A runaway teen at Christmas...

brings a special gift into her life.

When Ava Cahill returns to Holly River to reunite with the son she gave up for adoption, she’s stunned to encounter Noah Walsh again. The attractive biker she knew six years ago had no idea of her secret. And now Ava’s mentoring his troubled daughter. As she and Noah rekindle powerful feelings, can she tell him the truth and become one forever family?

CYNTHIA THOMASON inherited her love of writing from her ancestors. Her father and grandmother both loved to write, and she aspired to continue the legacy. Cynthia studied English and journalism in college, and after a career as a high school English teacher, she began writing novels. She discovered ideas for stories while searching through antiques stores and flea markets and as an auctioneer and estate buyer. Cynthia says every cast-off item from someone’s life can ignite the idea for a plot. She writes about small towns, big hearts and happy endings that are earned and not taken for granted. And as far as the legacy is concerned, just ask her son, the magazine journalist, if he believes. Please contact Cynthia at cynthoma@aol.com and cynthiathomason.net.

Also by Cynthia Thomason

The Cahills of North Carolina

High Country Cop

Dad in Training

The Daughters of Dancing Falls

Rescued by Mr. Wrong

The Bridesmaid Wore Sneakers

A Boy to Remember

Firefly Nights

This Hero for Hire

A Soldier’s Promise

Blue Ridge Autumn

Marriage for Keeps

Dilemma at Bayberry Cove

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

High Country Christmas

Cynthia Thomason

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09471-9

HIGH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

© 2019 Cynthia Thomason

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“I’m not sure if I’m lost in the memories of that one night in our past or if I wish tonight were a first.”

“I’m not sure, either, Noah,” Ava said. “But we can’t relive the past, can we? Nor should we automatically believe that the past determines the future.”

“Everything about that night is coming back to me, Ava,” Noah whispered.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t read too much into one simple kiss.”

“Maybe,” he agreed. “But I would hardly call the one I just experienced ‘simple.’ I’m not sorry at all that you and I met once before, or that you and I found each other again...”

Dear Reader,

“For the love of a child,” one of the most powerful phrases in our language. What any of us wouldn’t do for the love of a child. We try to do what’s best for the children in our lives. We struggle with each decision and pray we made the right one.

High Country Christmas is Ava’s story, the third book in the trilogy, The Cahills of North Carolina. Years ago, Ava made a decision about a child in her life and now she is facing the consequences of that choice. She changes her future and doesn’t look back to do what’s right for Charlie and ultimately for Sawyer, a young teen being raised by an obstinate and risk-taking single dad.

With the help of her supportive family and the man she comes to love with all her heart, Ava’s journey “for the love of a child” will hopefully warm your heart at Christmas and all year through.

If you like Ava’s story, please read about her two brothers, who are as different as any brothers could be. High Country Cop is Carter’s story. Dad in Training is Jace’s.

Cynthia Thomason

This book is dedicated to the caring folks at Crossnore Children’s Home in Crossnore, North Carolina. Thank you for welcoming me, educating me, and allowing me an intimate look at this warm and wonderful home.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

THE NUMBERS WERE beginning to blur. Ava checked the clock on the wall and was shocked to see the hands indicating one o’clock in the morning. She’d been at this for three hours.

The job would have been much easier if she’d had access to the computers of her deceased father’s paper mill company. But the current owner, her uncle Rudy, had denied her request. So Ava spent long hours trying to decipher the financial status of the business by slogging through ledgers the now-retired bookkeeper had painstakingly entered with a number two pencil. And all Ava had determined so far was that something wasn’t right. The numbers weren’t adding up, literally and figuratively.

Elsie Vandergarten had been a crackerjack bookkeeper in the days when accountants were called by that job-specific name. Ava’s father, Raymond Cahill, had trusted her with accounting for every dollar the company took in. A software technician had begun transcribing the figures into the company’s computer more than five years ago to satisfy Raymond’s techie brother, Rudy. A newly hired comptroller had replaced Elsie when she retired over a year ago when Raymond died.

And now, struggling to find out why her mother’s share of the profits had dwindled, Ava had taken it upon herself to examine the company books. Her brothers, Carter and Jace, trusted Ava because she’d always been known as the smartest of the three siblings. The boys figured she would unearth the truth about the creative bookkeeping, and she didn’t want to disappoint them, or herself.

Ava leaned back in her desk chair, appreciating the comforting creak the chair’s gears made. For three hours her office at the Sawtooth Children’s Home had been reassuringly quiet. Nearly everyone else who lived on the sprawling campus was in bed or preparing for Monday’s classes. Ava dropped her glasses onto the desk blotter, closed the ledger and stuck it in a large bottom-tier drawer of her classic mahogany desk. She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands.

“Whatever you’re doing, Uncle Rudy, you are covering your tracks very well,” she said aloud. “But nobody’s perfect and I’ll find it.”

Time for bed, she thought to herself.

She stood from her desk and headed for the office exit. In moments she would be in her personal living quarters, a small but cheerful one-bedroom apartment carved out of unused space for the home’s chief administrator until she could find a nice house of her own. Having only been in this new job since September, Ava hadn’t yet had time for real estate shopping. But after living independently for so long in Charlotte, she was determined not to move back into her old room at the family farm. She stopped in front of a decorative mirror in the office to check the damages of her three-hour vigil.

“Oh no, not another one,” she said, lifting her hand to grasp the spiky, coarse white hair that stood out from the others in her dark wispy bangs. “That’s the third one this month.”

Ava didn’t consider herself vain, but really—three gray hairs in a month! She was only thirty-six years old, in good health and completely satisfied with her decision to leave the corporate world of finance in Charlotte. Returning to her mountain home of Holly River to manage the children’s facility, which had become a North Carolina treasure, had been the right decision for many reasons. Ava brought her professional business training to keep the school on a steady keel, and she enjoyed her association with the children and staff.

She yanked the offending hair from the others and raked her fingers through the bangs which reached just to her eyebrows. Another quick look convinced her that all the other hairs were a comforting deep chestnut color. She turned off the office light and proceeded into the lobby and the doorway that led to her apartment.

A sudden chilly draft caused Ava to stop. “Where is that coming from,” she said softly, knowing all the windows and doors of the administrative office, as well as all residences, were secured at night. The other door leading from the lobby, the one to the kitchen, was open. Unusual, but still that didn’t explain a cold late-November wind sweeping through the interior of the building. Nothing should be open, and the security system should have detected anything out of the ordinary.

Ava listened carefully. Hearing no sound, she grabbed an oak walking stick from the umbrella stand by the door and ventured slowly into the hallway. Just a few short steps and she would be at the kitchen, the element of surprise on her side. A soft light guided her way. Nice, but there shouldn’t be a light in the kitchen at this hour.

She gripped the walking stick, flexing her hand with each step. All the resident children lived with their “cottage parents” in smaller structures around the campus, so no one would be inclined to visit the main kitchen in the administration building, where Ava lived. All residents could go to their own, smaller kitchen if they needed a late-night snack. The administration kitchen was only used for staff lunches and group meetings.

