The Search The Secrets of Crittenden Cou - By Shelley Shepard Gray Page 0,21
of him, it only made her trust him more.
Luke was her perfect companion. “Yes, it is what I want,” she said quietly. Then she closed her one good eye so she wouldn’t have to see what everyone thought of that.
The nurse cleared her throat. “You all really do need to leave now.”
The two of them filed out past the curtain, leaving Frannie alone with the nurse.
And very curious about what Luke and her father would say to each other next.
Chapter 7
“Perry Borntrager was the type of boy to race buggies in the middle of the night. Though I’ve done my share of foolish things, I ain’t never done anything so foolhardy. I told him that, too.”
JOHN PAUL EICHER
Detective, maybe now you could tell me the truth about you and my daughter,” Mr. Eicher announced once the two of them were standing out in the hall. The look he sent Luke’s way reminded him of picking up his prom date back in high school and meeting her father for the first time.
And just like those days, he began to feel self-conscious. What was it about dads and daughters that never failed to change?
“Mr. Eicher, I promise, Frannie and I are just friends.”
“Friends?” One graying eyebrow rose so high it was removed from view under the brim of his black felt hat. “My daughter has a great many friends. And those are girlfriends. You are not like them.”
“Ah—”
“Now, she also has Micah.”
Almost against his will, Luke snapped to attention. “Micah?”
Bushy eyebrows furrowed together. “You’ve never heard Frannie speak of him?”
“If she has, I don’t remember.” Which was a lie, of a sort. If Frannie had spoken of a man in her life, he would have paid close attention. “Are they courting?”
This time, Mr. Eicher looked a little uncomfortable. “Sometimes they are . . . sometimes not.” When Luke stared at him, waiting for more of an explanation, he said, “Micah has been around Frannie for most of her life. He’s always had a sweet spot for her. Nothing would make him happier than for them to marry.”
Luke noticed Mr. Eicher didn’t say that it would make Frannie happier. Or him, for that matter.
“Do you think they will marry?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps they will get more serious now that Perry is gone.” He winced. “I’m sorry, that don’t sound right, does it? I just meant that Frannie had been caught in a whirlwind by Perry.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation,” he said, though he filed away the information about Perry to revisit later.
“That is true,” Mr. Eicher said smartly. “However, you still owe me one. Is there something special between you and my daughter?”
“No.” That was another lie, of course. He had become very fond of Frannie. There was something about her that was special to him—and he had a feeling that Frannie felt the same way about him. Even if neither of them had spoken a word about it.
“There can be nothing between you two, you know. You are English. You live far away, in Cincinnati. And, of course, you are a police officer.”
Mr. Eicher said “police officer” the way most people would say “child molester.”
“I realize that.” Because, after all, what else could he say? He was also starting to bristle. He knew the man was probably worried about his daughter and lashing out at him because he was a stranger, but he didn’t have to be so gruff.
“We are just friends. I used to rent a room from her. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Someone guffawed. Luke glanced down the hallway and wasn’t the least surprised to see that it was Mose. He’d texted that he was bringing Frannie’s father to the hospital. This soap opera of a visit was going to be ammunition for Mose’s jokes for years to come.
Luke couldn’t believe the situation he was in. He was almost thirty years old. He’d dated his share of women. Never before had he been treated to the steely-eyed intense glare of a concerned Amish father.
Before Mr. Eicher could think up more questions to ask, Luke decided to ask some questions of his own. “Are you uncomfortable with me being here at the hospital? If so, I could leave.”
Immediately, the man’s expression eased. “Gut.”
Ready to make good on his promise, he paused. “If I leave, are you planning to sit with her the rest of the day? Because I think we both know that she shouldn’t be alone.”
The older man averted his eyes. “I’m afraid I canna do that. I have to