Page 77 of Rescued Dreams
Maddie finished, “It’s nice to meet you.”
Both the girls grabbed a cookie at the same time. Maddie said, “Ridgey’s cookies are the best.”
Zack snickered, as did Izan, who had appeared out of nowhere.
Ridge folded his arms. “Not that I’m not happy to see you guys.”
“Sure,” Maddie interjected.
“It’s a school night, and it’s late.”
“We had pizza at Amelia’s house,” Ella said, as if that explained things. Which it sort of did. Maddie always got restless when she had a heavy meal for dinner. Add dessert and she was going to be bouncing off the walls.
Ridge leaned over and said, “One cookie.”
“Fine.” Maddie pouted.
“I’m glad you came so everyone could meet you.” Even if it was because there had been some kind of problem that meant they needed to bring Amelia here.
Maddie leaned close to him and whispered, “The police took her in for questioning, but she only said she’s being set up.”
Ella continued from where her sister left off. “She proved to them it wasn’t her, but we didn’t think she should go home.”
They’d brought her to see Ridge.
He kissed one twin on the forehead, then the other. “Don’t get comfortable. This is a one-time thing.”
Maddie gasped, her attention in the direction of the TV. “I love this movie!”
Ella followed her to the couch, where they sat with Zoe.
The others had gathered around Maria and Kane, all talking but too low for him to hear what they were saying.
Ridge took the opportunity to go over to Amelia, still by the kettle. Staring intently while it boiled, shaking slightly with white steam coming out of the spout. He moved beside her so she knew it was him, faced her left shoulder and ran a hand between her shoulder blades. “I won’t bother asking if you’re all right.”
“I will be.”
He gently squeezed the back of her neck, under the fall of blonde hair. “Come to the LT office and talk about it with me?”
“What’s to talk about?” She grabbed the kettle and poured water over the tea bag. “They know it wasn’t me. They’re wrong.”
“It shook you.”
“It made me think of—” She stopped suddenly, glanced around to see where everyone else was, then said, “Nicholas.” Keeping her voice low so the information stayed between them.
“Are we a hundred percent certain he isn’t here in town?” Ridge said. “I had Bryce ask Penny to run his name and see if she could find out where he is, but he hasn’t mentioned her having any results yet.”
Amelia shuddered. “I don’t want to see him. But it would explain a lot.”
He wanted to pull her close, but it couldn’t be here and now. “You’ll get through this. I know you will.”
No matter what, he wasn’t going to let anything else happen to her. He’d been praying all shift for her to cry out to the Lord for salvation. She needed Jesus in her life so that He could give her peace. Ridge wanted to make her happy, but God was the only one who could fully satisfy her.
She leaned over and he heard her inhale. “Cookies? On a shift where you smell like smoke? That can’t be good.”
“You should try one.”
She smiled for a second, then said, “It was bad.”