Ava walked through the kitchen doorway and stopped. The light she’d seen came from the open refrigerator door. A small, slight figure was crouched on the floor in front of the open door. He—or she—Ava couldn’t tell since the person was wearing a hoodie, was rifling through food items in the crisper drawer.

Determining that she had probably four inches on the intruder and at least twenty pounds, Ava smacked the walking stick against the door frame and spoke loudly and forcefully. “What do you think you’re doing?”

The intruder squawked in a decidedly female way, and fell back on her fanny. Jerking her head around so half her face was visible under the hood, she said, “Good grief, you scared the crap out of me!”

Ava took a moment to process the offending remark before saying, “That’s hardly the point. Who are you and what are you doing in here?”

The girl stood, yanked up her jacket zipper. “Nothing. I was just leaving. You can have your precious food all to yourself.”

Using the walking stick, Ava blocked the girl’s exit from the kitchen to the backyard. She made a quick appraisal. The girl was thin but appeared healthy. Her skin glowed pink from being out in the elements on a chilly night.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Ava said. “If you’re hungry, I’ll fix you something to eat, but first I’m getting an explanation.”

The girl seemed to weigh her options, and quickly decided that decent food was a fair trade for providing a reason for her breaking and entering, even if that reason were a lie. “Okay, I’ll eat.”

“Sit down,” Ava said, pointing to one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen worktable. Ava took three eggs and some bacon from the fridge, placed a skillet on the stove and began preparing a meal. She kept one eye on the late-night guest while she cooked.

“What’s your name?” she asked the girl.

At first the intruder shrugged, but finally she said, “Taylor Grande.”

Ava smiled to herself. “Is it a coincidence that your name is made up of two of today’s hottest female pop singers?”

“Yeah. My mother had a crystal ball when I was born. She knew I would be famous and wanted to give me a head start.”

Remembering the draft when a chill penetrated Ava’s bones, she went to the window and yanked down the glass. With a quick twist, she secured the window’s lock. “I assume this is how you got in.”

“Yep.”

“Wasn’t the window locked?”

“No. Is it supposed to be?”

“Of course it is. Plus, we have a dependable security system on every opening on every building on the campus. I should have heard an alarm. Our security chief should have registered the entry in his office.”

“Looks like somebody screwed up,” Taylor Grande said.

Ava transferred the food to a plate, poured a glass of milk and set the meal on the table. “I’ll add two slices of toast if you tell me how you dismantled the security system.”

“I’ll take the toast.” Taylor shoveled a forkful of food into her mouth. She followed it with a gulp of milk, and then took an object from her hoodie pocket.

Ava reached for the walking stick when she saw the shiny object, but quickly set her weapon back against the table when she realized she wasn’t in danger. “What’s that?”

“A Swiss Army Knife. I thought everyone knew that.”

“Well, of course I know,” Ava said. “But what does it have to do with you breaking and entering?”

Taylor switched a pocket-size knife from the center of the instrument. “Simple. I cut the wire leading to the window alarm.” She took another bite of food. “I’m only telling you this because after I finish this meal, I’m heading out and you’ll never see me again. And also because you need to update the security around here. Everything should be digital. Wires are an open invitation to people with bad intentions.”

“Thanks for the tip.” Ava busied herself with making a pot of coffee. She doubted she’d sleep much tonight now that she knew their security system left a lot to be desired.

“That’s a great idea,” Taylor said, looking longingly at the coffee brewer. “I could use a cup.”

Ava scowled at her. “What are you, fourteen?”

“Close enough.”

“You should not be drinking coffee.”

“Maybe you should have told me that three years ago.”

“And another thing...” Ava said. “You are not going out into this weather again tonight. It’s supposed to go into the thirties. Is that hoodie all the protection you have?”

For the first time Taylor pushed the hood from her head, revealing dark blond hair hurriedly tamed into a messy single braid. Her hair was dirty with strands falling over her face. “I’ll find a place to sleep,” she said.

Ava poured herself a cup of coffee and refused the request to fill a second cup for her intruder. She sat across from Taylor and sipped her coffee. “Do you even know where you are? Do you know what this place is?”

“Some kind of orphanage, right?”

“We don’t use that word so much these days,” Ava said. “But yes, this is a children’s home. Some of our kids don’t have parents. Some are estranged from their families. Children come here for all sorts of reasons.”

Taylor gave her a curious stare. “Don’t get any ideas about me. I didn’t come here for anything but food. The truck driver who gave me a ride from Boone pointed this place out when he dropped me off, said I could probably find a free meal. That’s all I came for.”

“And that’s all I’ve offered you, isn’t it?” Ava said, grateful that the truck driver had pointed this girl to a place of safety.

“Well, yeah.” Taylor layered egg and bacon on half a piece of toast and shoved the whole thing in her mouth.

“There is one thing we tend to ask anyone who might be interested in staying here...”

“I’m not interested.”

“Right. I know, but indulge me. Where are you supposed to be? Where are your parents?”

“Beats me. As for where I’m supposed to be, that’s really just my business.” She placed her fork and knife on her plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Thanks for the meal. It was more than I thought I’d get. I figured I’d end up scarfing down some lettuce and carrots from your fridge, but this was way better.” She yawned, rubbed her hand across her forehead. “Guess I’ll be going now.”

“Planning to hitch another ride, are you?”

“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

Ava gave her an indulgent smile. “You do know you’re not leaving here, don’t you?” she said. “My work here is all about taking care of kids, keeping them safe in a smooth-running facility. What would it say about my ability to do my job if I let you go back out into the cold tonight to beg a ride from another stranger?”

Taylor pulled up her hood and stood. “You’ve got plenty of other kids to take care of, lady. You don’t need to make a project of me. I can take care of myself.”

Noticing a backpack near the fridge, Ava said, “What’s in the pack, your worldly belongings?”

“Stuff. Nothing important.” She reached for the backpack. “See ya.”

Ava cradled the coffee cup in her two hands. “Suit yourself, Taylor Grande, but here’s how I see your situation. You’re exhausted. And in seconds you’ll be cold through to the bone. You don’t really smell like a flower garden. In a few hours you’ll be hungry again. I can take care of those conditions for you. I might even be able to get you some clean clothes before you leave.”

Taylor swung the pack over her shoulder. “I’ve got clothes, but thanks.”

“Think about this, Taylor,” Ava said. “You give me the army knife until the morning in exchange for a bed on my couch tonight and tomorrow we’ll reevaluate your situation. If you still want to leave, so be it.”

“You won’t try to keep me here against my will? I’ve heard stories...”

Ava sighed. “We’re not in the business of hostage taking. Look, you’ve got to trust somebody, Taylor. You can trust me or the next truck driver who picks you up. For tonight at least, I’m suggesting you trust me.”

After what seemed like unending minutes, Taylor said, “Okay. I’ll stay. But just till tomorrow.”

Ava tried not to look overly grateful at Taylor’s decision. “As I said, we’ll reevaluate.”

Ava picked up the dishes, stacked them in the sink. “One more thing...” she said.

“Yeah?”

“While I’m making up your bed, you take a shower.”

