Case in point, her almost tireless search, on and off the clock for the last three years, looking for billionaire Ian Shaw’s missing niece, Esme. If they hadn’t called off the search, and if Ian hadn’t fired her, Sierra would probably be at the Shaw ranch right now, making calls, following leads.
Unable to extricate herself from her crush on her billionaire former boss.
No, Sam and Sierra had to work out—for Sierra’s sake. She needed a fresh start, something to show her she didn’t need to be at Ian’s beck and call.
Besides, Willow just knew Sam wasn’t the guy she’d heard with Senator Starr. She’d worked it all out as she stared at her darkened ceiling so many nights this week. Sam had just been trying to appease Senator Starr. Trying to tell him what he wanted to hear.
Because Sam was a cop and knew how to talk people away from their dangerous emotions.
Unlike her, who apparently dove right in.
“Don’t you have a hike scheduled for this weekend into the park?” Sierra asked.
Willow set the dishes down. “I did. I thought maybe I could use it as an object lesson—something about teaching the kids to look at life from God’s perspective. To let him guide them, since he sees the entire picture.”
“Right—see, that’s good. And exactly what they need. You should go in there and tell Josh and the committee that you’ll take them on the hike. Josh can go with you, a sort of introduction to the group. Then, on the hike, you can prove to Josh that he needs you. That you’re still part of the team. You want that, right?”
She didn’t want to admit it, but . . .
Okay, she might just be feeling a little sorry for herself. It just felt that, with her father finding a new family and Sierra finding true love with Sam, the youth group seemed the only family she had left.
“They’d never let me be the only adult who knows the park on the hike.”
“What if I went with you?”
Ah, see, she didn’t deserve her sister. “I don’t—”
“And I’ll get Sam to join us. They can’t turn down Sam’s involvement. Who better than a cop to keep them safe?”
Willow managed to find a smile. “Yeah, but he’s so busy.”
“No, he’s not. He just doesn’t slow down. It would be good for him, I promise. I’ll ask him tonight, on our date.”
There it went again, the burr crawling through the walls of her heart. Somehow she managed an “Oh . . . okay.”
“Go in there—right now,” Sierra said. She actually slid out of the booth, pressed her hand to the small of her sister’s back. “I’ll go with you if you want.”
“No. I . . .” Willow blew out a breath. “Okay, fine.”
But she picked up the water pitcher on her way, just for fortification.
Most had finished their food. Chet asked for a box for his chicken sandwich and chips. Josh had left half his Reuben on his plate.
She filled Pastor Hayes’s water, then stepped back, waiting for a pause in the conversation—an innocuous discussion about the current winning streak of the Mercy Falls Mavericks.
Nora was the first to look up at her. She gave her a smile. Willow tested it for warmth, couldn’t decide.
“The check is on me,” Pastor Hayes said quietly, glancing up at her.
“I know,” Willow said. “Actually, I wanted, while you were all here . . .” She swallowed. “I wanted to talk about the youth hike we have scheduled tomorrow.”
“It’s not another overnight, is it?” Nora said.
“No, just a day hike. Sort of an end-of-the-season wrap-up. I wanted to take them up to the lookout on Huckleberry Mountain and talk about God’s perspective and . . .”
Now it sounded so lame. A feeble attempt to build some faith activity into a fun trip. “There’s more to being a youth leader than just being one of the girls or planning fun events and object lessons. You have to actually know and teach the word of God.”
“I don’t know, Willow.” Nora was shaking her head. “With the recent bear attack, and the last hike you were on . . .”
It didn’t help that Nora’s son, Nate, had gotten lost on said hike and ended up breaking his ankle in two places.
She should probably slink from the room.
“That sounds fun.” The voice came from the other end of the table. Josh, slick, skinny, and about as city-bred as a guy could get. “I’ve never been in the park, and it would be a great way to bond with these kids. Nothing builds friendship like a challenging activity together.”
“Not too challenging, I hope,” Nora said.
“I don’t know,” Pastor Hayes said. “Josh doesn’t really know the park—”