Sean Brosnan's POV

I took Briana around town. Yeah, it's nothing compared to New York City or Virginia, but I'm glad to see that it's entertaining to drive around Cherokee. In my truck, we've been all over the place, from the fairgrounds to watching the rodeo at Queen's Arena.

After we got back from traveling around town, Briana was exhausted and fell asleep until we got home. A soft snore escaped her lips. She was sleeping like a baby, so I didn't have the heart to wake her up. I decided to carry Briana into the house, but unfortunately Rocco's barking waiting for us behind the door startled Briana out of her sleep.

"Ah, we're here?" She gazed around the house with wide eyes and then looked at me and said, "Sorry, I overslept."

I ignored her and continued carry Briana into the room. Arriving at the room, I laid her body on the bed carefully, then took the blanket that was still folded and covered Briana's body up to the chest limit. The girl smiled at me.

"Thank you, Sean," she said.

I reached out my fingers to stroke Briana's smooth cheeks, then I said, "Go to sleep; you must be exhausted."

Briana nodded and began to close her eyes.

I left the room after Briana had drifted off to sleep. I went to the living room and sat there while lighting a cigarette.
It was nice. I'd been locked up in the forest with my wood and tools for so long, but tonight I was back to enjoying life like a normal man.

It's not uncommon for those who know me to be surprised to see me visiting the fairgrounds with a pretty girl. Yes, every Cherokee knows that Sean Brosnan hasn't gone out for fun since being dumped by his ex-girlfriend. Some of even thought that I had lost my mind since deciding to live in the forest, so I could understand their overreaction when they saw me walking around with Briana.

I don't know if opening my heart to Briana was the right decision or not, but everything feels right. I don't even care if my heart breaks once again in a woman's arms because I can't resist Briana. No matter how hard I pushed myself away, Briana always came and got close to me. She didn't care about my rudeness; in fact, she was the only one who wasn't afraid when I threatened her with my sharp eyes.

Yeah, I felt like a jerk for treating her so cruelly, but back then I was a coward who was afraid of having my heart hurt once again by a girl. I was helpless and kept trying to push Briana away from me. Surprisingly, my cold demeanor attracted her attention. Briana offered me sweet promises and hopes, and I promised to treat her well. Treat Briana as the only woman who matters to me.

The cell phone rings just as I press my cigarette in the ashtray. I took the phone from my pants pocket, and my throat dried up at the number on my phone screen. I was getting a call from an old friend who lived in New York; he was a friend I had asked for help in finding the Clooney family there.

"Circle of light."

"Sean, I have some bad news," he said. Yeah, shit. Not again. I glanced at the open bedroom door, then walked a little away from the living room and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The Clooney family you're looking for left New York five or six years ago."

What?

"You don't know where they live now?" I asked.

"Unfortunately not; some of his close neighbors don't even know where Tanner Clooney's family moved to; all they remember is that Tanner Clooney took his family away because he was in debt to a bank and some loan sharks."

The cell phone rings just as I press my cigarette in the ashtray. I took the phone from my pants pocket, and my throat dried up at the number on my phone screen. I was getting a call from an old friend who lived in New York; he was a friend who I had asked for help in finding the Clooney family there.

"Circle of light."

"Sean, I have some bad news," he said. Yeah, shit. Not again. I glanced at the open bedroom door and then walked a little away from the living room and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The Clooney family you're looking for left New York five years ago."

What?

"You don't know where they live now?" I asked.

"Unfortunately not; some of his close neighbors don't even know where Tanner Clooney's family moved to; all they remember is that Tanner Clooney took his family away because he was in debt to a bank and some loan sharks."

Tanner Clooney deliberately left New York to escape his debts; damn, it must be getting harder to find them.

"Well, thank you; please call me if you get any other news about the Tanner family," I said.

The man assured me that he would definitely find the Clooney family I was looking for soon.

The call ended with me lamenting the bad news. How unfortunate for Briana; she had missed her family so much, but now trouble was getting in the way of my search for her family's whereabouts. Now the only hope was the Virginia police. I knew their leader, Officer Zeke; well, I had to meet him immediately to ask him about the news they were getting from the police.

I walked into the room and joined Briana on the bed after the call ended. Recognizing my presence, Briana turns around and rests her head on my chest. I'm sure she's still conscious even though her beautiful eyelids are tightly closed. But I didn't want to tell her the bad news now; she was exhausted and needed to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow will be a bad day for her because she has to hear this unpleasant news from my lips.