Taylor sniffed the sleeve of her jacket. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

* * *

ONCE TAYLOR LAY on the couch, she was asleep in less than a minute. Ava thought about calling her brother Carter. He was chief of police in Holly River, and he would know if any missing kids had come up on his radar. But it was the middle of the night. Carter was at home in bed. And she’d sort of given Taylor her word that nothing would be done about her situation until the morning. Besides, morning would arrive soon enough.

Ava turned on the heat in her apartment and crawled between her covers. She might get two or three hours’ sleep if she was lucky. She fell into a restless slumber with her bedroom door open. Taylor’s deep breathing comforted her. At least she’d done something for this child for tonight.

The next morning Ava padded around her apartment, making coffee and getting dressed. Taylor was still fast asleep when Ava left to attend to chapel duties. She put a note on the kitchen table where Taylor couldn’t miss it. Taylor, do not leave. I will be back soon.

During the church service, Ava spoke with Helen Carmichael, one of the “cottage mothers” the school employed to help the children in her charge. Helen and her husband, Mark, were kind people, empty nesters who had sent their own children to college and wanted to lend a hand to others. They lived full-time in the cottage assigned to them for two weeks, and then another couple took over. Each couple only worked two weeks. Managing a home with ten children, even with extra staff to help, was a serious and often painstaking responsibility.

“Helen, you currently have only nine children in your cottage, is that right?” Ava asked.

“That’s true. Have you received word that another child is coming?”

“Not exactly, but maybe so.” The Sawtooth Children’s Home, named for the mountain and the oak trees nearby, had such an excellent reputation that kids from all over North Carolina came to stay there. Often there was a waiting list. “There is one young girl,” Ava said. “I think she’s around fourteen.”

“That would be fine,” Helen said. “We’ve got six under ten and three over ten. Becky Miller is fifteen and she has a vacancy in her room.”

With that knowledge, Ava went back to her office, checked to see that Taylor was still sleeping and called Carter.

“What’s up, Ava? Everything okay over there?”

“Everything’s fine, Carter. But I think I’ve got a runaway. Claims she doesn’t know where her parents are, but I’m not convinced that’s true. Can you check your computer and see if a missing girl shows up? This one has dark blond hair, is approximately fourteen, maybe five-four, blue eyes, slim, pretty.”

“Where is she from?” Carter asked. “What’s her name?”

“Sorry. I didn’t get a straight answer from her. Overall she looks well cared for. And I know she came from some distance away.”

“I’ll see what I can find out.”

Within thirty minutes Carter had sent information to Ava’s cell phone. Attached was a picture of the young lady who was still currently sleeping on Ava’s sofa. She’d been missing for two days from a Chapel Hill address that Ava recognized as upscale.

Ava called her brother back. “That’s her,” she said. “Does she have any family?”

“Says here she’s got a father who’s looking for her. I’ve got to let Chapel Hill PD know. They may want me to pick her up.”

“I understand you’ve got to tell the police. But I’d rather you didn’t come here to get her just yet, Carter. I don’t want to spook this girl. It’s ten thirty, and I don’t expect her to wake up anytime soon. And when she does, I’m sure I can keep her here until we decide what to do. You can come by later, okay?”

“Not much later, but I’ll give you a little time,” he said.

“Thanks. By the way, what’s her name?”

“Sawyer Walsh. And you were right. She’s fourteen.”

“Thanks, Carter. I’ll call if I need you.”

Three hours later, Sawyer Walsh was beginning to stir on the sofa. She blinked her eyes open, stretched her arms over her head.

“How’d you sleep?” Ava asked her.

“Okay. Thanks for the bed. I’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes. Maybe I can take a sandwich with me.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged, but what’s your hurry? Why don’t you stay here at least for another night? You need more than one or two meals before you continue your journey.”

“I should go. I’m supposed to be in California in a week. Got friends there.”

Ava had become adept at recognizing lies. The California story was definitely made up. “Oh. California’s nice,” she said. “But still...”

Ava’s argument was cut short by the sound of a motorcycle engine followed by a persistent and loud knock on her apartment door. She turned the lock and opened the door. A man stood in the building’s reception lobby on the other side. He had an impressive build, almost an intimidating one, but it was also oddly familiar.

Ava saw the outline of an expansive chest and upper arm muscles under the black leather jacket he wore. He was tall enough to carry off the rough and tumble look, maybe six feet. His dark hair matched the stubble of beard on his face. He appeared tired as if he’d come to the school in a hurry.

Black jeans, a white T-shirt and black ankle boots with an insignia on the sides completed his outfit. A baseball cap covered his thick hair, which was mussed except for an obviously quick attempt to push coarse waves back behind his ears. When he saw her, he removed the cap, releasing strands onto his forehead. Ava swallowed. Something about this man’s demeanor and appearance was troubling although she couldn’t admit to being afraid of him. She placed her hand over her stomach to ease a tremble that had started deep inside. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Some guy in a golf cart sent me to this building.”

Jack, their Sunday security man, she thought.

“Are you the headmistress of this place?” the man asked.

“Well, we don’t use that term so much anymore, but I am the administrator.”

His gaze darted all around the doorway. He didn’t really look at Ava. “My name is Walsh. I understand my daughter is here.”

Of course. This man’s sudden appearance was the reason for the anxiety Ava was experiencing. She had been expecting someone to come for Sawyer. Ava ignored the rustling of bed linens behind her. “Walsh? Oh yes. You’re Sawyer’s father...”

“Bingo.” The man pushed past Ava and strode into her living room. When Ava spun around to keep track of him, she saw Sawyer as a flash of sheet and blanket disappearing into the kitchen. Next the back door opened and banged against the outside wall. In four steps Walsh was in the kitchen.

“Sawyer, not another step. Stop right there.” His voice was hoarse and seriously angry, his instructions clear and his black leather getup suddenly menacing. Ava shook her head. There was something about that voice. Again, she wasn’t afraid, but she was acutely aware of his tone and inflection. Ava knew this man.

Sawyer stopped a few feet outside the door.

CHAPTER TWO

SAWYER SPUN AROUND, a look of anguish etched in her face. She wrapped the bedclothes more tightly around her, almost as a shield and scowled at Ava. “Thanks a lot, lady. This is what you mean by trusting you?”

“Tay... I mean Sawyer...” Ava fumbled for words. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let you leave today. You’re obviously in trouble, and setting out on the road by yourself, hitching rides, isn’t likely to minimize that.”

Sawyer flashed a quick hot glare at her father. “And you think turning me over to this man will?”

“I don’t know.” Ava gave the man a quick appraisal. Though she was beginning to put the clues together, Ava couldn’t be completely certain that her instincts about who he was were correct. A lot of time had passed. “I can’t draw any conclusions yet.”

“Well, I’ve known him fourteen years, and let me tell you...”

“Cut it out, Sawyer,” Walsh said. “Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through the last two days? I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten...”

He took a step toward his daughter. Ava’s arm shot out to stop him, a fruitless gesture really because Walsh could obviously snap her bones with a twist of his wrist. “Don’t move,” she said. “I can have the police here in a matter of minutes.” She hoped she could protect Sawyer if need be.

