One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,94
to erase the furrow between her brows. Trying also to ease the panic within him. And it worked. Until she pulled away and slipped from his embrace before he was ready to let go.
“I have work to do . . . sewing, decorating.” She left the room.
That afternoon when Ella arrived home after school, he watched Hope follow her upstairs. He wasn’t proud of himself, but he quietly snuck upstairs, too, to listen outside Ella’s bedroom door.
“First,” Hope said, “do you have any homework?” Apparently, the Inquisition could wait until after schoolwork was done.
“I finished it during free period.”
“Good. Now hand them over,” Hope said.
“Hand over what?”
“The bottles of wine you stole yesterday.”
“Oh.” Ella’s attitude deflated. “How did you know?”
“I’m your mother. I know everything,” Hope said with convincing bravado.
“There’s only one left,” Ella said.
“Get it for me,” Hope said.
“I don’t have it. I took it to Lacy’s.”
There was silence. “Fine,” Hope finally said. “I’ll drive over and get it.”
“Don’t! I’ll get it. It would be so embarrassing, Mom, if you went over there.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you took something that didn’t belong to you. Plus, it’s illegal for a minor to be in possession of alcohol.” Hope was quiet for a moment, then she made an audible sigh. “Fine. Text Lacy and tell her that you’ll be over within the hour to pick up the wine. I’m driving you. And just so we’re clear, you’re grounded.”
Donovan thought it was generous of Hope to help Ella save face.
“There’s more,” Hope said. “You’ll have to work off the bottle you stole.”
“What’s it worth? Twenty bucks tops?”
“I don’t think it’s the amount that’s the problem. You broke our trust.”
“What, are you and him a team now?”
“Yes.” Then Hope hesitated. “We’re your parents.”
“He’s not my father. He’s just the sperm donor.”
That hurt.
“First, watch how you speak to me,” Hope said firmly. “Second, there will be consequences for what you’ve done. What they are is up to Donovan.”
“Consequences? More than one?” Ella complained.
“I don’t know. He’ll have to tell you. He wouldn’t share them with me.”
“Great,” Ella said. “Punishment from dear old dad.”
“Scoot over.”
He heard the mattress squeak.
“When you see him, you’re going to have to apologize.”
“I know.”
“And you’re going to have to mean it,” Hope said.
Donovan had heard enough, and he really needed to break the habit of eavesdropping.
Quietly, he walked downstairs and back to his grandfather’s office, remembering his past, feeling thoughtful and ashamed of the things he’d done as a kid. He pulled out his phone. “Hi, Dad,” Donovan said when his father picked up. “I wanted to wish you an early happy turkey day, and well, I want to apologize for all the trouble I got into as a kid.”
“Awww, don’t worry about it,” his dad said good-naturedly. “You were just rambunctious.”
“I banged up the car. I drank all your beer. I was a pretty wild kid. You can’t deny it,” Donovan said.
“You were perfect,” his dad insisted, which made tears spring to Donovan’s eyes. Father Mike had talked about God’s unyielding love and forgiveness. Donovan decided his own father must take after Him.
“I’m trying to make amends once more for all I did,” Donovan said, feeling as choked up as he had the first time. “I’d like to hear again that you forgive me.”
“Of course I forgive you. I’m your dad.”
* * *
• • •
PINEY WALKED INTO Elsie’s study and immediately knew something was wrong with Hope. She was upset.
For a few moments she studied Hope and wasn’t feeling good about what she saw—no twinkle in her eyes, only worry. Things weren’t progressing with Donovan the way Piney had planned. Even though Donovan carried that girl in so lovingly from the car, Hope had been acting like he meant nothing to her at all.
Hope had lived at the lodge for a month and she and Donovan weren’t any closer to matrimony than the day she moved in. Things actually were worse, since apparently Hope had moved out to one of the cabins.
Something more had to be done! Maybe Piney needed to set Hope up with Jesse. That should shake things up, make Donovan get off his butt and marry the girl before it was too late.
* * *
• • •
ELLA LAY ON the bed in her lodge bedroom, staring at the ceiling and trying not to cry. Her life sucked so hard. This wasn’t even her bed. It was some fancy sleigh bed with some fancy mattress in some room she’d been forced to stay in. At