“Don’t mind if I do,” he said, making a funny face so Addie would giggle. He loved the sound of her tinkling laughter. It made him feel as if all was right with the world, even when it wasn’t.
Sage smiled as she watched his interaction with Addie. It made her look even prettier, which didn’t seem humanly possible. He didn’t want to feel anything romantic for Sage, but there was something hovering in the air between them. A type of chemistry he couldn’t ignore. And even though he was loath to pursue anything with her, it didn’t mean he couldn’t sit down for a meal at his mother’s table and enjoy her company.
“How can I say no to my favorite dish?” he asked. “Why don’t you let me set the table for you? How many of us are there this evening?”
“Just the three of us. Piper’s at the diner. And those two journalists went in to town to eat,” Trudy explained with a roll of her eyes. She heaved a little sigh. “Things have been so slow lately with reservations that I was hardly in a position to turn away those muckrakers. But I wish I could have. I just feel so guilty about giving them room and board when they’re working overtime to stir up painful memories here in Owl Creek.”
He reached out and patted his mother on the back. “You’re just giving them a place to lay their heads, Mama. You’re not responsible for what they write or the wounds they might be reopening.”
“Muckrakers?” Sage asked with a frown.
Hank turned toward her. “Hordes of so-called journalists have descended upon us due to the anniversary of the kidnapping. They’ve been a bit intrusive. They’re not all reputable outlets either. It’s put a big strain on the town, mostly on the North family.”
“Oh, that’s terrible,” Sage said, her features creasing with concern. “I can’t imagine how painful it must be to have it all stirred up again.”
Trudy made a tutting sound. “It was such an awful time. All of the memories of it have come crashing back even though most of us have tried to forget. It cast a pall over the whole town. There was a lot of suspicion and finger-pointing.” She shivered. “No one wants to relive it.”
“Willa and Nate pray every day to be reunited with Lily,” Hank added gruffly. “Lord willing, it’ll happen.”
“They’re always in my prayers,” Trudy said. “I truly believe the Lord will show Lily the way back home.”
Hank deposited Addie in her high chair and made quick work of setting the kitchen table. Trudy brought food over from the stove and began placing it on the plates. A nice salad and sourdough bread complemented the meal.
When they sat down to eat, they held hands while his mom prayed over the food. Hank couldn’t deny how nice it felt to feel the warmth of Sage’s hand in his. It had been a long time since he’d held a woman’s hand in his own.
At one point during dinner, he looked over at Sage only to find her staring at his ring finger. He couldn’t really blame her since he had done the same thing to her on the ferry. Nevertheless, Hank felt a sliver of annoyance as it dawned on him why she might be curious. Was Sage one of those people who judged single parents? He had dealt with a few over the past eight months and it made him feel defensive. A sudden noise from Addie caused him to turn in her direction. She was sitting in her high chair with her lip stuck out and a disgruntled expression stamped on her cute little face. It looked as if she was about to wail something fierce. Instinctively, he reached over to try to soothe her.
“Leave her be, Hank,” Trudy said in a scolding tone. “You can’t spoil her at every turn. You can’t let her know she’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”
He let out a sigh, knowing his mother was right.
“I’m a single dad,” he explained, locking gazes with Sage. “Addie’s mom died in an accident about eight months ago. She was three months old at the time and had been living in Kodiak with her mother, Theresa. Sad to say, but I didn’t even know she existed. Then in one fell swoop I found out I was her sole parent.”
Sage let out a gasp. “Finding out about Addie must have turned your world upside down.”
“It did,” Hank acknowledged. “What I knew at the time about babies was next to nothing. But with the help of my mother and sister, I learned the ropes fairly quickly and day by day, things got better. Especially after I let God into my life and became a Christian.” He sighed. “I loved Addie from the first moment I clapped eyes on her, but I think it took her a few weeks to reciprocate those feelings. She missed Theresa something awful. The first time she called me Dada I thought I might fly to the moon out of sheer joy.”
“I can only imagine,” she returned softly.
He met Sage’s gaze head-on. “Sometimes there are things in life you never even knew you desperately needed to make you whole. Addie’s one of those things. God is another.”
Although Hank regretted being intimate with Theresa, his relationship with the Lord had been nonexistent at the time. He hadn’t been a Christian. He had been reeling from the death of his stepfather and questioning everything in his life, which had led him to make poor choices. In the end, Addie had been an absolute blessing.
Trudy reached over and patted Hank’s hand. “Addie couldn’t ask for a finer daddy. Or a better man.”
“Fathers and daughters have a very special bond,” Sage agreed. “There’s nothing quite like it in this world.” She put a piece of chicken in her mouth and delicately chewed it before swallowing.
“It sounds like you’re close to yours,” Hank responded, immediately noticing the way Sage seemed to be fighting back tears. Clearly the subject of fathers and daughters had struck a nerve.
She nodded and looked down at her plate. “I’ve always been a daddy’s girl. When I was growing up I seriously thought he hung the moon and that he was responsible for the stars twinkling up in the heavens.”
Hank let out a low whistle as he laid his fork on his plate. “I can only hope Addie feels that way about me someday. He must be a very loving father.”
“He is,” Sage murmured, toying with her food and not making eye contact.
Hank had the feeling she might be a little homesick. Perhaps she was having regrets about traveling all this way to Owl Creek. He had never been to Florida, but he knew it was a far cry from Alaska both in climate and the way of life.
He had a strange feeling about the mysterious newcomer. Perhaps it was his law enforcement background or maybe it was his desire to keep Sage at arm’s length, but for the life of him, Hank couldn’t rid himself of the notion that something was a bit off with Sage Duncan. Why had this beautiful woman come all the way to Alaska to a small hamlet like Owl Creek? And why did it seem as if she might be hiding something?
Shortly after dinner, Trudy brought Sage upstairs so she could settle in for the night. Sage let out a contented sigh as she entered the spacious room. It was beautifully decorated. The first thing she noticed was a queen-size mahogany sleigh bed with a pink-and-white-floral coverlet. Next to the bed sat a night table with a big bouquet of flowers. The wallpaper was old-fashioned—white swans against a gray background. It would be a lovely place to call home for the duration of her stay in town.
Trudy bid her good-night and advised her to sleep in tomorrow. Sage felt grateful for the innkeeper’s nurturing manner and her desire to make sure she wasn’t overtaxing herself. Truthfully, she was beyond exhausted, and it was fairly shocking she could still keep her eyes open.
Sage quickly went into the adjoining bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth in record time. Then she pulled on a pair of flannel pajamas and crawled under the covers.
However,