Tomorrow's Promise (The Hawks Mountain Series) by Elizabeth Sinclair
Authors: Elizabeth Sinclair
what he’d done.
Overhead, dark clouds blocked out the sun and thunder rumbled in the distance. They were in for a summer storm, and from the look of the sky, it was going to be a good one. Something told him that the storm awaiting him would be just as bad.
As he pulled into his driveway, rain began to pelt the windshield of the patrol car. He got out and raced to where Faith waited for him on the porch. As he ran, the rain hit his face, stinging his skin, but he barely felt it. His entire concentration was on the woman on the porch glaring at him with an expression that rivaled the furious sky. The sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach grew as he drew closer to her. He was sure now that she’d figured out his deception.
“Faith, I—”
She threw up her hand in front of him. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. Just take me home.” She whipped around him and stepped down off the porch and then strode to the car as though unmindful of the pouring rain.
Cole followed, but before he could get to the car, she’d opened the door and gotten inside, slamming it in his face. For a moment, he stared at her averted face through the rain-speckled glass. He’d expected her to be upset if she figured it out, but not this angry. Rousing himself, he hurried around and got into the driver’s seat.
He glanced at her, but she had turned away from him, her posture as stiff as a newly-starched shirt. Rather than try again to explain, he brushed the water from his face and started the car. Obviously, she was in no mood to listen to anything he had to say.
Cole cursed his stupidity all the way to Faith’s house. He knew she’d endured lies from Sloan, and yet Cole had tried to deceive her. She must hate him. And with good reason. What he did was thoughtless, dishonest, and self-serving, and he wouldn’t blame her if she never trusted a thing he said or did again.
THE SQUAD CAR pulled up outside Faith’s house. Eager to be away from Cole, she grabbed the door handle, but his hand on her arm stopped her. “Let me explain.”
Visions of Sloan asserting his power over her flashed through her mind. She glared down at Cole’s hand, then up at his face. “Let me go.”
He released her instantly. She slipped from the car and slammed the door with a lot more force than was needed. Before she walked through the rain to the house, she turned back to the car. “By the way, I quit.” Then she hurried away. Behind her, she heard Cole back out of the driveway and go down the road toward town.
Not until she got on the porch did she realize the door was ajar. Darn! She must have been in such a hurry this morning that she never pulled it all the way closed. But what if someone was in there? She reached for her cell phone to call Cole, and then stopped. If the house was empty and she was just being paranoid, she’d look like a fool in front of him, and she’d already done that once today.
Nevertheless, just to be on the safe side, she pushed it open and peered in before she went inside. Her heart beat so loud in her ears she was sure if anyone lay in wait they’d hear it. Beads of sweat joined the raindrops running down her forehead. She clutched her purse by the handles as if it were a club. It wouldn’t do much damage, but it might give her time to get away from any would-be assailant.
As she scanned the living room, she listened for the sound of an intruder. When she heard nothing, she slipped quietly inside, making certain to leave the front door wide open, just in case. Her back stiff, her senses on high alert, she carefully checked each room one by one. As room after room turned up empty and undisturbed, her heartbeat slowly resumed its normal rate. When the last one also proved to be without an unwanted occupant, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. Her whole body and her death grip on her purse handles relaxed.
As she made her way back through the living room and closed the front door, she felt a bit foolish. Who
Overhead, dark clouds blocked out the sun and thunder rumbled in the distance. They were in for a summer storm, and from the look of the sky, it was going to be a good one. Something told him that the storm awaiting him would be just as bad.
As he pulled into his driveway, rain began to pelt the windshield of the patrol car. He got out and raced to where Faith waited for him on the porch. As he ran, the rain hit his face, stinging his skin, but he barely felt it. His entire concentration was on the woman on the porch glaring at him with an expression that rivaled the furious sky. The sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach grew as he drew closer to her. He was sure now that she’d figured out his deception.
“Faith, I—”
She threw up her hand in front of him. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. Just take me home.” She whipped around him and stepped down off the porch and then strode to the car as though unmindful of the pouring rain.
Cole followed, but before he could get to the car, she’d opened the door and gotten inside, slamming it in his face. For a moment, he stared at her averted face through the rain-speckled glass. He’d expected her to be upset if she figured it out, but not this angry. Rousing himself, he hurried around and got into the driver’s seat.
He glanced at her, but she had turned away from him, her posture as stiff as a newly-starched shirt. Rather than try again to explain, he brushed the water from his face and started the car. Obviously, she was in no mood to listen to anything he had to say.
Cole cursed his stupidity all the way to Faith’s house. He knew she’d endured lies from Sloan, and yet Cole had tried to deceive her. She must hate him. And with good reason. What he did was thoughtless, dishonest, and self-serving, and he wouldn’t blame her if she never trusted a thing he said or did again.
THE SQUAD CAR pulled up outside Faith’s house. Eager to be away from Cole, she grabbed the door handle, but his hand on her arm stopped her. “Let me explain.”
Visions of Sloan asserting his power over her flashed through her mind. She glared down at Cole’s hand, then up at his face. “Let me go.”
He released her instantly. She slipped from the car and slammed the door with a lot more force than was needed. Before she walked through the rain to the house, she turned back to the car. “By the way, I quit.” Then she hurried away. Behind her, she heard Cole back out of the driveway and go down the road toward town.
Not until she got on the porch did she realize the door was ajar. Darn! She must have been in such a hurry this morning that she never pulled it all the way closed. But what if someone was in there? She reached for her cell phone to call Cole, and then stopped. If the house was empty and she was just being paranoid, she’d look like a fool in front of him, and she’d already done that once today.
Nevertheless, just to be on the safe side, she pushed it open and peered in before she went inside. Her heart beat so loud in her ears she was sure if anyone lay in wait they’d hear it. Beads of sweat joined the raindrops running down her forehead. She clutched her purse by the handles as if it were a club. It wouldn’t do much damage, but it might give her time to get away from any would-be assailant.
As she scanned the living room, she listened for the sound of an intruder. When she heard nothing, she slipped quietly inside, making certain to leave the front door wide open, just in case. Her back stiff, her senses on high alert, she carefully checked each room one by one. As room after room turned up empty and undisturbed, her heartbeat slowly resumed its normal rate. When the last one also proved to be without an unwanted occupant, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. Her whole body and her death grip on her purse handles relaxed.
As she made her way back through the living room and closed the front door, she felt a bit foolish. Who