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walked her to the door, he felt a warmth spreading in his chest that made him wonder if he was coming down with something.  That must be it.  Being in a hospital can’t be good for you on a long term basis, unless you are sick , he thought.
     
    He promised to call her, as soon as he knew when the body would be released to her.  He told her that they could talk about what Grant had wanted at that time.  He asked her if she had driven. When she said that she had, he told her to take a cab and get the car later.  He pushed some money into her hand and walked with her to the guest phone, so she could call for one.  He walked her to it and made sure she was situated, then he went back up to deal with her father. 
     
    He knew the routine because he had done the same thing for two members of the club before this.  He was more than able to help Faith make the transition to this new stage of her life.  Plus, it wasn’t as though she hadn’t been fatherless before; but, before today, there had always been a hope of his return.  That hope was gone now.  He would go with her to her father’s homestead and hope that when they got there, she could find closure.
     

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Five weeks earlier--Faith
     
    She should have known something was wrong the minute she stepped up to her front door.  There was a sweet smell in the hallway outside it, as though someone were inside eating pancakes.  However, she was so numb with grief that she assumed Mark or one of her other neighbors was having breakfast for dinner.  As soon as she cracked open the door, the state of the place made her reel backwards and fear clawed at her. 
     
    What the holy hell had happened?   She stood stunned for a whole minute before it occurred to her that there might still be someone inside.  Pulling the door closed again and backing away from it, she went to knock on Mark’s door.  She prayed that he was home but was well-aware that he probably wasn’t. 
     
    When no one answered, she tamped down the feelings waiting to ambush her and pulled up the number Jack had saved on her phone.  She hit the call button, as she backed all the way to the end of the hallway.  His voice soothed her jangled nerves for some inexplicable reason. 
     
    “What’s wrong, Faith?”  Apparently, her continued silence sent a red flare up in his mind.  She forced herself to speak.
     
    “Someone’s been here,” she said.  A dry sob escaped, and she swallowed to keep any more from surfacing.  “They wrecked the place.”
     
    Her hands were trembling so badly that she had to fight to keep hold of the phone.
     
    “Where are you, Faith?  Did you go inside?”  Jack’s voice sounded very harsh.
     
    “No, I’m down the hall.”
     
    “Good.  Can you find somewhere safe until I get there?”
     
    “I’ll wait in the bar across the street.”
     
    “Call the cops, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.  Okay?”  When she didn’t answer, he added sharply, “Do you hear me?”
     
    “Yes,” she whispered and cut the call. 
     
    As she called the police, she wondered why she had called Jack first. She told the operator where she lived and what had happened.  The police dispatcher assured her that a squad car would be there shortly.  The dispatcher asked if she was okay, and she said yes and hung up.  Faith knew that she was lying – even if she were only lying to herself.  She was never going to be okay, ever again.
     
    She wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she placed her two phone calls, but it seemed as though Jack arrived at the same time as the police.  He took charge of everything.  When they finally left, with the address of the place she was heading for and her cell phone number, she wondered how she had ever managed without him. 
     
    It’s ridiculous!  I’m a grown woman, and I’ve weathered hard times before.  I’ve always landed on my feet, and I haven’t needed anyone to help me.  I’ve always