LITMIR.BIZ

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your arm,” she said, returning his smile.

      “Then we’re both in good shape.” Even from across the room, she could see the twinkle in his eyes.

      As they spoke, a girl shyly peeked at Allison from the hallway beyond the open door. Slender like her aunt with the same red hair. At first glance, Shelly appeared to be about sixteen, but as she stepped forward, Allison noted her innocent facial expressions and the faraway look in her eyes. Undoubtedly, she was a special child with a mental age much younger than her actual years.

      “Go on, now,” Luke encouraged, his hand nudging her into the room.

      With a reassuring nod from her brother, Shelly shuffled toward the table. She favored her left leg, causing a lateral swing to her gait.

      Once she was seated, Luke grabbed her napkin from the table, shook it open and placed it over her lap. “Remember your manners, darlin’, and eat like the little lady you are.”

      Shelly’s eyes crinkled, but her mouth refused to smile.

      Luke’s gaze was warm, and Allison could see the deep affection he had for his sister.

      Standing at the stove, Bett fixed a plate and placed it in front of Shelly.

      “How ’bout you, Allison? Two links or three?” Bett held the spatula poised above the skillet, where plump sausage sizzled. “Best venison sausage you’ll ever eat.”

      Venison?

      Luke flicked a quick glance her way.

      “Just eggs, please. No sausage.”

      Bett handed Allison her plate, then fixed one for Luke and herself before she sat at the table.

      Realizing how hungry she really was, Allison picked up her fork ready to dig into the eggs when an awkward silence settled over the room. She looked up to find Luke staring at her.

      “Shall we offer thanks?”

      Her cheeks burned. “Of course.”

      She returned the fork to her plate, bowed her head and clasped her hands together on her lap. Major faux pas. So much for trying to fit in.

      Luke spoke in a sincere voice. “Thank you, God, for the food we are about to eat. Thank you for protecting Allison from the fire and for giving us the opportunity to know her better. May we honor you in all we do this day. Amen.”

      Reaching for his knife and fork, Luke cut Shelly’s sausage into bite-size pieces and spread a thick layer of golden butter over her corn bread.

      Once again Allison’s cheeks burned. “Seems I’m late expressing my thanks.”

      “Just glad I happened to be driving by.”

      “If you hadn’t—”

      He nodded almost imperceptibly toward his sister. Allison understood that Shelly didn’t need to hear the reality of what could have happened.

      Not that Allison wanted to give voice to that thought, either.

      Bett smiled and patted her arm. “No need to dwell on what might have been. We’re just thanking the Lord you’re here with us today.”

      Her touch was filled with acceptance. Something Allison had little of from her own family.

      “Shelly, after breakfast I want you to help me in the garden. We’ve got the last of the pole beans to pick before we finish your lessons and then work on our crafts.” Bett continued to chatter about the day ahead of them.

      Relieved the conversation had turned to other topics, Allison ate heartily. Once finished, she wiped her mouth on the napkin and sighed with satisfaction.

      “Breakfast was delicious.”

      Bett beamed with the compliment and started to clear the table.

      “Let me help you with the dishes.” Allison rose from the chair just as the doorbell rang.

      Luke excused himself and quickly returned, followed by a middle-aged, beefy man dressed in a khaki uniform with a badge on his chest.

      “Morning, Bett.”

      She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. “How ’bout some breakfast, Vic?”

      “Can I take a rain check?”

      “Allison, Sheriff Vic Treadwell wants to talk to us about last night,” Luke said.

      “Ma’am.” The sheriff nodded to Allison, then smiled at Shelly. “Hey, Sunshine.”

      The girl’s eyes crinkled, and the corners of her mouth twitched at the nickname she evidently enjoyed being called.

      “Why don’t we go into the other room,” the sheriff suggested.

      A sense of unease washed over Allison. She rinsed her hands in the sink and dried them on the towel Bett offered, then followed Luke and the sheriff into the living area.

      Pulling in a steadying breath, she sat on one end of the leather couch opposite the sheriff, who withdrew a small tablet and pen from his pocket. Luke stood by the mantel.

      “Allison, did you happen to hear anything before the fire broke out last night?” the sheriff asked, his pen poised to write.

      She shook her head, trying to calm the threads of concern that tangled within her. “The drive from Atlanta took longer than I expected. I called a friend after I found my room and before I’d gotten my luggage from the car. I dozed off for a few minutes. When I opened my eyes, smoke filled the room.”

      “Did you see anyone hanging around the premises?”

      “No one.” She thought back to the blackened hallway of the bed-and-breakfast and the lone lamp that had shadowed the registration desk. “The night manager left me a note with the key to the room.”

      The sheriff jotted something on the tablet. “Who let you in?”

      “No one. The front door was open when I arrived.”

      “And you locked it when you went upstairs?”

      “I left it the way I’d found it, Sheriff, in case someone arrived after me.”

      “But it was locked when I got there,” Luke volunteered.

      The sheriff glanced at Luke before turning his gaze back to Allison. “You sure you didn’t lock the door?”

      “I’m quite sure.”

      “I blame Cooper Wallace,” Luke said as the sheriff made another notation. “It’s been years since he’s done any repair work on the property. Faulty wiring probably caused the fire.”

      The sheriff shook his head. “Now, Luke, I know you two don’t see eye to eye, but he’s got a lot on his plate with his campaign for the state senate.”

      Luke let out an exasperated breath. “He’ll never get elected.”

      “If you came to town a bit more often, you might realize Coop’s favored to win. ’Course, there’s no one of worth running against him.”

      Wallace? The name of one of the men Allison needed to find. “Any chance he’s related to Jason Wallace?”

      The sheriff nodded. “Jason’s his kid brother. Why?”

      What could she say? She needed to respect Jason Wallace’s privacy, but she also needed to answer the sheriff’s question truthfully.

      “I hope to talk to him later today about a test my lab is developing.”

      “A test that has to do with the health of the local deer population,” Luke added.

      The sheriff raised his brow. “Folks take their hunting seriously around these parts.”

      Allison glanced at the magazines on the table and the mounted deer head hanging on the wall.

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