After climbing into the car, Nancy took a sandwich from the bag. “I grabbed you a ham and cheese sub. I hope that’s okay. I should’ve checked with you.”
She reached for the wrapped sandwich, searched her pockets, and held the money out to Nancy.
“This is on me.” With a flip of her wrinkled fingers, Nancy kept her eyes averted. “Maybe one day you’ll be able to buy me lunch.”
Mallory had never met anyone like her. “Thank you so much.”
Nancy fumbled with her purse and keys. “There’s a picnic shelter in the shade. Would you care to climb out and stretch for a bit?”
That would be wonderful. “Okay.”
They sat under the shade of two old Maple trees. Two small girls laughed as they climbed across the monkey bars. They jumped down then chased each other to the swing set, their blonde curls bouncing in the wind. She envied their innocence, their independence. She was here with a taste of the very freedom she’d longed to have, but the bitter taste of guilt dangled heavily in her throat.
A full smile filled Nancy’s lips, her teeth flashing against the sunlight. It was a look of genuine happiness. Mallory wanted that. Was it possible this Paradise she was heading to would bring her that?
Sweat soaked through Mallory’s skin as they climbed back into Nancy’s car. The ground beneath her world shifted and she faded in and out of reality. For the first time in her life, she had something real to look forward to. Then just as quickly as the moment of peace settled over her it passed and the feel of crawling flesh stretched across her arms. She looked over her shoulder. Jake would never set her free.
A Note to the Reader
Thank you so much for reading Chasing Paradise. I hope you enjoyed it and will tell your friends and family.
Please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and Goodreads. Reviews are so very helpful to Authors. Every single one of them are appreciated more than you can possibly know.
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Cindy Patterson
Also by Cindy Patterson
Broken Butterfly
Shattered Treasure
Chasing Paradise Page 28
