Speed Trap by Patricia Davids

Author:Patricia Davids
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2009-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Once again Garrett found himself entranced by Mandy’s smile. It was as fresh as a sun-drenched spring morning. He wouldn’t mind basking in the glow for as long as she cared to bestow it.

She was out of uniform today. Casually dressed in a mint-green shirt over a matching tank top edged with lace and tan shorts, she looked carefree and happy. Like any other mother or wife enjoying a yard sale. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but a few wisps danced at her temple when the wind teased them.

The bruises on her face were beginning to fade, but seeing them still caused him a pang of distress. She wasn’t his to worry about, but he hated the idea that her job put her in danger.

Her smile slowly faded as she studied his face. Finally, she said, “Reverend Spencer mentioned it was important to Judy to have her child raised in a Christian home. He said her faith-meant a lot to her at the end. Don’t you think you should take her wishes into consideration?”

Garrett’s euphoria evaporated. Her interest was in Colin, not in him. He had no business thinking anything else. Imagining she might care about him was a quick trip to heartache. A place he’d been too many times.

“I haven’t given it much thought,” he replied.

He didn’t need Mandy reminding him that Judy thought he was unfit to raise his own son. He still didn’t understand why she felt that way. With her dead, he probably never would.

Maybe she saw something in him that reminded her of her own abusive father. As hard as Garrett had tried to hide it from her, maybe Judy knew he was flawed inside and that was why she wanted to keep Colin away from him.

“Do you believe in God, Mr. Bowen?” Mandy was still watching him with those intense blue eyes that saw and catalogued every detail.

She would see it soon, too, his flawed soul. She’d uncover his cowardice. Then she’d look at him with pity or worse—with repugnance.

“I believed in God once.”

“But not anymore?”

“You have a job that deals with the dirty, cruel side of people. Why do you still believe in God?”

“Because for every evil thing that men do, a hundred men do the right thing. Good things. Why? Because God gave us a free will. God is like a loving father. He is a loving father. He’s always with us no matter how hard life is.”

“Not every father is loving, Sheriff.”

“Sadly, that’s true. We live in an imperfect world. Cruelty, poverty, disease, they all exist and they always will.”

“I thought you were arguing in favor of God’s existence.”

“I am. No matter what afflicts us, God’s love is there to help us bear it. That’s what gets me through the hard days.”

There had been a time when he’d wanted, needed God in his life, but God had been busy elsewhere.

“I get myself through the hard days,” he said with a conviction he didn’t feel.

“I guess that is my point,” Mandy said.

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