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Back The Ursulina Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. I know you'll never forgive me...
  2. Part One - Your Father
  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter Two
  5. Chapter Three
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Chapter Eleven
  14. Chapter Twelve
  15. Chapter Thirteen
  16. Chapter Fourteen
  17. Chapter Fifteen
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Part Two - Your Mother
  24. Chapter Twenty-One
  25. Chapter Twenty-Two
  26. Chapter Twenty-Three
  27. Chapter Twenty-Four
  28. Chapter Twenty-Five
  29. Chapter Twenty-Six
  30. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-One
  35. Chapter Thirty-Two
  36. Chapter Thirty-Three
  37. Chapter Thirty-Four
  38. Chapter Thirty-Five
  39. Chapter Thirty-Six
  40. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-One
  45. About the Author

He hesitated before saying more. “I heard you and Ricky had a fight.”

“Money problems. We’ll get through it.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

Darrell didn’t push. Not right away. He studied the expression on my face, and I felt like one of his daughters again, under the watchful eye of their father. I didn’t like lying to him, and I was pretty sure he’d heard the rest of the gossip.

“Listen, it’s early,” he told me. “We don’t need to spoil Sandra’s Christmas morning at the crack of dawn. I want to go back to the office and pull the files on Kip and Racer anyway. Why don’t you go home and sleep for a couple of hours? I don’t need you with me. We can meet up later.”

Normally, I would have protested special treatment, but I was glad for an opportunity to get away and clear my head. “Sure. Okay. I’ll take a shower and then head back to the office. I won’t be long. An hour, tops.”

“Take as much time as you need.”

I smiled at him. There were days when he felt like my only lifeline around here. “Thanks.”

I headed across the snow for my car, hoping he’d let it go, but I knew he wouldn’t. He called after me in his soft-spoken voice. “Rebecca? This is your business, not mine. You don’t need to tell me anything if you don’t want to, but I have to ask. Are you thinking of leaving Ricky?”

My voice was as quiet as his. “I don’t know. That’s the honest answer, Darrell. I really don’t.”

“Well, if that’s the choice you make, you know I’ll support you.”

“Thanks,” I said again.

He was silent for a long time, but he had a look that said he wasn’t done. “Do you mind a word of advice?”

“Go ahead.”

“I know the type of man Ricky is. I know that kind of man all too well. I saw them in the military, and I see them around here every day. They’re tigers. You can see it in their eyes. They’re always waiting for their chance.”

“What are you saying, Darrell?”

“I think you know what I’m saying,” he told me. “If you go down that road, Ricky’s not going to take it well. You need to be very careful, Rebecca. Never turn your back on a tiger.”

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

At home, we had no power. The generator had run out of fuel, and the house was an icebox. I hoped the hot water tank had enough heat left to let me take a shower.