One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,39
wasn’t here.” And she’d thought seeing Piney would make her feel less frightened, but it wasn’t working. “I’ll see you at the store tomorrow.”
“Get some rest,” Piney said, as Hope left. But sleep would be elusive tonight until Ella was home, safe in her bed.
Back in her car, Hope tried to put the key in the ignition, but her hand was shaking too much. “Pull it together, Hope,” she said aloud. Ella was probably hurt somewhere, and she had to find her. Hope had to search each byroad—paved or gravel. She wouldn’t give up!
A sudden crash of music from her phone startled her. It was Lacy’s number! With fumbling fingers, Hope finally answered the call. “Ella?”
“No. It’s Aberdeen.”
Dread spread through Hope’s body. Ella has been in an accident. “Is Ella all right?” But Hope’s nervous system was preparing her, telling her that Ella was dead.
“Yes, of course Ella’s all right. Sort of,” Aberdeen said. “Lacy told me what happened out at the lodge. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”
“What do you mean sort of?” Hope asked. “What’s wrong with Ella? Did they get in a car accident?”
“No accident. I just got home from a date and found both girls in Lacy’s room with a bottle of rum, drunk. I’m sorry about that, too. I need to put a lock on my pantry.”
Thank you, God, for keeping them off the roads.
“I’m so glad they’re safe,” Hope said, feeling genuinely grateful.
“About everything that happened at the lodge, I never meant to cause you and Donovan trouble,” Aberdeen continued. “I shouldn’t have been gossiping on the phone with Lacy in the room.”
You shouldn’t have been gossiping at all! Hope kept her mouth shut, but it did bring up an important point. “How did you know Donovan was Ella’s father? I never told a soul.”
“Oh, Hope,” Aberdeen started. “We all guessed. But if anyone dared mention it Piney shut us down.”
“How?” Hope would like to have that kind of power.
“She warned all of Sweet Home that if we didn’t keep our noses out of it, she was going to close the Hungry Bear . . . for good. We believed her.” Aberdeen paused. “And since the town had just lost the hardware store, everyone did as she said. I remember my own mom getting onto one of her friends when she started to speculate about who had knocked you up. My mama’s words, not mine.”
“Apparently you forgot Piney’s warning tonight,” Hope said bitterly.
“I feel terrible about it,” Aberdeen whimpered. “Please, Hope, know how sorry I am.”
Hope couldn’t say, Oh, sure, it’s okay. No harm done. Because harm had been done. Irrevocably.
The good feeling of knowing that Ella was okay had faded, and anger had taken its place. Tonight was supposed to be a drama-free night!
“Can I speak to Ella?”
“If it’s okay, Ella wants to sleep over,” Aberdeen said instead. “Is it?”
No! It’s not okay for Ella to sleep over! But Hope didn’t want to make things worse. She’d always chosen her battles with Ella. Apparently, Hope had lost this one. “Let her know that I’ll pick her up at ten in the morning.”
“Okay.” Aberdeen sounded hesitant.
Hope knew it would be early for the girls, but it was the best time for Hope, as she could slip away from the Hungry Bear for a midmorning break. Getting Ella alone in the car and taking a drive out to the cemetery would give Hope a chance to say what needed to be said. Explain all of it. Okay, not necessarily all of it, but enough for Ella to get the idea. She didn’t want to demonize Donovan, who had been grieving back then, but she also didn’t want to be the villain of the story. The truth was always hard to pin down. Between now and then, Hope prayed she’d find the right words that would help Ella feel better.
Hope should go home and get some sleep. Or work on Izzie’s Memory Tree quilt. Instead her mind was filled with Donovan Stone. No time like the present. She put the car in gear and headed back to the lodge.
* * *
• • •
PINEY WATCHED HOPE drive away, knowing she had to do more. Bill would tell her that she should mind her own business and stay out of Hope’s. But Hope was family. Ella, too. And it was time to make sure that Donovan was brought into the fold.
Absence did not, alas, necessarily make the heart grow fonder, but proximity did.