Page 78 of The Promise Of Rain

He shook his head.“The biggest threat to that girl right now is you.”

“Then she’s safe.”

He studied me for a moment then dropped his forearms to the table.“You ever thought about a career in law enforcement?”

I didn’t answer, but the Sergeant’s question stayed with me.It was the most practical option.

Perhaps the easiest way forward.

But when had I ever chosen the easy way?

I needed to make some decisions, but first, I was taking my girl to Ayana’s in Mistlevale.

One hour away from Moose Lake, Mistlevale boasted Christmas all year round.Famous for their seasonal but always Christmas window displays, the streets were rarely empty.And Ayana’s, a restaurant with the aesthetic of a sensual snow globe, was the place to go for special occasions.

Sunday afternoon, Jenny and I walked into St.Michael’s, and I watched her hand off a couple of boxes of cookies to the staff.No wonder they loved her.

Abby thanked her and warned us both Ansel and Darlene were fighting a cold.We kept the visit short, and when we left, I turned the truck toward Mistlevale.

“Where are we going?Am I dressed appropriately?You said to dress up.”

My eyes ran down the length of her curvy frame, taking in everything from the high-heeled boots to the slim skirt to the pretty, V-neck, tunic sweater that framed her beautiful face.

With her hair pulled up and swept away from her face, she looked like a queen.

“You’re perfect.”

Unlike on the drive to Sage Ridge, she chattered like a magpie.

This was the Jenny I remembered, not the quiet, withdrawn, shell of a woman who showed no emotion or interest in life.

“Oh my gosh, Deacon,” she exclaimed as I parked the truck along the curb.“If I’d known we were going walking in Mistlevale, I would have worn pants.”

“When you get cold, we’ll head back,” I promised.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured me.Tossing me a smile, she stepped out of the truck and patted her coat.“I’ve got a new coat.”

When she reached back for her hat and prepared to jam it on top of her head, I laughed.“Hold up on the hat, baby, if you don’t want to mess up your pretty hair.”

I rounded the truck and plucked it out of her hand.“We’ll take it with us.”

Then, tucking her hand into the crook of my elbow, I led her down the street and up the cobblestone path to Ayana’s.

She stopped in her tracks.“You need reservations for this place.”

“I have them,” I assured her, dipping my chin to meet her eyes.

She frowned.“I don’t think I’m dressed up enough.”

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” I murmured.

With her pink cheeks, bright eyes, and jet-black hair smoothly twisted at the back, she was a fantasy stepping out from the pages of one of those books she liked to read.

Beauty, innocence, and the promise of sensuality.

“I’ve never been here.”She chewed her bottom lip as doubt cast a shadow over her pretty features.“I don’t know that I belong here, Deacon.”

“You, Jenny, belong anywhere and everywhere you want to go,” I grunted, prodding her forward and opening the door.