The man still didn’t look at Ava. In fact, other than a brief sentence at the door, he hadn’t acknowledged her existence. His attention was focused entirely on his daughter.

“Yeah, Pops, one more step and I’m running,” Sawyer said. “We’ll play a little Catch-Me-If-You-Can.”

Walsh put his fists on his hips. “We both know I can catch you, Sawyer. Not much doubt about that.”

Ava looked at the stern faces of father and daughter. She’d mediated several ticklish family situations during her two-month tenure as the home’s administrator. But none of them had seemed as fraught with as much frustration and peril as this one. “Look, Sawyer, come back inside. I’ve brought you clean clothes. You can go into the bedroom and change. Then we’ll sit down and talk about this.”

“Like that’s ever done any good,” Sawyer said.

Walsh released a long breath. Ava expected him to argue with her, but he didn’t. “Do what this lady says or I’ll haul you back to Chapel Hill on the back of my bike in nothing but that blanket you’re wearing,” he said.

Ava shot a glance at Walsh. She didn’t especially approve of his threatening technique, but at least he appeared to be supporting her directions to Sawyer.

Sawyer stood on the back lawn for several seconds breathing heavily. Then she yanked the blanket from where it trailed on the ground and stomped up the few steps to the kitchen.

“Do you have any windows in that bedroom?” Walsh asked, keeping his attention on his daughter.

“Yes, but our security system is on. The windows can’t be opened without our hearing a siren.” She caught Sawyer’s conspiratorial look. “Not from the inside anyway.”

Once Sawyer had left the kitchen, Ava realized she was alone with the overpowering presence of the girl’s father. A strange tingle worked its way down her spine. She figured she ought to be scared out of her wits, but once more, she wasn’t. Maybe because she’d grown up with two brothers, and she’d always thought she understood the male psyche fairly well. But this man, who not only looked like a biker but had driven across the state on a motorcycle, was a truly dominating figure and Ava was intrigued. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, just as she hadn’t been able to six years ago. Oh yes, she’d known him—too well at one time.

He stood in the middle of her kitchen, his eyes cast down on some spot on her wood floor, his arms crossed over his chest. He almost seemed lost in her small cozy apartment.

“Would you like some coffee?” Ava suggested, hoping he would say yes. She needed something to occupy her hands while she thought about how his sudden appearance might affect her life.

He didn’t answer right away. His mind seemed a thousand miles away. After a moment he simply said, “No, thank you.”

“I’ll have one,” she said.

“Suit yourself.”

Ava measured ground coffee into the machine. She really didn’t want coffee. Her nerves were already on edge, her senses heightened, her mind struggling to maintain a rational demeanor in light of this man’s unexpected arrival at her door. What were the odds?

She should be wondering about what she was going to do in her capacity as administrator. The ultimate goal of the Sawtooth Children’s Home was the reunification of kids with their families if at all possible. But allowing Sawyer to go with this man? A man who had lied to her when she lived in Charlotte? There was no way she could see herself letting Walsh remove his daughter from her care. She had resources. She could prevent a father from taking his own child if she sensed something about the relationship wasn’t right.

When the coffee began brewing, she heard the scrape of a chair on the kitchen floor. She turned to see Walsh sitting, his elbows on her table. “Can I change my mind?” he asked, finally settling his gaze on her face.

Those eyes as brown as an acorn. I could never forget...

“I’d like to have that coffee now,” he said.

“Of course.” She brought him a cup and set cream and sugar on the table. He used a bit of sugar and took a long sip. Ava studied his full mouth, the movement of his Adam’s apple when he swallowed. She clearly remembered when she’d seen him drink something before. In a dark place, in a city miles away. She sucked in an audible gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. There was little doubt left in her mind now.

“How did she get here?” Walsh said after drinking most of his coffee. “Did she tell you?”

Ava sat next to him out of his direct line of sight. She hoped he would keep staring into his coffee. Convinced now that she knew who he was, she didn’t want him to recognize her. Thank goodness she’d changed a lot since then. “I don’t know about the first two days, but apparently a truck driver brought her from Boone and dropped her off here last night. That’s something to be thankful for. It was past midnight when I discovered her foraging in the refrigerator.”

He nodded, took another sip of coffee. “Yeah, I’m glad that happened.” Just seeing his profile, Ava determined that his face looked drawn, tense. “Do I owe you anything for her care—food, the clothes, whatever?” he asked.

“No. Of course not. This is what I...we do here—take care of children in need.”

He gave her a quick, piercing stare that made her stomach jump, and then looked back at the liquid in his mug. “That’s what you think, that Sawyer is needy?”

“There are many different types of need, Mr. Walsh. No two children are the same, nor do they come from the same circumstances. Besides, your daughter was very hungry when she got here.”

“I get that. But believe me, Sawyer is not needy in the usual sense. If she’d put a quarter of her clothes in a suitcase, she wouldn’t have been able to drag it across the state.”

Ava had to think of Sawyer, not the past, so she asked the difficult question. “Why is your daughter afraid of you, Mr. Walsh?”

“Afraid of me?” His lips curled up into a cynical grin. “She’s not afraid of me. She hates me.”

Ava had spoken with kids who claimed to have difficult relationships with their parents, but few had used the word hate. It just wasn’t in a child’s nature to hate the person they depended upon.

Walsh leaned forward and looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Does that surprise you, Mrs...?”

“It’s Miss...” She almost said her first name and quickly avoided it. “Miss Cahill, and yes, I’m surprised. Your daughter is obviously independent and clever, and she was visibly upset when she saw you, but I haven’t witnessed an emotion anywhere near hate.”

His head jerked up. His stare intensified. “What did you say your name is?”

“Cahill.”

“No. Your first name.”

“I didn’t.” She paused a moment and then said, “It’s Ava.”

“Ava, huh?” He rubbed his eyes, stared at her a moment longer. “The lack of sleep is getting to me,” he said.

“Yes, I can appreciate that this has been a difficult time.”

“I doubt you can know just how difficult. As far as Sawyer hating me, just wait. I haven’t strapped her to the back of my motorcycle yet.” He glanced into Ava’s short hallway toward the bathroom. “Something I’d better do before it gets much later. Even with the windshield attached and both dash heaters going, it could get chilly out there.”

“You’ll pardon me for saying so, Mr. Walsh...”

“You might as well call me Noah,” he said. “I don’t see us becoming pals, but this awkward moment between us entitles us to use first names.”

Noah—the name of the man she’d met six years ago. The man who, in one night had changed her life. The man she’d tried so hard to forget because at the time she’d had no other choice.

She struggled to keep her voice steady, to keep her hands wrapped tightly on her mug. To show any signs of the fierce emotions battling inside her would not help any of them.

“All right, Noah,” she said, her mind grasping for any topic to lead her mind away from the turmoil it was experiencing. “I can’t imagine why you came to get your daughter on a bike. Wouldn’t a car have been more comfortable for a drive back to Chapel Hill?”

He shifted on his chair, crossed his leg on the opposite knee. “Comfortable? Yeah, but I got here in just over two hours, and a car would have taken much longer. Plus I can keep a grip on Sawyer the whole way.” He stared hard at Ava a moment as if there was something he wanted to say. After a pause, he breathed deeply. “I know what you’re thinking. Has this happened before? Well, yeah it has. Gotta say though—” he looked around the comfortable kitchen in Ava’s apartment “—this is one of the better places Sawyer has picked.”

