The Unholy Oath

he entire day. My feet ached so badly and my lower back screamed from doing the

me some ointments as mine got finished and I haven't even restocked yet. The living room was dark except for the blue

ted in his hands. Reading glasses p

ut that small detail felt strangely intima

still up

look up. "Y

" I dropped my bag on the table. "

twitched. Just once. "

re my securit

ked up. "Someo

ome warmth through my chest. I moved toward the kitchen. I del

table. I pitched forward with a yelp

sto

slow, beneath my fingertips. The scent of soap, something clean and woodsy, fi

oth

s, warm and pulling me upright with c

k memories I didn't want. Something I didn't ask for. Of Jared's hands pul

Behind them, his eyes were darker tha

e to tell me

snooping. I had only gone to leave his la

losed. A sliver of light

away like a secret, s

not hav

e good decisions had

wling stone building. A church, but not like any I had seen. His hair was shorter. H

you are l

owly like a deer c

oorway. Arms crossed.

was open,

ou ca

ust the basket at him like evidence.

ssed. The

took the basket. "Tha

ha

s Mont-Saint-Mic

You have bee

ere. Before I

y there? What did you study? Who took the

door. "Right. Well

stopped me

urn

ers traced the edge of the photo f

to say. I knew it. He knew

nd something sweet. If I'm going to get breakfast for f

fect omelet onto a plate. Morning light caught the silver

sat down. "You know most priests

do not live

id he just? A joke. Fath

s that humor? Did yo

ook up. "Eat

"Holy shit, t

ngu

ke

mouth, I regretted them. The

ly, he set down his spatula. "I

trangled. "Me too. At the ba

oor. "Try not to b

he wa

had kept everyone ashore. Maggie cornered

han necessary. "Like sharin

all," she corr

not

is Mrs. Henderson called t

opped the g

t to live with a woman of questionable

she wants my questionable mor

ed down the counter. "So?

. The way his heartbea

damn

pened, my stomach jumped. Every shadow in the c

ng the way his body had fe

to. The youth he had carried before

about how close he had bee

er left, I was exhausted, b

he same roof. I felt a mix of anticipation, drea

side, the storm had passed, leaving the stree

of his footsteps reminded me that nothing would be simple, n