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Back Confess to Me Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Sharon Doering
  3. Title Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. Author’s Note
  86. Acknowledgements
  87. About the Author

Such a strange memory because I couldn’t recall these children’s names. Were they old neighbors? I didn’t know.

This memory was a scrawny tree in the slaughtered forest of my mind.

34

34

I was reading to Emily in her bed when the front door creaked open. Sawyer. He took the stairs two or three at a time, bolted past her room, and closed his door fast. The lock clicked.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Emily said. We laid in her bed under her cozy comforter, her teddy bear in between us.

“What?”

“We should take his door off.”

I smiled at her, ready to explain about sixteen-year-olds needing privacy, but my phone rang—circus theme.

“Can I talk to Dad first?” Emily said.

“Sure. I’ll be right back.” I handed her my phone.

“Hi, Dad, it’s Emily.” As I walked downstairs, Emily said, “So you are not going to believe what we saw at the donut place.”

Sawyer had left the front door open.

I locked it. I made a cup of tea, turned off the lights, and climbed the stairs with my drink.

A noise drew me back downstairs. It sounded like papers brushing together.

I checked each of the rooms. Everything looked in order. Had it come from outside?

I turned off the foyer light and peered outside into the night. Movement caught my eye. Someone walked along the street, but—with no lampposts near our house—I couldn’t make out any details. What if it’s Desiree’s boyfriend’s brother? A chill ran down my spine, but I shook it off. Probably one of the neighbors on a late-night walk. Maybe Tracy Summers.

I walked upstairs. “My turn, Emily.”

“Love you, Dad. Here’s Mom now. Oh, and by the way, Sawyer crashed Mom’s car.”

I widened my eyes at Emily, she shrugged, and I said into the phone, “My car is fine. Just a cracked headlight. I let him drive to the restaurant three minutes away. How’s your mom?”

“Mom is the same. Complaining about her feet tonight. For as crummy as she’s doing, she has enough energy to complain,” he said, his voice weary. “DeeDee needs tomorrow night off too.”

“You sound exhausted. What about calling for backup?”

“They are short-staffed. It’s not like the city where there are tons of nurses and CNAs just waiting for work.” An edge crept into his voice. He’s losing patience.

“Let me do it tomorrow. It’s important that you see the kids.”

“Let’s take it one day at a time. Are you in your PJs?”

“Not yet.”

“Do you have your tea?”

“Just took my first sip.” I held up a finger to Emily, motioning that I’d be right back. “Listen,” I said quietly, walking into my bedroom, “Sawyer left with some kids for a few hours today. He jumped in the back of a pickup truck loaded with a gun rack.”