Second Time's the Charm - Page 115
You took Bray, you can’t have Jon, she silently told the fates that seemed to be always knocking at her door.
Reminding herself that she had choices and will, and would fight this thing until they won, she pulled open the door.
“Lillie.” Sheriff Richards’s face was grim as he glanced at her casual dress and then away. “Is Jon here?”
Of course he’s here, Sheriff. Where do you think he’d be? On the run? Well, he’s not. He’s with me. And Abe. Because he belongs to us. With us...
Her thoughts raced as she stood there, garnering her strength. Her instincts were telling her she was going to need a lot of it.
She would not let Jon down again. She
had a heart full of love and she was going to find the courage to give every bit of it away.
“Is he here, Lillie?”
“Lillie? Is someone at the door?”
Dressed only in his cartoon pajama pants, Jon came around the corner with Abraham on his hip. And froze.
His eyes were slightly wild looking as he glanced at her, spurring her to action. Hurrying to his side, she took Abraham, settled him on her hip and slid her free hand up Jon’s side, landing directly over his heart.
“I’m going to dress Abraham and take him to the day care,” she said lightly. “You take care of the business at hand and I’ll call Addy.”
His color ashen, he glanced at the sheriff, who’d stayed outside the screen door, listening to the exchange.
“Jon?”
He looked down at her again and, as she’d taught him to do with Abraham, she got right up into his face until he couldn’t help but focus on her.
“I’m right here,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere. You found me, Jon. You go with the sheriff for now, and you believe.”
Sheriff Richards cleared his throat. Jon swallowed.
“Promise me, Jon,” she said, a hand on his arm holding him back with her.
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
He said the words, but they sounded empty.
Lillie held back her tears until he was gone.
* * *
THE SUCTION IMPRINTS had been an exact match with the ones taken from Lillie’s glass door. In a court of law the findings were as good as fingerprints.
By eight o’clock that Tuesday morning, Jon had already been charged with six counts of burglary, one count of robbery for the home invasion involving the elderly lady in the home, impending an investigation, and various other trumped-up charges.
Some of the counts would be dropped, but a conviction on only one of them would mean prison time.
Believe, Lillie had said.
He wanted to. He just didn’t know how.
The Shelter Valley jail had two cells, the one he sat in and an empty one off to the left of him. He had a cot, a sink and a john.
Believe.
Source: readsnovelonline.net