“Ava! You in here?”

The sound of her brother’s voice put an end to further conversation. Ava stood. “I’m in the kitchen, Carter. Come in.”

Carter Cahill, wearing jeans and a casual shirt and jacket, strode into the kitchen. Sunday was his day off, so he’d obviously elected not to put on his official uniform. He stopped a few feet into the room and stared menacingly at Walsh. “Everything okay here?” he asked. “There’s a strange motorcycle outside. You all right, Ava?”

Noah scowled. “Why wouldn’t she be?”

Knowing she had to calm the situation and keep it from escalating into a match of words between the two men, Ava put the past—and her roiling stomach—aside. “This is the girl’s father, Carter,” she said, standing up. “Noah Walsh. He’s come to take her home.” Turning to Noah, she said, “This is my brother Carter. He’s chief of police in Holly River.”

Both men nodded, but made no move to shake hands.

“Where’s the girl?” Carter asked.

“I’m here,” Sawyer said, coming into the kitchen. She looked rested and well, her hair combed into a ponytail. She wore the clothes Ava had brought her, jeans and a sweatshirt. With her hoodie covering her, she should be warm enough on the ride back to Chapel Hill. The temperature was going into the upper fifties today.

She stared at her father. “Well, aren’t you going to put me in handcuffs and cart me out of here? I’d like to get home in time to plan my next escape.” Noah started to rise. His jaw muscles tensed.

“Can we all just hold on a minute here?” Carter said. “Ava, I’ve got some information for you.” Speaking to Sawyer, he said, “Can you wait in the lobby awhile, Miss Walsh? And don’t try running off. If you do, I’ll have the entire police force of this town tracking you down.”

“The entire force of this town?” Sawyer said. “Yikes, I’m scared.”

Ava gave her a hard stare. “That’s enough, Sawyer. Just go into the lobby and wait for us.”

Sawyer looked as if another smart remark were on the tip of her tongue, but apparently she thought better of uttering it and ambled from the kitchen with a last sarcastic comment. “I’ll be waiting, Daddy. Can we stop for ice cream on the way home?”

Once Sawyer had left the room, Ava took a seat at the table. She hadn’t realized how weak her knees felt, how clouded her thinking.

Carter began. “I’ve done some investigating into this situation,” he said. “I’ve discovered that this is the fourth time this year that Sawyer has run away from home.” He waited for a reaction from Noah.

“It’s true,” he said. “She has become impossible.”

“Be that as it may,” Carter continued, “each time your daughter has run farther than the last. If she tries it again, she could very well slip away from you forever.”

“I don’t think so,” Noah said. “She wants you to believe her life is horrible, but I doubt she’d actually give up the advantages she has for a long absence. She’ll always come back.”

Ava looked at Carter and, avoiding direct eye contact with Noah, she said. “Sawyer was riding with a truck driver. She hitchhiked from Chapel Hill. Surely as her father, you understand the risks associated with that type of behavior. I mean, she was lucky this time, but...”

A muscle worked in Noah’s temple. “You think I don’t know that? I see where you people are going with this, but you’re way off base. Sawyer won’t try this again. She’ll be fine when I get her home. She’s made her point and knows she scared the...well, scared me pretty good.”

Carter’s features reflected his skepticism. “For how long?”

Noah sighed heavily as the room remained quiet. “Look,” he said. “Sawyer and I have our problems. I travel in my profession. I’m not home a lot, and Sawyer lives with housekeepers—very carefully selected housekeepers that I personally interview. I check their credentials. But Sawyer has a problem with boundaries. The relationships haven’t worked out.”

He shifted on his chair and leaned forward. “As a matter of fact, we’ve gone through so many housekeepers that it’s no longer a case of me requesting their references as it is the ladies requesting ours. Word has gotten around.” He tried to smile, but apparently realized the lack of humor in what he’d just said. “It’s not easy to find someone Sawyer will listen to.”

“Where is Sawyer’s mother?” Ava asked.

Noah frowned. “Currently in a small town outside of Barcelona I believe. Mary Kate and I divorced three years ago. She claimed to need peace and tranquility, and the tension around her relationship with Sawyer could never provide that. They argued all the time.”

Ava remembered his confession that he was married when he left her house in the middle of the night six years before.

Noah actually did smile this time. “You may find this hard to accept, but things have gotten easier for Sawyer since her mother left and we filed for divorce. We no longer hear from her, and we’re both okay with it.”

“You sure about that?” Carter asked.

“I’m sure. Ask Sawyer yourself if you don’t believe me. The last few years I was married, Sawyer did not grow up in a happy household. Her mother and I...” He paused. “Let’s just say, our family would not have made an ideal sitcom.”

“So let me make sure I have this right,” Carter said. “Sawyer has no mother in her life, and her father is mostly an absentee parent who leaves her to be raised by a housekeeper.”

Noah’s lips thinned. “I have to work, man. I make a good living. Sawyer has everything she needs.”

Ava and Carter shared a communal look of understanding. Yes, Sawyer had material things.

“Are there any other family members who could help with this situation?” Ava asked.

Noah shook his head. His gaze was fixated on Carter and the hallway where Sawyer had disappeared. He obviously didn’t trust either one of them. “My mother is designated legal guardian if something should happen to me. I had to select someone since my profession involves pretty high risk. But right now my mother lives in Oregon. We rarely see her. Mary Kate’s mother kept Sawyer for a while. They weren’t a good match. She sent her back to me.” Noah stood. “If that’s all, we’ll be on our way now.” Turning to Ava, he looked at her for a long, uncomfortable moment and said, “Thanks again for taking Sawyer in last night and for contacting the authorities in Chapel Hill.”

One look from Carter told Ava that he was not about to let this matter drop.

“Mr. Walsh,” Carter said, “I’m not comfortable with releasing Sawyer to your custody.”

Noah sputtered his amused disbelief. “Oh, you’re not? Well, sorry, Chief, but that’s not your call.”

“Actually, I think it is,” Carter said. “I see a threatening situation here, and I’m bound by law to try and prevent it.”

“Threatening? I’ve never touched that child!”

“Maybe you’re not the threat, Mr. Walsh, but your daughter’s life is in danger from other outside influences. Every time she runs away, she is at risk.”

Noah started to speak, but Carter raised his hand. “Not only that, but my wife is a social worker for the state of North Carolina. She works with children and families, and she would never forgive me if I turned Sawyer over to you since she has clearly and repeatedly shown the behavior of a runaway.”

“I don’t care what your wife is,” Noah said. “No one takes my daughter away.” He sighed. “Look, Sawyer and I have our differences. I’ve already admitted to that, but we’ll work them out...”

Ava sensed Noah’s anger escalating and realized the importance of keeping this situation calm. She spoke in a low, even tone. “Please, Mr. Walsh... Noah, think about Sawyer. Some type of intervention is needed to keep your daughter safe. Maybe you don’t realize what happens to kids on the street...”

