sorry I didn’t listen to you about Nick,” Faith said.

“S’okay. I know how difficult it is to meet men. It’s hard to say no when one falls in your lap like Nick did.”

“Can we make a quick stop?” Faith asked.

“Your dad’s?”

“Yeah. Actually, just drop me. I’ll spend the night there.”

When Tess pulled to the curb, Faith’s dad was shooting hoops in the driveway. “I gotta tell him,” she said simply.

“He’ll understand.”

“Thanks, Tessy.” Faith got out of the car. “I’m open,” she called with a smile, holding up her hands for a pass.

Her dad tossed her the ball and returned the grin. Over the years, they’d spent countless hours practicing out here, but it had been years since they’d played. Faith dribbled twice and sunk an easy layup. He rebounded and threw her the ball to shoot again. After a few minutes, she held the ball when he passed it to her.

“I have some news,” she said.

“This about Nick Walker?”

“How do you know about that?”

“I hear things.” He smiled.

Faith rolled her eyes. She should have known better than to believe she and Nick were getting away with any kind of secret harboring. She bounced the ball twice and held it again. “No, it’s not about that. I met Gary Jeffreys today.”

At his silence, she continued. “I told the girls and swore them to secrecy, but just in case, I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else. I won’t be seeing him again though.”

“Oh?”

“Not unless I visit him in prison.” She told him the whole story. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep you as my dad.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Of course it’s okay.”

She hugged him, and they started back up, her shooting and him rebounding.

“So,” Faith said between shots. “What’s up with you and Mrs. Hickman?”

It was dark, but she thought she saw him blush. “Nothing’s up.”

“She likes you, Dad,” Faith said.

“It’s way too early to be talking like that,” he said, taking a shot that missed by a mile.

Hope came out of the house. “You playing without me?” Faith threw her the ball, and she sank a shot from where she stood. “Game of horse?”

Faith looked at her dad, who nodded. “You’re on.”

They laughed and cheered and ribbed each other until everyone was exhausted. It was the happiest she’d seen her dad—and Hope—since her mom had passed. And even Nick Walker’s betrayal couldn’t extinguish the flicker of promise that her family would be all right.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The wounded look in Faith’s eyes continued to haunt Nick long after she’d stormed out of the diner. Any hope of friendship got into an ugly pink Beetle and drove away that day. He was just doing his job, but she wouldn’t see it that way. And he didn’t blame her.

In the two weeks that had passed, the guilt of his betrayal hadn’t abated. He was back at work—riding a desk on limited duty but making progress every day. Physical progress anyway. Mentally, he couldn’t get back into the swing of things. Something was wrong. Nothing felt right.

While his body milled about in Boston, his mind was a hundred miles away, in Green Valley Falls. He’d been sure that once Faith was out of sight, she’d also be out of mind, but his thoughts kept boomeranging to a tall, blonde goddess.

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