she were the only person in the world who mattered? Would she ever forget the way his hands so carefully caressed every inch of her that afternoon under the open sky at the mill? She’d revealed the most secret places of herself to him—her scars, her sacred hopes. She’d never bared herself so completely to any man. And, she’d felt he’d done the same with her.
Tears coursed down her cheeks as the memory replayed every tender moment she’d shared with Edward. The fact that they’d made strides together—that they were so opposite yet had been able to find common ground in some places—made the decision to break things off even more difficult. Would she always wonder how things could have been if she’d given it a chance?
She grabbed the crumpled polishing cloth she’d been working with and used it to wipe the wetness from her face. She had to pull herself together. Breaking up with Edward was for the best.
A flash of yellow from beneath a shoebox filled with brass sockets caught her eye. It was the corner of a slip of paper. She eased it out from under the box to see that it was a note from her father.
Clem~
167 Rue Janvier.
There’s a property there slated for demo next week.
An old church.
Call and see about inspecting it before it’s destroyed.
~Dad
P.S. Chicken and potatoes in the fridge if you’re hungry
Clem wiped away the last of the tears on her cheeks. Investigating this old church was just what she needed to get her mind off Edward. She grabbed her oversized backpack and tossed it over her shoulder before slipping out the door and into the night.
She’d vowed to Edward she would stop visiting demolition sites by herself, but the promise didn’t seem to hold water any longer. He’d broken her heart and stolen her dream farmhouse, so why shouldn’t she go on her own to collect a few items he was set to destroy? She didn’t need him by her side—she was fine on her own, just as she’d always been. Besides, she needed something to make her feel accomplished, to take her mind off of missing out on the grand gala at the castle and soothe her heartache after breaking things off with Edward.
Some pilfering should do the trick.
14
“Dad, please turn down the television.” As if she wasn’t in enough discomfort lying in a hospital bed, her casted leg propped up vertically in a sling, her father was watching professional wrestling with the volume turned up to kingdom come. It was as if karma was coming at her post haste, punishing her for breaking her word to Edward.
“Sorry, apricot, but my ears aren’t what they used to be, and I don’t want to miss this match,” her father said and took a slurp of his tea. “It’s a big one. Between Beefy McBride and The Spider.”
“It’s fake, Dad.” Clementine’s patience was shot. “The matches are set ups; you know that, right?”
“Shhh. Don’t ruin it for me,” he said and winked at her.
She let out a long sigh. “Sorry I’m being a grump,” she said to her father.
“Aw, don’t worry, sweetie.” He patted her arm. “I know you’re feeling lousy. Who wouldn’t, after what you’ve been through?”
Clem grimaced, thinking of what had happened last night at the old church. She’d been hasty and careless, traipsing around the place without really watching her step. While trying to carve pieces of marble from windowpanes behind the altar, she’d fallen right through the rotting floor. Although she’d landed on her backside in the basement, pieces of the floor fell with her and landed on top of her leg, breaking it in two places.
Luckily, she had phone service and was able to call an ambulance. In tremendous pain and mortified beyond belief, she’d been transported to the hospital where doctors assessed her immediately and sent her for emergency surgery.
“At least it doesn’t hurt as much now that it’s set,” she said. The pain medication was helping as well.
“I’m not just talking about your broken leg, Clementine.” Her father looked at her knowingly.
Clem rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, Dad,” she said, but Dirk put a hand up to silence her.
“For twenty years, it’s been you and me. We’ve been a team, Clem,” he said. “It hasn’t always been easy without your mom, but I like to think I did okay raising you on my own.”
“Dad—” she started, but he hushed her.
“I’m not finished. Because it was just the two of us, I got to know you