Guardian's Hope (Guardians of the Race) by Rhoades Jacqueline

Author:Rhoades, Jacqueline [Rhoades, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2012-05-13T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Darkness enveloped them as they drove back down the winding road from the lodge. The top was up and the little car formed a comfortable cocoon around them. They traveled in companionable silence until they were halfway down the mountain when Hope voiced her thoughts.

“He’s been doing this for years.”

“Who’s been doing what for years,” Nico asked though he thought he knew the answer.

“My father. It’s another thing that was right under my nose and I never saw it. He used to travel on what he called church business or leave for a few days on a spiritual retreat. It started out as once or twice a year, just overnight. As I got older, he’d leave me in charge of my sister and be gone for days at a time. Most of the time he’d be back in time for services on Sunday morning, but more recently, he’d assign a lay preacher for morning service and return in time for evening service. He never spoke of it in my hearing except to say he’d be gone and no one in the Community ever said anything to me about it. Surely someone had to know where he was going. Why didn’t I? How could I have been such a blind fool?”

“You’re no fool, Hope. I doubt you ever were. Blind? Perhaps a little, but what choice did you have? You were raised to serve, not to question. Your neighbors might have assumed you knew what he was doing or maybe he lied to them as well.”

“I liked it when he went away, you know. I had to school myself to take the news without smiling. If he knew something gave me pleasure, he’d take it away. He always said it was for my benefit, that the sacrifice would make me stronger in spirit.” Hope’s laugh was bitter. “My spirit should be like iron.”

“When Faith was still at home, we’d bake cookies. My father didn’t like cookies so we never had them when he was there. Faith, who was always more daring than me, used to go into his office and turn the radio up loud. She’d dance around the parlor, through the dining room and into the kitchen. Her antics always made me laugh. She’d beg me to dance with her, but my daring never stretched that far. I always wondered where she learned to dance like that. Another thing I should have asked. After she left, I still played the radio and sometimes I’d make cookies, but it wasn’t the same with no one to share it. Still, I enjoyed my freedom.”

Nico took the turn onto the highway. “Maybe that’s why you didn’t ask. You were afraid he’d take your freedom away.” The motel’s neon no vacancy sign blinked up ahead. “Are we staying or should I check out? It’s up to you.”

“Stay,” she said firmly. “I won’t say my father can’t hurt me, because he can and if he gets the chance, I imagine he will, but he doesn’t rule my life anymore.

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