Son of a Preacher Man - By Arianna Hart Page 0,19

the letter Hornblower had. Or she could take Mary Ellen up on her offer to stay at her place and buy herself some more time to make a decision.

If she wasn’t going to find out what her father had to say to her, there was no point in staying in Georgia. She could take that road trip she’d considered or book a vacation somewhere with cool breezes and palm trees and nice men who brought her drinks.

Or she could stay and risk the unknown.

Nadya wasn’t a big fan of the unknown.

Her phone chimed with an incoming text message. It was from Mary Ellen.

U still able to come 4 dinner 2nite?

The moment of truth. Her finger hovered over the reply box. Did she stay or did she go? J.T.’s words floated back through her mind. If she ignored her father’s words, did it hurt him or her?

Considering he was dead, she doubted it would bother him much. And it didn’t mean she would suddenly feel this amazing bond between herself and her father. All it would be was information. She’d been in the contract business enough to know that the person who had the most information usually had the upper hand.

Before she could lose her nerve, she texted back. U bet! Mind if I stay over?

She hit send and jumped off the bed. Okay, no big. She could stay for just the night, which actually made sense if she was going to have a drink or two. If things went well, she could play it by ear and stay for a little longer, at least until the hotel got its air conditioning fixed.

Her phone chimed again.

Squeeeeeeee!!!!!!! Can’t wait!

Butterflies danced in the pit of her stomach, and she decided to hold off before making any more decisions. Over the years, she’d learned the wisdom of taking things one step at a time instead of jumping in headfirst. She could put off calling Hornblower for another day. For now, she’d shower and check out of the hotel then go shopping for something for Mary Ellen and the boys, since they were the closest she’d get to nephews.

It was almost four before Nadya got up to Dale. While shopping for toys and a belated house-warming present, she’d found the cutest little boutique and picked up a bracelet for Sandra as well as a halter-top sundress for herself. The white eyelet dress showed off her tan and her curves, and she loved the daisies along the hem. She found a pair of wedges that had daisies on the straps that wrapped around the ankle. The outfit was cool and feminine and too cute to pass up so she wore it out of the store. She’d instantly felt more comfortable than she had in her blouse and slacks, even if they were summer weight.

By far, her favorite purchases of the day had to be the big hoop earrings and bangle bracelets she’d found. With her hair piled on her head because of the heat, the earrings gave her a bit of sparkle. The bangles chimed whenever she moved her arm and gleamed against her olive-toned skin.

It had been a while since she’d worn less-than-conservative jewelry, and she missed how much fun it was. There were hundreds of places in the city that sold costume jewelry, maybe when she got back she’d pick up some things for when she wasn’t dressing for work.

She didn’t have to be at Mary Ellen’s until five o’clock, so she decided to drive around the town a bit. Maybe she’d stop in at the library and see how it had changed. The library had been her sanctuary almost as much as her spot by the creek. Whenever the barbs from the other girls had been too much to bear, or when she’d felt left out and angry, she’d retreat to the coolness of the library and lose herself in a book.

The library was between the elementary school and the secondary school. With a town as small as Dale, the secondary school held grades six through twelve. There had only been twenty kids in her graduating class, and except for J.T., she’d known them all since kindergarten.

As she turned down School Street, her heart sank to see the secondary school boarded up. The library was closed as well, but a sign in the front indicated it would re-open in August. How small had the town gotten that it couldn’t support a secondary school and a library? She’d have to ask Mary Ellen tonight.

The