She chuckled. “That’s the same thing the detective asked. Sorry, no can do.”
Providence thanked her and left.If I find this boat, I find Matt’s killers.
Feeling grateful she’d caught a break, she returned to Dakota’s and found Sammy and Miranda sculpting Play-Doh at the kitchen island. “That looks fun.”
“Can you play with us?” Sammy asked.
Sammy’s adorable smile made it impossible for Providence to say no. “Sure, for a little while.”
Sammy was creating a green cow and Miranda was making a pink pig. “What should I make?” Providence asked.
“Anything you want,” Sammy explained. “You don’t even have to make an animal.”
As Providence rolled the soft clay in her hands, she asked about their morning. “We had reading time,” Sammy replied.
“What did Mrs. Morris read to you?”
“I read to her.”
“You can read?”
“Mrs. Morris is teaching me.”
“Wow, that’s pretty awesome.”
Sammy’s smile was filled with pride.
Miranda explained that Sammy was starting primer books, but with the one-on-one attention she received, she was ahead of her peers.
“If you keep this up, you’ll be in college at fifteen,” Providence said.
Miranda laughed, and Sammy asked, “What’s that?”
“When you’re older, you get to live at school with all your friends.”
Tears welled in Sammy’s eyes. “I don’t want to leave my daddy.”
Providence’s stomach dropped. “Or, you can live here with your daddyandgo to college at the same time.”
“I’m staying with my daddy forever.” Sammy set her cow down. “I’m going to make a cat.” And just like that, Sammy moved on, her momentary fear abandoned for a purple cat.
After Providence finished creating an orange elephant with a corkscrew trunk, she told them she had to work. “I can make dinner for you guys tonight, if that’s okay with you, Miranda.”
“Absolutely. I defrosted ground turkey for meatballs.”
“It’s pasta night,” Sammy explained. “I love ‘scetti.”
“I can do that.” Then, Providence asked Miranda where she slept when Dakota was out of town.
“Upstairs in the guest room, but I can sleep on the sofa.”
“Do you think Dakota would mind if I sleep in his bed for one night?” Providence asked. “That way, you can have the guest room.”
Miranda bit back a smile. “I’m absolutely certain he’d love that plan.”
She knows.“Thanks for the Play-Doh break. I’ll be back to make dinner.”
She retreated into Dakota’s office.Time to find that sailboat.
