No Shadow (Prodigal Sons of Cane) Read Online Free PDF

manuscript. What if I lose it? I’ve worked so hard.”
    She felt like
crying at the thought of not getting the manuscript for the library—after all
the time, energy, and emotion she’d invested in the process.
    Her father gave
her a sympathetic smile and didn’t say anything.
    With a twist of
her mouth, she asked, “Do you think I should try to talk to him again? Just to
make sure there are no hard feelings or whatever.”
    “It might be a
good idea.”
    Something
cringed inside her at the thought. She’d tried to remain cool and confident as she’d
spoken to Andrew earlier, but she’d stumbled over her words, said a couple of
stupid things, and basically felt like she’d made a mess of it.
    Now she’d be
more nervous than ever, and he’d probably make her mad again.
    “I’m pretty
sure he doesn’t like me,” she said. “He might take it the wrong way.”
    “That’s not
your responsibility.” Her father smiled at her—a wide, compelling smile that
was exactly like hers. “What do I always say?”
    Helen smiled
back. Knew the words by heart. “Do the right thing and let God take care of the
rest.”

Chapter Three
     
    On Monday, Helen worked up the
courage to talk to Andrew again.
    She decided to
stop by his house after work. She could have telephoned, but cold calls were
the bane of her existence. She always felt more comfortable in person. If he
wasn’t at home when she got there, at least she could take comfort in having
made the effort.
    She drove
through town, slowed down briefly by the line of traffic through Main Street.
    Cane was built
in a valley of the Appalachian Mountains. Cane College was on one side of the
town, and the older homes on the other. In between was a small downtown area
with a number of businesses, a few restaurants, and a small independent grocery
store.
    Most people who
lived in Cane had been born there, except for those who moved to work at the
college and the few families who worked in the larger towns nearby but lived in
Cane because of the affordable housing.
    When Helen
turned down a wide, tree-lined street, she couldn’t help but admire the large
historic houses, even though she’d seen them for years. The Cane house was at
the end of Oak Street, its grounds extending all the way up the mountain.
    She felt
flutters of anxiety in her belly as she got out of her car and walked up to the
stately Georgian home. The Cane house had three stories and eight bedrooms. As
a kid, she’d thought it was a mansion.
    Helen wasn’t
nearly as shy now as she’d been as a girl, but she still preferred to talk with
people she knew, with people she was sure would welcome her presence. Who knew
how Andrew would greet her?
    She saw his fancy
black SUV in the drive and pushed away her judgmental assessment of how much
the vehicle must have cost. Probably more than the house she lived in.
    Andrew was
obviously home. It was time for her to get this over with.
    She prayed
silently as she rang the doorbell.
    The door was
answered by a middle-aged woman who told her no one was home.
    Helen frowned,
glancing over to what she knew was Andrew’s SUV. Surely he hadn’t brought more
than one car to Cane. Maybe he’d walked somewhere. Or maybe he was home and
didn’t want to see her.
    There was
nothing she could do about it, so she forced back her annoyance at what felt
like a dismissal and smiled politely at the woman who must be a housekeeper.
    Walking back to
her car, she saw a flicker of movement from the trees that lined the yard
before it transitioned into woods that sloped up the mountain. She turned her
head quick enough to catch someone darting behind the trees.
    “Hello?” she
called out, “I just came over to…” Her voice trailed off as no one appeared.
    She knew she’d
seen someone, but she couldn’t imagine Andrew Cane lurking in the trees, hiding
from her. The image of the strong, authoritative man doing such a thing tickled
her humor, and she had a private giggle about