Chapter 145

Judah stepped into a beam of moonlight, and Hope felt her heart seize up for a moment, unsure whether she should be relieved that it was him and not an actual murderer or if she should take off running before he could infiltrate her fragile heart any more. "Are you all right, Miss Tucker?" he asked, his voice soft in the night air. "I saw you light out of there. That song remind you of some long lost love?"

He had worked his way under the canopy of branches now, but even through their filter she could still see concern in his eyes. "I'm fine, thank you. Not a lover but my daddy. He used to sing it when I was a girl."

"I see."

A small chuckle escaped her lips. "You must think I'm awful silly takin' off over something like that."

"Why would you say that?" He moved even closer, though there were still a few feet between them. "Memories can be powerful, especially when they creep up on us."