Page 61 of Sweet Home

“I’m going to meet you guys over there,” West said. “I just have a couple of quick calls to make first.”

“Of course,” Mom said. “We’re just fine, aren’t we, ladies?”

West watched Dulcie slip Elizabeth’s coat over her arms, and then crouch to carefully zip it up. The way Elizabeth smiled up at her broke his heart. And when Dulcie kissed the top of her little head as she straightened, his chest ached.

She can’t be a car thief…

The three of them headed out, the sound of their chatter and laughter trailing down the hallway as they went. The silence that descended the moment the front door shut behind them felt absolute.

What am I supposed to do?

He went over it all in his mind, going back to the night he’d come by to find her faint and desperate. She hadn’t even had the money to pay for a car repair or a doctor visit.

But West’s protective instincts had kicked in, and he’d brought her back here without a second thought—right into the house he shared with his innocent daughter. He’d set her up with a bedroom and clothing…

As if his thoughts had carried him there, he’d walked back to her bedroom just off the kitchen. The door was open and he stepped inside, closing his eyes at the light scent of her that seemed to cling to the space—delicate and floral.

But it was only the shampoo he’d bought for her himself.

Did I make up a version of her in my mind?

West was going to have to face some facts. He was a lonely man. Some part of him probably longed for a beautiful young woman to provide for and protect.

Maybe she was nothing like the image he’d drawn of her.

Or maybe she was a con artist, playing the role perfectly. Maybe she was only here to drain his resources and then slip away once she had what sheneeded. Somehow, the thought of her leaving was worse than the idea of her stealing from him.

It might all be worth it for the way she’s made me feel these last few days…

He pulled open a dresser drawer, not sure what he expected to find. Maybe something that would tell him her true identity?

But the only thing inside was the clothing he had bought for her.

He turned to the little table beside her bed. A drawing Elizabeth had made for her decorated the top. The drawer held more drawings.

Elizabeth…

He sat on the edge of the bed, face in his hands as he tried to imagine the damage this would do to his little girl. At least when her mother left, she had been too little to remember much.

But he couldn’t afford to sit here feeling bad. He had to act now. At this very moment, Dulcie was in the house with his parents and Elizabeth.

He tried again to picture her being up to no good, and just couldn’t do it. He thought about the scene in the store earlier, and how unlikely that would have seemed if he hadn’t seen it. Clearly, just because he couldn’t picture something didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

He moved to stand up, but his hand brushed over something hard under her pillow.

Sucking in a breath, he lifted the pillow and saw that whatever it was must be under her sheets. He pulled up the fitted sheet at the corner and thrust his hand inside, coming out with a plastic bag. Inside the bag, the old t-shirt she’d been wearing when she arrived in town was wrapped around something.

He unwrapped it carefully to reveal a thick stack of bills, along with a very familiar-looking envelope.

She said she didn’t have money for a doctor…

The amount here certainly wouldn’t fill a briefcase, but it was plenty to cover a simple doctor’s visit, some warm clothing, and probably half a year’s worth of groceries.

And there was the envelope that contained the pay he’d given her this morning. He’d been so proud to hand it to her. At the time, he was thinking that he was being a little too generous, but he assumed she needed it and would be grateful to have some funds of her own so she could buy the things she needed. She seemed so hesitant to let him do anything for her, though he’d been more than willing.

I would have done anything for her.

I’ve been a fool.

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