Page 639 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Sydney felt her anger melt away. That story sounded familiar, and she thought she might have read it somewhere in a book. It was possible that the same experience had happened to Stella—but not probable. Still, Sydney appreciated what Stella was trying to do.

But Stella wasn’t finished yet. “God doesn’t give us hardships to tear us apart. He gives them to us to help make us stronger.” Stella’s next words were spoken with such strong conviction that they hit home, and Sydney felt a burning in her heart despite her best efforts to shut it out. “There’s one thing I’ve learned. Whenever I’ve felt a great distance between me and the Lord, it’s me who has turned away from Him.”

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“PLEASANT WORDS ARE AS AN HONEYCOMB, SWEET TO THE SOUL, AND HEALTH TO THE BONES.” —PROVERBS 16:24

Cold, wet darkness closed in like a giant faceless mouth, devouring her. It was useless to fight. There was so much water, and she was so tired. But she must help him. She must get to the boat. She could feel the heat, the searing burning of her flesh, so powerful in its fury that even the blackest water couldn’t shut it out. Her hand reached for something solid. Instinct told her that she must stay above the water. She must try and hold on. The hammering started in the distance. It was a steady rhythmic beat at first, and then it started racking her brain, crowding out everything else. Maybe she should sink into the darkness—anything to get away from the hammering.

Sydney jolted up in her bed. Her pulse was racing, and she was bathed in sticky sweat. She pushed her matted hair back from her forehead. The dreams had started in the hospital when she was recovering from the boat accident. Over the years they’d diminished to the point that she’d thought she was over them for good. Ever since her return to Stoney Creek, they’d come back. And they’d come with a vengeance. Last night’s visit to Stella had prompted this dream. But wait. Where did the hammering come from? That was new.

It took her a moment to realize that the hammering in her dream was in reality a loud pounding on the door. She looked at her clock—8:30 on a Saturday morning. She threw her off her covers and stumbled out of bed. She’d grown used to Kendall’s unexpected visits, especially on Saturdays, but this was a little ridiculous. Kendall had held a late practice the night before to get ready for next week’s game. What was he doing up so early?

There wasn’t time for her to try and do anything with her hair. “I’m coming,” she called. He must not have heard her because he kept pounding. “I said, I’m coming!”

She unlocked the door and removed the chain. “Come in,” she said with a yawn.

“It’s about time. I thought I was gonna have to call in the National Guard to get you out of bed.”

All sleepiness fled when her mind registered that it was Sean, not Kendall, who had spoken. He barged past her, and she just stood there, staring at him with her hand on the open door. He plopped down on the sofa like he owned the place. “Good morning, Syd.”

One hand went to smooth down her disheveled hair and the other tried to pull her T-shirt farther down over her shorts. His eyes flickered over her bedraggled appearance.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting you.”

His eyes danced. “You look fine. You ought to see me when I get up.”

She gave him a courtesy smile and sat down in the oversized chair across from him. “To what do I owe this honor?” She looked at his sweatshirt, jeans, and hiking boots.

He spread his hands and flashed a disarming smile, probably hoping that it would melt her right into the floor. “What? I can’t even stop by to see you?”

Her blue eyes met his with a trace of defiance. She wasn’t in the mood for this. “At 8:30 on a Saturday morning?”

“I want you to spend the day with me.”

“What?”

“Look Syd, things are always so tense between us at work. I thought it would do us both some good to spend some time together away from the mill.”

Sydney shook her head. “I’m sorry, I have other plans today.”

“With Kendall?” There was a challenge in his dark eyes that was scary and inviting at the same time. What was it about him that made her feel so alive? What was it that made her want to pit her will against his?

Her chin jutted out. “Maybe.”

“I see how it is.”

“Do you?”

Sean nodded and looked her straight in the eyes. “Loverboy’s got you wrapped around his little finger.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not how it is,” she said, all the while remembering how she’d gone to Kendall’s practices every day this week and sat there like a groupie.

Sean’s voice became smooth. “Come on Syd, I don’t wanna argue. It’s a perfect day. Let’s go have some fun. Do something spontaneous for once. You don’t have to ask Kendall’s permission. I’m going flying. Come with me.”

She shouldn’t have let Sean get away with that comment about getting Kendall’s permission, but her mind was already jumping past that. “Flying? What’re you talking about? Where?”

“The airport is in Rome, Georgia.”

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