“Nothing is going to happen to her. I’ll keep a closer eye on her.”

“Your techniques obviously haven’t worked,” Carter said.

“I’ll set stricter rules. She won’t run away again.”

“Yes, she will,” Ava said. “This is my profession, running a home for at-risk children, and I see the signs in Sawyer that I’ve seen in other kids. She will keep running away.”

Noah stared first at Ava and then at Carter. After several tense moments he spoke to Ava. “Can I see you outside? Just for a few minutes.”

Had he recognized her? She didn’t think so. There was nothing in his facial features to indicate the past had come back to him. “Yes, of course. We can step out on the back porch for a minute.”

“Now, hold on,” Carter said. “Anything you need to say to my sister you can say to me.”

Noah gave him a sharp look. “Why? Are you suddenly the administrator of this home?”

“Stop it, both of you,” Ava said. “Carter, I’ll be fine just outside the kitchen door. You stay here and check on Sawyer.”

“Yeah,” Noah said. “If she runs away this time, that’s on you.”

Ava walked out ahead of Noah. When they were alone, she further convinced herself that he didn’t recognize her. She had looked much different then. Her hair had been long and highlighted with auburn. She’d worn glasses all the time. She’d been thinner. Besides, a man with his looks and what she remembered as charisma must have had several relationships with women in the last years. Why would he remember that one night with her? “What do you want to talk about?”

He released a long breath. She could see the tension in his eyes, along with something else. Sadness, confusion. He was in over his head with his own daughter, and Ava had never felt a stronger need to help a family than she did at this moment. At the same time, her sense of self-preservation urged her to stay as far away from this situation as possible.

He squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again a new emotion made the hint of gold in his eyes seem a deep amber. She sensed his inability to cope with making a decision.

She spoke calmly. “Look, Noah, I know this is difficult for you...”

“Do you? Have you ever given up a child of yours to a complete stranger?”

His question sent a pang of guilt deep into her stomach, the same pain she’d experienced for almost six years now. But she could not tell Noah that. She’d never told anyone, not even her family, about Charlie.

She swallowed, took a calming breath. “I don’t want you to think of me as a stranger,” she said, avoiding a direct answer to his question. “I care about the children in this home. They are more than a job to me. They are everything. I want each one of them to feel safe and encouraged to succeed.”

“I’ll bet they do with that brother cop around to back you up. Don’t think I didn’t see the looks passing between the two of you. I suppose next, a small army of security will enter the discussion.”

“First of all, my brother does not come around to ‘back me up’ as you put it. He has a job, which he’s doing this morning, and it keeps him busy. Secondly, we don’t have an army of security.”

“So you, a single lady, basically run this place by yourself?”

“As the administrator, yes. Why? Do you believe that a woman isn’t capable of running a home this size? I’ll have you know...”

He put his hands up defensively. “Okay, okay. I apologize. No insult intended.”

Mollified, she gave him a brief explanation about how the Sawtooth Children’s Home operated. At least she was once again on firm emotional ground. Talking about the school was easy and comfortable. “We have a full-time medical person on campus. We have a cook, three on-site counselors, a gymnasium, school building with fifteen classrooms, each with a qualified teacher.” She waited until those facts had settled in before adding, “Each child lives in a cottage with nine other kids, and each cottage has a set of parents in charge. So you see, I don’t run this home all by myself.”

“I get it,” he said. “This is a tight ship. But my daughter is not in need of cottage parents. She already has one parent who just happens to be having a little trouble.”

A little trouble? Ava tried logic. “We have room for Sawyer right now,” she said. “You will have complete access to her. You can visit her whenever you like. If she agrees, after some time she can even go home with you for a weekend, once we’ve done a visitation.”

Noah responded with a sarcastic chuckle. “Oh? I can see my own daughter on weekends...maybe? How kind of you. This is not happening, Miss Administrator. Not now. Not ever.”

A rustling nearby drew their attention to the back door. Sawyer stood in the frame, looking out. Carter was behind her. “Everything okay out here?” he asked.

“Are you almost done talking about me as if I didn’t exist?” Sawyer said.

Ava smiled. “What would you like to say, Sawyer?”

She looked down, locking her gaze on the grass. When she lifted her face, she stared at Noah. “I’m old enough to have a say in my own life.”

“Okay,” he said. “Go ahead. Have your say.”

“I don’t want to go home with you, Dad. You’re never home, and I hate Mrs. Filmore. She’s more like a warden than a housekeeper. And don’t think you can just hire another one and I’ll be happy.” Sawyer looked over the expansive green lawn that led to the cottages. “This place is probably really lame, but it would be better than home. I’m going to stay here, for a while at least.”

Ava couldn’t bear to see the sense of futility in Noah’s eyes. She’d seen it too many times in the looks of parents who’d failed their children in so many ways. She gave him a gentle smile that for some odd reason felt strangely natural and spoke to Sawyer.

“We need to get some things straight,” she said. “This place, as you call it, isn’t a resort, Sawyer. It’s a home for children and teens with special problems. We have rules that must be followed and consequences if they are broken. You will be living with nine other housemates of all ages. Your room will be shared with another resident. You will see a counselor once a week, or more often if we think it’s needed. Your cottage parents will know where you go and whom you see. If they deny permission, that’s it then.”

Ava realized she was painting a rather rigid picture of life at Sawtooth Children’s Home, but she firmly believed that Sawyer should understand that her life would be regimented, and she would have to meet expectations. Maybe the reality of life here was getting through to both father and daughter. At least they were both listening.

Ava could easily believe that Noah Walsh loved his daughter, but their relationship was toxic, and she knew time apart would help them. “Carter,” she said to her brother, “you go on. We’ll be fine here. I’m just going to take Sawyer and Noah on a tour of the campus. Tell Mama I won’t be there for dinner tonight.”

Carter tucked his hat back onto his forehead. “If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

He walked through the building, closed the front door. Ava waited until the charged atmosphere cooled down. “Okay, then, shall we take the tour?”

“Why not?” Noah said. “But don’t think for a minute that I’m going to simply wave goodbye to my daughter and tell her, ‘Take care of yourself, kid.’”

His simple words, “take care of yourself,” brought back fresh memories of that painful night when he’d said them to her. A glitzy downtown Charlotte bar followed by a night of... She’d never forgotten. That low voice, that sense of desperation in his tone. Those words of regret spoken in the middle of the night. “Take care of yourself.” He’d whispered those words in her ear just before the same voice had said, “I’m sorry. You deserve better than a guy like me. I should have told you. I’m married, for now at least. Maybe once I get things straightened out...”

“Just go,” she’d said, letting anger and shame rule her reaction. Regret washed over her as she pulled the bedsheets close around her chest. She’d turned her head, let the tears slip onto her pillow. “Just go, Noah. Go.”

It hurt to look at him now. The memory had haunted her too long. She couldn’t stare into his piercing eyes and see the man who’d caused her to be someone she’d never been before on a night that turned out to be the beginning of the most soul-searching journey of her life.

But time had changed them both, and today the issue was about Sawyer. Noah’s attention was fixed firmly on his daughter, as it should be. So much so that other than a few tense silences, he hadn’t shown any sign of knowing who Ava was, or who she’d been.

