over and over again? That activity inflicts enormous suffering on your psyche, Savannah. Forgiveness is the only way to sever that bond and free yourself.”
“You must have opened another bottle or twelve of champagne after I left, Celeste. You’re obviously not thinking clearly.”
“Look past your defenses, dear, and you will see that I am right. Think about how wonderful being free can be. Think about what a gift a whole heart would be to those who love you. TJ needs that gift from you. So does Zach.”
Savannah rubbed her eyes, now filled with new tears. “I blew it with Zach. He’s done with me.”
Celeste’s laughter bubbled like the creek beneath them. “Oh, honey. You’re smarter than that. Zach’s heart is wounded, true, but you know what it needs to heal.”
The familiar fear fluttered inside Savannah, and for the first time she gave it voice. “I’m afraid to love him, Celeste.”
“All right, then. You’re afraid. That’s perfectly understandable, considering. But let me ask you this. If you let yourself love him, what’s the worst thing that could happen?”
Savannah opened her mouth … and couldn’t think of what to say. It wasn’t about letting herself do anything. She did love him!
When a full minute had passed, Celeste patted her knee. “You think about that, sunshine. You think about that long and hard, then either throw yourself off this bridge or take your life by the horns and live it.”
Throw myself off the bridge? “Celeste, the water is maybe two feet deep.”
“And it’s cold. Cold enough to shock some sense into you if you’re still thinking silly. Good night, Savannah. Sweet dreams, and God bless.” She gave Savannah’s knee one last pat, then rose gracefully to her feet and left the bridge.
“Good night, Celeste.” Savannah leaned back on her elbows and lifted her face toward the sky. Against the inky blackness of the moonless night, a million stars shone. One in particular twinkled.
“Good night to you, too, Grams.”
Following a restless, mostly sleepless night, Zach left Reflection Point that morning with one task on his docket—to solve the mystery of the stop-sign-behind-the-fridge before the hotheads of Eternity Springs did something stupid. He didn’t know how the news had gotten out, but the fact that it had was small-town ordinary. He’d already fielded three calls, and he wanted to put this whole disaster behind him.
He needed to quit thinking about Savannah Moore before he blew out an artery. He was still incredibly pissed, which was why he opened the door of the Mocha Moose, where he knew Linda Treemont worked the morning shift, with a little more force than was necessary.
At least his timing was good. The coffee shop appeared to be empty. “Good morning, Sheriff. Do you want your regular?”
“No. I’m here on official business. Where is Christina?”
Linda set down the paper cup she’d picked up to fill for him with the house bold brew. “She has a doctor’s appointment this morning.”
“Oh? Is she pregnant, too?”
Her mouth dropped open in shock, and while he had her off balance, he asked, “Is TJ Moore really the father? You know, false paternity claims can get you in a lot of trouble. So can being eighteen and having sex with a fourteen-year-old boy.”
She blinked rapidly. Once. Twice. “I don’t … I never … oh, damn. I’m not pregnant.”
“Why did you tell TJ otherwise?”
She picked up a dishrag and began nervously wiping the counter. Judging that she was casting about for an excuse, he pressed, “Was it Aiden’s idea or yours? You’re still going out with Aiden, right? Aiden is pissed because you and TJ hooked up, so he told you to lie to the Moore kid.”
Linda’s shoulders slumped. “He said I had to prove myself.”
That little ass. He folded his arms and studied her. “What else did he ask you to do, Linda? Steal a stop sign? Or did he steal it and ask you to ditch it inside of Heavenscents?”
“What?” Her brow wrinkled in confusion. “I don’t know … whoa. Did you find the missing stop sign? At Heavenscents?”
“You need to answer my questions before asking ones of your own, Linda.”
“I don’t know anything about the stop sign. Honestly, Sheriff Turner. I’m telling the truth about that. Aiden didn’t say a word about it before he left. I don’t think he had anything to do with that, either.”
Damn, he thought. He believed her. Zach swallowed a sigh and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. “Go ahead and get me my usual, Linda.”
The relief on