QUICK, UNEVEN FOOTSTEPS sounded on the hardwood floors and I smiled as I peeked around the corner. Reverend Mother had had a limp since childhood, and although it didn’t slow her down, it did mean I knew when she was coming. “Hi, Mother.”
She smiled. “You’re home early.”
I rolled my eyes. “Laura couldn’t make it, so I found myself a little stranded in the Pearl.”
Mother’s hand flew to her chest. “Oh my word, dear, I don’t really like the idea of you riding the bus home in the dark.”
“I didn’t. A very nice gentleman dropped me home.”
“Sister Abigail,” she admonished. “Who is this man?”
I filled her in; however, I left the part out about Ryder being gorgeous, and his friend almost equally so, and she relaxed... sort of.
“Well, it sounds like you met a nice person. However, I would caution you to avoid bars in the future.”
I giggled. “I have no problem with that.”
“Since you’re home so soon, how about we sit down and have a chat.”
“Ah, sure.” I followed her into her office and sat across from her. I was a little nervous, which was silly. She’d been the only mother I’d known since I was eight, and she was always kind, but she seemed really tense tonight.
“I won’t bore you with the suspense,” she said. “I will get right to the point. I think it’s time you went out on your own.”
“I’m sorry?”
She smiled. “You are not cut out to be a nun, Sister—and I don’t say that as a criticism. I truly don’t believe you’re called to this life.”
“But—”
She raised a hand, cutting me off. “This life isn’t meant for everyone, dear. There are sacrifices and requirements that I don’t think you’ll ever be ready for.”
“Am I not committed enough? I can do better.”
“Sweetheart,” she breathed out, standing and making her way to me. She sat down in the chair beside mine and took my hand. “No one, least of all me, could or would ever question your commitment to God and your students. You are a gifted teacher and you’re a beautiful soul…but you still cannot tell me why you chose to commit to this life.”
I felt my back stiffen. She and I had spoken about this several times, but my answer never seemed to appease her. Deciding to take one more stab at it, I said, “Because I love it here and this is where I want to be.”
“But have you prayed about it? Do you honestly feel you’ve been called to this life? When was the last time you went to confession?”
Each one of her questions felt like a dagger to my heart, because I knew she was right.
She sighed. “Oh, dear girl, you’re so busy traveling down this road you didn’t even stop and ask for directions.” Reverend Mother ran her palm across the top of my hand. “Have you ever felt the calling on your life?”
Did I? I didn’t know anymore. Maybe I never knew. I blinked back tears. “I don’t know how to live outside of these walls, Mother. I have a little money saved, but I doubt it’s enough to live on for very long.”
“You have your trust fund.”
I shook my head. “I gave that to the church.”
“The church didn’t take it.”
“What?” I gasped. “Why not?”
“Because you were eighteen years old. You’d spent ten years learning how to live without your parents and you fell into the role you currently serve. But you didn’t really choose it... you settled for it. It was the balm that soothed the wound of your parents’ death, but it’s not really living, sweetheart. I knew that one day we’d have this conversation, so I kept the money in your name.”
Mother Superior was in fact my great aunt on my mother’s side. Only ten years older than my own mom and barely hitting her sixties, she looked much, much younger. As my only living relative, she’d taken me in (and loved me) when my parents had been killed. At only eight years old I’d survived the accident, although I’d been in a coma for a few days and required several months of physical therapy. She’d been at my side the entire time.
I sank further into the chair. “Wow.”
“None of this is going to happen immediately,” she assured me. “You’ll finish out the term, and in the meantime, you can take some time to look for a place to live and a new job.”
“I have to find a new job?” I rasped.
“We only employ nuns to teach, dear.”
“But I’m happy being a nun.”
Mother gave a sad chuckle. “You’re comfortable being a nun, but you’re restless and you forget I knew your mother.” She reached out and cupped my cheek. “You are just like her, Sadie, and I want you to be as happy as she was. You’re never going to be truly happy confined by these walls.”
I leaned my face into her hand, raising an eyebrow. “You’re not asking me to be the nanny to seven kids in Austria, are you?”
Mother dropped her head back and laughed. “You don’t play guitar, which I believe is one of the requirements.”
“Well, just don’t start singing about solving a problem like Sadie and it’ll be all good.”
“I’m already solving the problem of Sadie, sweetheart. I’m pushing you out of the nest. You need to fly.”
“Touché,” I grumbled.
She patted my hand. “Go and process all of this and we can talk more if you need to. We’ll slowly transition you into your new life, okay?”