CHAPTER THREE

SOMETHING ABOUT AVA was strangely familiar. Noah felt as if he’d known her before, but that wasn’t likely. She wasn’t the sort of woman he was drawn to, though lately his “sort of woman” was becoming a mystery.

When dating, he tended toward women who had a laid-back personality, were quick to laugh and appreciated his sense of humor. Since his divorce, Noah had dated several women. Coincidentally, three of them had been named Ava. This attractive, but opinionated woman seemed to judge him with a glance and a word. No way would he have dated a woman who sweated the small stuff.

In one moment Ava had gone from being in control, calm, even kind—a woman who searched for solutions to difficult problems. Now she almost seemed like someone who was hiding something. First, she was looking him directly in the eye and then she was looking anywhere that didn’t include him in her line of sight. Had she changed her mind about keeping Sawyer? That would be okay with him. He would take his daughter home, if he could get her to go.

He’d been so relieved when the Chapel Hill cop called with information on Sawyer. So, on practically no sleep, he’d left his house figuring he’d race to this little town of Holly River, pick up his daughter and give this parenting gig another try. He’d told Mrs. Filmore to plan on both of them being home for dinner.

He knew Sawyer didn’t care for the housekeeper, but she’d never liked any of the women he’d hired, four in the last year to be exact. They’d all come highly recommended. Strict? Conscientious? Sure. That’s what he’d wanted in a competent housekeeper, one who wouldn’t let his clever daughter make the rules, and then bend them when they didn’t suit her. He’d wanted a kindly grandmother type who could relate to Sawyer on a personal level but be able to wield a strong sword when Sawyer’s lack of discipline called for it.

Now he was on the verge of firing this latest woman who, Sawyer claimed, as always, was more wielder than relater. Maybe he’d keep Mrs. Filmore on until Sawyer decided life at the Sawtooth Children’s Home wasn’t any more to her liking than life in Chapel Hill. In fact, she might decide it was far worse. This change of heart might happen in less than a week.

True, Sawyer didn’t care for the housekeepers, and she’d probably be happier if the only person she had to answer to was her dad, but she’d never complained about the many material things her absentee father’s job provided. She couldn’t have the lifestyle she’d grown used to if she had a parent who was home all the time sitting behind a desk, but couldn’t make enough money to keep paying off a fancy home in an exclusive suburb and credit card debt. Sawyer needed to learn the meaning of trade-offs. He sure as heck had, and it was time his daughter mastered one of life’s toughest lessons.

And besides, he’d seen enough of Ava Cahill to know that she wasn’t going to be a pushover. Until he’d actually looked at her and found her reluctant to look back, he’d decided Ava was strong, authoritative and the most powerful figure at the home. Her word was apparently law, and Sawyer might decide in a few days that she couldn’t cope with the regimented lifestyle of Ava’s rules.

As the threesome prepared for the tour, Ava seemed to have returned to her role as by-the-book administrator. She hadn’t looked at Noah since they went out the front door of the administration building. The only view he had of Ava was her rigid back as she walked in front of him and her dark hair pulled tightly into a bun. He could almost believe she’d forgotten he was there.

Ava and Sawyer walked together and Noah followed. Ava kept up a steady stream of conversation with his daughter, pointing, waiting for a reaction from Sawyer that was probably never going to satisfy her. Maybe Ava loved this place, but Noah knew his daughter. She was probably already planning her next escape.

“Let’s take the golf cart,” Ava said, approaching the vehicle left by the front entrance. “It’s probably warmed up enough that we’ll be comfortable. Besides, the campus is rather large, and we need to cover quite a bit of ground.” Logical Ava, back to analyzing, deciding, but without the sensitivity of the person he’d met when he first arrived. The woman who claimed a personal and heartfelt relationship with all the children under her care. Where had this Ava gone? Had she ever really existed?

Sawyer quickly climbed in the front seat next to Ava, probably to avoid sitting with her father. Noah took the rear seat and angled his body so he wouldn’t miss any of Ava and Sawyer’s conversation. He was still the father, and he wasn’t about to give up any of his parental rights without knowing what Sawyer was getting into.

“So what’s the story of all you Cahills?” Noah said as a way of breaking the ice and asserting his presence. “How many are you? Do you more or less run this town?”

Ava drove the cart around the side of the building. She still hadn’t looked at him. Her attention was on her driving as if the windshield had asked the question. Good grief, it was just a golf cart. What’s the worst that could happen if she made a driving error? They’d have to circle a sand trap?

“I don’t see what my family has to do with your leaving Sawyer in my care, but okay,” she said. “I can satisfy your curiosity.”

“I appreciate that,” he said.

“You met my brother Carter, who is chief of police. His wife is Miranda. As Carter told you, she’s a social worker. My other brother, Jace, runs the family Christmas tree farm. His soon-to-be wife is Kayla. Then there’s Emily, Miranda’s daughter, Nathan, Jace’s son, and my mother, who lives just outside of town. Of course, we need to add in numerous uncles, aunts and cousins.” She headed toward a field where people had gathered. “Satisfied?”

“What do you think of that, Sawyer?” he asked his daughter. “In our family it’s just you and me. Do you wish there were more of us?”

Noah waited for the answer. After an uncomfortable few seconds, Sawyer just said, “No. One dictator is enough.”

Ava stopped at a grassy area. Tables were set up and folks were helping themselves to food and drinks. Many of the younger ones wore Sawtooth Home sweatshirts on which was proudly displayed a large, sturdy oak tree, obviously the origin of the name.

“What’s going on here?” Noah asked.

“This is our typical Sunday gathering,” Ava said. “The kids and the cottage parents get out of cooking and doing dishes as long as the weather is nice, and we have a picnic on the grounds.” She parked the golf cart out of the way of the festivities. “Have a walk around if you like. Grab a hot dog. I’ll just be a minute.”

With no further explanation, Ava walked toward a dark-haired young boy. The child, probably no more than five years old, trotted over to her. Noah wasn’t an expert on kids, and he couldn’t get a good look at the kid’s face, but he decided the boy looked well dressed and well cared for if not especially happy to be eating hot dogs on a crisp Sunday afternoon.

Ava knelt down in front of him, held his hand and talked to him awhile. After a short time, she stood and spoke in a loud voice. “Run off and have a good time, Charlie. It’s a beautiful day for doing anything you want.” The child didn’t run. He ambled away, and he didn’t look like he was going to have any sort of a good time.

Ava dusted off her black pants and readjusted the red sweater set she was wearing. She watched the boy for some time until Noah came up beside her. “So he’s one of the residents I guess,” Noah said.

Startled, almost as if she’d forgotten her purpose with these newcomers, Ava whirled to face him. “I thought you were getting a hot dog.”

“Actually you told us to get hot dogs, but I don’t live here and decided I didn’t have to follow your order. I don’t know what Sawyer is doing.”

A wave of her hair escaped her bun and caught on some lipstick. She quickly tucked the errant strand behind her ear. For some reason Noah was fixated on the gesture. Ava Cahill had nice lips, he thought, though he couldn’t understand why he would spend so long looking at them or imagining what a lucky man might do with those lips.

