The Black Sheep's Redemption Read Online Free PDF Page B

opened it. Of course the front page story was still about Olivia Henry’s unsolved murder. The first murder in forty years in this town. But there was nothing about the incident at Charles’s house last night. She shivered and set the paper back on the table.
    The fire crackled and the warmth felt lovely. Soon, she’d warmed up enough to shrug out of the light jacket one of the nurses had given her before she’d been discharged from the hospital three weeks ago.
    Everything she now owned in the world had been given to her by another person. The familiar fear filled her, coming from a place she couldn’t define. She just knew it was very real. A mental picture of the note in her coffee grounds added to that feeling. Someone had been in her home. Warning her to stay away from Charles.
    She couldn’t fathom it. But who? Who?
    And should she report it?
    But what would she say? What could the police do about it? She continued to toy with the idea. Maybe she would tell Charles about it and see what advice he had to offer. Then again, if she told Charles, that would just add to his guilt about hiring her. What if he fired her because he thought it would keep her safe?
    She shuddered. Jobs in Fitzgerald Bay were few and far between. She couldn’t afford to lose the nanny position. No, she’d just keep quiet about the note and hope Olivia’s murderer was found soon.
    Demi briefly wondered if she should pray about everything. Did she even know how?
    Dear God, please give me my memories back. I need to know who I am. I need to know why I’m so afraid and constantly feeling like I need to watch my back… Please….
    Closing her eyes, she did her best to bring forth memories from before she woke in the hospital.
    And couldn’t do it. Not even one. Just the feeling of fear whenever she tried to remember.
    And the headache.
    And now the note in her coffee can. The headache worsened.
    Quickly, she tossed her thoughts in another direction.
    Fitzgerald Bay. A small close-knit community that was friendly to outsiders. At least that’s what the website advertised when she’d been narrowing down her choices.
    And now she had a place to live and a good job. She was doing all right for someone who’d had nothing and no one three weeks ago.
    She glanced at the clock on the wall behind the counter. Eight forty-five. She still had a few minutes before she needed to walk to the park. Demi leaned her head against the cushioned back of the chair and stared out the window while she sipped her coffee. Her mind spun, wondering, desperate to remember who she was, where she was from, if she had relatives that missed her. She swallowed hard against the tears that sprang to the surface.
    “Hey.”
    Demi jumped and did her best to hide her whirling emotions from Victoria who stood before her holding a plate of sandwiches and some delicious-looking pastries.
    “Oh. Sorry, I was…thinking.”
    Victoria set the plate on the table beside Demi and said, “Help yourself.”
    “What? Oh, no, that’s okay. I have money.” She flushed and wondered if she looked like a charity case.
    Victoria shrugged. “I just thought I’d give you a sampling of what we serve here. Maybe tempt you to come back.”
    Now Demi felt embarrassed. And hungry. “Well, thank you.” She snitched a croissant filled with chicken salad and took a bite as she tried to push the depressing thoughts from her mind. “Wow. This is delicious. I’ll definitely be back.”
    They laughed and Victoria said, “It’s my own chicken salad recipe. Pretty good, huh?”
    “You could win ribbons with this stuff.” Demi quickly polished off the first sandwich and took a sip of coffee.
    Victoria laughed. “I knew I liked you.” She settled into the chair opposite Demi. “So, how do you like working for Charles? I know it’s been only one week, but you must have some impressions.”
    What was the woman fishing for? “I’m very grateful he hired me. The children are definitely a