The Fountain of Infinite Wishes (Dare River Book 5) by Ava Miles Read Free Book Online

her to bring some of her quilts to the store so they could showcase them by the register.  
    The four quilts had sold in two days.  
    Now, that hobby of hers was slowing turning into something more. People were buying her quilts at the store, and some were even commissioning custom-made designs. One woman had asked her to make a quilt from her deceased husband’s old clothes, and Sadie had cried while making it. She didn’t imagine she would ever make enough money to support herself through quilt making, but she had a nice nest egg starting.
    Debra had even suggested Sadie start a quilting circle at the store, and darn it all if five women hadn’t signed up immediately. And paid a class and materials fee too.  
    Mostly, Sadie loved giving people something from her heart, something that would touch their lives and have a place in their homes.  
    “Sadie!” Shelby called from the edge of the deck, a few yards off. “I need you!”
    She smiled at Susannah and Tory. “I’ll be right in.”
    As soon as she reached her sister, Shelby linked arms with her. “We’re going to take a walk by the river before dinner,” she called out to everyone as they took off across the backyard. “Be back in a jiffy.”
    Sadie had to hasten to keep up with her sister, who was moving like her tail was on fire.
    “Are you trying to arouse Susannah and Mama’s suspicions with all that peach jam you made them? Good heavens, Sadie! Mama said you were a jam-making fiend.”
    She had? “I’m sorry! I just had to keep myself occupied. I was going crazy. I also started your quilt.”
    “That’s lovely, honey, but for heaven’s sake! Keep it together, will you? I mean, we’ve barely started this process, and you’re already buckling under the weight.”
    Sadie stopped on the path to the river and swatted at the gnats swirling around them. “It’s a heavy weight, Shelby. Heck, Mama’s sermon today about not telling the truth almost made me jump out of my seat. It’s like she was reading our minds.”
    Her sister put her hands on her hips. “Preachers often speak about lying. It is the ninth commandment, after all. Mama doesn’t suspect anything, but she will if you keep acting so guilty. Heck, you were wringing your hands the whole time you were talking to Tory and Susannah.”
    “I was?”
    “You were. This is hard for me too. I pretty much cleaned my whole house yesterday, the closets too. Thank God Gail had a little party last night, or I would have gone plumb crazy.”
    “I can’t stop thinking about it,” Sadie said, looking down and seeing she was indeed wringing her hands. “Shelby, I keep imagining all sorts of things. Horrible things!”
    “Me too,” her sister admitted and hugged her.
    “Y’all need another hug?” Sadie heard their brother say from behind them.
    They jumped apart and stared at him, wide-eyed as two deer caught in the headlights of a big rig. He sauntered forward, his eyes narrowed.
    “I was supposed to tell y’all to come in for dinner, but it looks like this is no casual walk by the river.”
    That was an understatement.

Chapter 4

     
    If Shelby hadn’t been wearing her favorite gold sandals, she might have kicked at the rocks on the path to the river in pure frustration. Barely two days had passed since they’d met with Vander, and Sadie was already cracking up. J.P. clearly had enough intuition to notice, or he wouldn’t be offering up hugs like he was the lead speaker at a hug-a-thon.
    “I sure could use one, honey,” Sadie said, all but flying into his arms. “We should have met with Vander on a Monday, J.P. This is pure torture, seeing everyone when we have news.”
    Here she goes , Shelby thought. “We don’t have any more news, Sadie. Nothing we didn’t already tell J.P. when we called him on Friday night.”
    “Tell her she’s wrong, J.P.,” Sadie said, giving their older brother an imploring look. “Learning there’s no trace of Daddy anywhere after he left us is