She cleared her throat, pulled the lapels of her sweater more closely over her breasts and crossed her arms, which brought her back to administrator mode. “Yes. He’s a relatively new arrival. His parents died in a plane accident.”

“Wow. Tough,” Noah said.

“Yes, it is. I try to give him special attention when I can.” She started walking toward the tables where Sawyer had obviously decided that an overcooked hot dog was better than no lunch at all. Noah walked beside her.

“So this kid is actually an orphan?” Noah said.

Ava swallowed, looked straight ahead. “I told you we have children here from all walks of life and many different situations. Little Charlie is just one example of a resident who has no home to go back to.”

“I can see why you get wrapped up in their lives,” Noah said. “Every story is its own personal tragedy.”

She stared up at him with striking blue eyes that he somehow knew would be just as beautiful in the near darkness. In daylight they matched the sky on this beautiful fall afternoon. “You have no idea, but today we need to concentrate on Sawyer’s story.”

Slightly miffed, Noah said, “My daughter’s story is hardly a tragedy. We’re just having some temporary problems.”

“Perhaps,” she said vaguely. “Suit yourself about the hot dog, but I think I’ll have one before we continue the tour.”

She walked away from him, stopping often to speak to various people. Nearly every day Noah looked down upon the earth from two to five hundred feet in the air, perched on a narrow tower of steel and cables. He knew what it was like to feel dizzy, but never before had he experienced the kind of dizzy that Ava Cahill displayed.

She seemed to be everywhere, talking to kids, adults, staff members. She responded to folks calling her Miss Cahill, Ava, and from the younger ones, Miss Ava. She gave everyone time, a smile, a word. Her energy was impressive. He found himself wishing that some of it were directed at him. She didn’t seem nearly as concerned with convincing him of the benefits of living at Sawtooth as she was convincing Sawyer. Despite what Ava might believe, Noah knew his daughter, and they would both be a hard sell. After lunch, Noah, Sawyer and Ava climbed back into the golf cart and continued the tour. They saw a school building, an auditorium, a gymnasium and a science lab. Sawyer seemed observant enough, even interested, though she asked no questions. Noah, on the other hand, asked plenty. No way was he going to leave his daughter in a strange place until he knew everything that made this home tick. And even then, he wasn’t sure what decision he would make.

Ava answered each question in a crisp, concise, knowledgeable manner. Her voice was steady. She didn’t waste words.

They ended the tour at one of the cottages. This one was painted a soft gray with white trim. Walking inside, they found a lounge area with two television sets, comfortable seating, a game table and toddler toys tucked away in colorful crates. A few of the seats were occupied since hot dog time had ended.

“Let me show you what will be your room if you decide to stay, Sawyer,” Ava said, directing them to a stairway off the lounge.

Noah noticed that the doors leading to bedrooms were open. This fact alone should make Sawyer rethink her decision. At the house in Chapel Hill, one would have thought his daughter’s room was a field office for the CIA, as she not only kept her door closed, but locked as well. He’d assumed all teenage girls wanted their privacy, and he respected Sawyer’s, only gaining entry to her area when invited. Had that been a mistake on his part? Should he have been more of a snoop?

They entered a room with two twin beds, two dressers, two desks, two closets. Standard dorm room equipped. Both beds were made, but one bed had girlie pillows and a few stuffed animals on it. The other bed was obviously waiting for an occupant.

“You met Becky at lunch, didn’t you?” Ava asked Sawyer. Sawyer indicated she had. “If we all decide that you are going to stay here, you’ll be sharing this room with her.”

“How do you feel about that?” Noah asked his daughter. Not only had she never shared a room, he couldn’t recall when she’d ever had to share anything.

Sawyer managed to shrug one shoulder with indifference.

“How soon is all this going to take place?” Noah asked Ava, a tingle of panic snaking down his spine. He finally had to accept that this change of address might really be going to happen, and he would be faced with returning to Chapel Hill without her.

“We should get Sawyer settled in right away,” she said. “You can send her clothes and personal items from Chapel Hill. In the meantime, we can provide the bare essentials. Our kids wear jeans and Sawtooth School T-shirts to class, and we have plenty of those.”

A uniform? Noah watched Sawyer’s face for any signs of rebellion. If there was one thing he knew about his daughter, it was that she was not a uniform kind of kid. She hated regimentation of any type. Once again Sawyer’s face was unreadable. Did she think she was trading one Mrs. Filmore for another equally restrictive one? Was she planning to escape out the open window over the dressers and shimmy down a gutter? She had to recall that Ava said all the windows were protected by a security system.

“So, what do you think, Sawyer?” Ava asked. “Would you like to give Sawtooth Home a try?”

“Sure. I guess.”

Not a ringing endorsement, Noah thought. She had to be planning something.

“Let’s all go back to the administration building and start on the paperwork. I’ve arranged for one of our counselors to meet with you this afternoon, Sawyer. You’ll like Mrs. Marcos. While you’re talking with her, your father and I will fill out the necessary forms for a voluntary resident.”

Noah couldn’t hold his tongue. “That’s what you think she is, a voluntary resident?”

At last he knew what a sharp look from Ava was like. “Of course. All our residents are here because this home is preferable in one way or another to their previous environments. No one is forcing your daughter to stay here, Noah,” Ava said. “I believe she is willing to give this a try.”

Noah stared at his daughter’s face once again. She gave him an innocent smile—one he’d seen many times in the past. And one he didn’t believe for an instant. He figured she’d hop on the back of his motorcycle the minute he turned the key. “Sure,” he said, deciding to call her bluff. “Let’s go fill out those papers.”

When they returned to the administration building, Sawyer went to her appointment, and Ava led Noah into her office. “Have a seat, Noah,” she said. “This will take some time. We need to go over Sawyer’s medical history, her previous grades, her food preferences and allergies, anything you can think of to help us make the transition easier for her.”

He’d thought the Ava he preferred, the kind, all-children-are-important Ava might return when it came time to do paperwork. But no. This woman was disciplined, almost cold. She still didn’t seem able to look him in the eye. That bothered him more than a little. Was she hiding something about herself or this “perfect” school she claimed to run?

“Remember, right now this is only temporary, until we can evaluate Sawyer’s needs and the problems in the family. When we feel that Sawyer can return to a healthy home environment, we will discuss letting her go with you.”

“Gee, that would be terrific,” Noah said sarcastically. “How much is this going to cost me?”

“We’re funded by the state and private donations,” Ava said. “Certainly we appreciate every donation we get, large or small.”

“Message received,” he said. “Okay, then, ask whatever you need to. I’d like to get this finished and maybe have a nap this afternoon.”

Those beautiful and somehow unforgettable blue eyes shot him a perplexed look. “A nap? Aren’t you returning to Chapel Hill?”

“I’ve decided to get a room in town for a few days.”

“We really don’t advise...”

“I know what you’re going to say, but I think it would be wise for me to stick around awhile.”

“Why do you think that?”

“No offense, Ava, but my guess is that Sawyer won’t be here in the morning, and I’d just as soon be closer to the action when I have to go pick her up again.”

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