I nodded. I didn’t really have a choice. “What about our dinners?”
“Honey, I’m still your auntie. We’re family. Nothing about that will change. Plus, now you can call me Auntie instead of Mother. I kind of like that idea. I’m here if you need me, we’ll still have our dinners, and I hope you’ll give me lots and lots of great-great nieces and nephews.”
Ryder floated into my mind and I shivered.
“Are you cold?”
“No.” I forced a smile. “It’s just that in order to give you those nieces and nephews I’ll have to meet a man, and I don’t know the first thing about dating.”
Mother chuckled. “Let’s get the job and home sorted first.”
I grimaced. “Probably a good plan.”
I rose to my feet, hugged my aunt, and headed to my room. Sparse though it was, it was home, and I now had to come to terms with leaving it.
My phone buzzed as I set it on my dresser, and I smiled. “Hello, Father Michael,” I answered.
“Hey. Sorry, is it too late?”
“Nope. Just got home from my canceled dinner with Laura.”
Father Michael Denton was one of our priests. He was new by our church’s standards—he’d been placed there two years ago, and honestly, he shouldn’t be a priest. I mean, maybe he should, that was between him and God, but I heard a lot of women in our church lament the fact he was too pretty to be a priest and that it was a waste to the female population. They weren’t wrong. He was tall with dark hair and chocolate-brown eyes, broad shoulders, and an easy way about him. He was one of my closest friends, but totally off limits for obvious reasons.
“She canceled?” he asked.
“Well, sort of. She got stuck at work so I had the choice to wait for her or reschedule.” I sat on the edge of my bed. “What are you doing up?”
“Going over a few things from the Bishop.”
“Sounds serious.”
Michael chuckled. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Did you know what my aunt was going to do?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t think to warn me?”
“I’m sorry, Sister,” he said. “It was confidential. If I could have told you, I would have.”
I sighed. “I know. It’s fine. Just sucks.”
“Let’s meet for coffee tomorrow and we can talk.”
“That would be great, Father. Thanks.”
“Better get back to it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, have fun.”
“Oh, I plan to.”
I giggled. “’Night.”
“’Night, Sister.”
I hung up and dragged myself to bed, prepared for a restless night.
* * *
Ryder
Ryder flopped onto the sofa in his office and dragged his hands through his hair. He was screwed. Totally and completely. The second the beautiful nun walked into his bar, he’d been knocked on his ass, and he wanted to find a way to see her again.
Damn it! A nun.
In what world did fallin’ for a nun make sense? Sure as hell wasn’t his.
Lifting a glass of whiskey, he took a swig just as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered it without checking the screen. “Ryder.”
“Hey man, it’s Cam.”
Cameron Shane was a good friend, a private investigator, and happened to be an expert in all things kidnap and recovery related. He was perfect for it, particularly because you never saw him coming. He was an ex-FBI agent turned pastor, but because of his special abilities, occasionally took on cases where he knew he could help. Like now. Ryder had asked him to look into a family situation and they’d spent almost a month spinning their wheels until a lead popped up a week ago.
“Hey.” Ryder sat up, his body on alert. “You got anything?”
“Followed her boyfriend to Savannah. All roads point to her being with him.”
“Georgia?” Ryder snapped. “What the hell are they doin’ in Georgia?”
“No clue.”
“Damn it!”
“I need to do a little more digging and I may have to do it at home, but we’ll find her, buddy. I promise.”
Ryder sighed. “Yeah.”
“One way or another. I’ve got a guy here who’s going to keep an eye on things and we’ll go from there.”
Ryder squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the panic away.
“Ryder?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Okay. I’ll be home day after tomorrow and we’ll talk,” Cameron said.
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem.”
Cameron hung up and Ryder dropped his face into his hands. If he didn’t find her soon, he never would, and he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to live with himself. He was the reason she was gone. Staring down at his phone, he tried to call Scottie one more time, but it went straight to voicemail. “Scottie, you need to call me, okay? I know I screwed up. I know you’re mad, but I’m worried. Please, baby girl, call me soon, yeah? ’Bye.”
Downing the rest of his whiskey, he forced his thoughts away from his wayward sister and back to the beautiful woman he’d met tonight.
It was just too damn bad she was a nun.
Before he could get too wrapped up in what would never be, he was dragged back out front to deal with a customer service issue. A good ass-kicking always helped to tire him enough to sleep the panic away and if that didn’t work, he had more than enough Jack Daniels at his disposal.