âYou arenât going to come to church with us, are you?â
The second the question was out of her mouth, she bit down on the inside of her cheek. Sheâd never confronted someone about not attending church. She didnât confront anyone about anything, if possible.
Chanceâs gaze narrowed on her face, every line in his body rigid. âI need to get settled in.â
Tanya knew from the expression on her new tenantâs handsome face that any further discussion was unwelcome. âIâm sorry I brought up the subject. I just assumed you believed.â
âBecause Iâm friends with Samuel?â
She nodded.
âI guess Samuel would say Iâm the lost sheep heâs trying to bring back to the fold.â
THE LADIES OF SWEETWATER LAKE:
Like a wedding ring, this circle of friends is never ending
Chance Taylor stepped off the bus and surveyed the town, which was nothing like where heâd spent the past two years. Yet, for a few seconds he fought the overwhelming urge to get back on the bus. Because no matter how much he wanted to, he couldnât. Not until heâd paid his debt.
The bus pulled away from the curb, leaving him behind. No escape now. The beating of his heart kicked up a notch. Chance glanced up and down the street. Sweetwater. It was exactly as Tom Bolton had described it. Quaint stores lined its Main Street. A row of Bradford pear trees down both sides of the road offered shade in the heat of summer. Even though it was the end of September, the hot air caused sweat to pop out on his forehead.
He closed his eyes to the vivid colors spread out before himâa red sign above a door, yellow pansies about the base of the trees along the street. Heâd lived in a world heâd thought of as black-and-white. Now every hue of the rainbow bombarded him from all sides. Opening his eyes to the new world around him, he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, then grabbed the one duffel bag with all his earthly possessions and strode toward Aliceâs Café.
Inside he scanned the diners, all engrossed in their food and conversation. People doing normal, everyday things with no idea how their life could change in a split second. But he knew.
Drawing in a deep breath, Chance took a moment to compose himself. Again the question flashed across his mind: why had he come to Sweetwater? Surely there was a better place, one he could get lost in. New York City. Chicago. Even Louisville would have been better than this small town, where according to Tom, everyone watched out for each other. He didnât want that. Nosy neighbors had led to his destruction in the past. But Sweetwater was the only place where he could fulfill his promise to himself. He was stuck here for the time being, but once he had paid his debt, he would leave as fast as a bus could take him out of town.
Chance saw Samuel Morgan in the back booth and headed toward him. Aware of a few glances thrown his way, Chance hurried over, placed his duffel bag on the floor, then slid in across from Samuel, his back to the other diners.
Samuel grinned. âI didnât think youâd come.â
âI said I would. About the only thing I have left is my word.â
âTomâs death wasnât your fault. He made his choice.â
âI have a chance to return a favor. I intend to. Thatâs the least I can do.â
A waitress with a pencil behind her left ear paused near Samuel and dug into her apron pocket for a pad.
âWant something to eat?â Samuel asked.
Chance shook his head, aware of the open curiosity in the older womanâs gaze. His stomach tightened. He should be used to people watching him, having spent the past few years with no right to any privacy. But he wasnât. All he wanted when he was through with Sweetwater was to find a quiet corner of the world where he could put his life back together.
âAlice, Iâll take another cup of coffee.â Samuel pushed his mug toward the edge of the table.