Sara woke to the sun streaming through her bedroom window the next morning. She stretched the aching muscles in her back and arms then listened. The house was quiet.The extra blanket wasn’t draped over her feet the way she normally slept. She sat up in the bed and remembered curling up on the couch the night before for Ian to read to her.He must have carried her to bed. She’d been so tired from pulling boards and painting the day before, she hadn’t woken. From the stillness of the house, he must still be asleep.Her phone rang on the nightstand beside her. No one called her except Trisha, especially this early.“Hello.” Sara wiped her eyes and lay back onto the pillow.“I thought you were going to call me when he left,” Trisha said in greeting.“I was. He didn’t leave.”Trisha huffed. “Excuse me? Please tell me you’re not saying what I think you’re saying.”“I’m not, but I have so much to tell you. It’s been a whirlwind.”A car door slammed on Trisha’s end of the line. “Please start
IanThe next few weeks passed in a blur of exhaustion. They were both eager to finish renovating the house and move on to the next chapter of their lives together. The sooner they tidied up Mr. Garrison’s old house, the sooner he’d be kissing his bride and riding off into the sunset with her.As excited as he was to be starting a lifelong relationship with Sara, the things they still had left to do weighed on them both. He needed to get his house on the market, and that might take a while. Not to mention, he still hadn’t told any of his friends or family about his plans to leave with Sara.A few of those conversations would be tough. His parents hadn’t ever tried to strap him down, and they would understand why he had to go once he told them about Sara. Leaving his nieces and nephews would be hard, and his other friends had kids too. He wouldn’t be here when Jake and Natalie’s baby was born.All those kids would grow up and forget him. He wouldn’t be a regular part of their lives the
Sara’s hand shook as she ended the call with Ian. How would he be able to get here to pick her up without leading someone to her?She pushed the pad of her thumb into the edge of her top teeth as she looked around. What did she need to bring? This wasn’t her first move, but she’d grown too attached to the small house that used to belong to her old friend.Not knowing when she’d get to come back, she started packing clothes she didn’t intend to wear anytime soon. Half an hour later, her phone rang, and she saw that it was Andrew.“Hey, I should’ve called you,” Sara said.“I’m sorry. I’ve been out sick, and I just heard the news. I’m not sure how word got out, but I think the best course of action is to get out of town.”She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. “I can’t leave without Ian.”“So take him with you.”“He’s being followed by reporters.”Andrew whispered a curse. “Can’t you leave without him? You have a car. He could meet you somewhere.”She could, but how well
Sara jumped from her seat at the kitchen table when she heard gravel crunching beneath tires. Hanging over the sink, she spotted a black Tahoe parking beside her car. It was Brian. She dumped the meager sandwich she’d been eating into the trash as she ran to the door.Brian was stepping out of the truck. The sun was setting, but there was still ample light spilling into the clearing around the house. What if it wasn’t Brian? He was much bigger than she remembered him being in high school, but she shoved the doubt to the side when she saw his face. She’d know that smile anywhere.He bounded to the door to meet her. “Hey, Lizzy!” His excitement was short-lived as he remembered her name change. “Sorry, old habits.” He turned to scan the area as he stepped to the door she held open for him.“Don’t worry about it. Get in here. Nobody followed you?”“Nope. I’ve got stealth like a cheetah.”Sara chuckled. “I’ve missed you. It’s good to see you haven’t changed.”“That’s me. Old reliable.” Bri
Ian Waiting for nightfall was torture. He’d packed the essentials and loaded them into his truck in the privacy of his garage, but he wanted to make sure no one was hanging around before leaving. He’d called Tyler and Sissy first, and that phone call had been tough. He was happy to leave them to the task of explaining his absence to the kids. They would be devastated. Lydia adored Ian, and he’d appreciated being able to be himself around her. It was easy to relax and forget about the tougher parts of life around an innocent toddler. The call had begun and ended with Sissy in tears, but there wasn’t much he could do to change things. He and Sara needed to leave now, and waiting for the cover of darkness was almost too long. Owen McCall had at least a day’s head start on them. Next had been Ian’s parents. His mom had shed some tears, but this wasn’t the first time he’d warned them he intended to be gone for an indefinite amount of time. Coming from a marine family, his mom was used
Sara listened to Brian playing the guitar as he neared the end of another song. With her head resting back on the couch and her eyes closed, she had almost calmed herself enough to forget about the threat she still faced. Brian stilled the strings. “Another?” “Sure. Keep playing as long as you want. I love your songs.” She’d picked up her Bible once tonight, but her mind was racing too fast to concentrate on the words. Instead, she found she could pray silently while Brian sang. In the quiet stretch of space before Brian began the next song, she heard footsteps. The faint rustle came from the front of the house. Raising her head and turning toward the door in the kitchen, she whispered, “Is that Ian?” Brian had stilled, and he was watching the door too. “I don’t think so,” he whispered back. “He’d be more deliberate.” Sara turned to Brian, hoping he could communicate with her quietly enough to form a quick plan. Brian raised a finger to his lips and rested the guitar on the floo
Ian Ian focused on the patch of road illuminated by his headlights. There were only a few more minutes left until he’d see Sara again. Ian tried to tell himself he could be patient just as his foot fell heavier on the accelerator. He was bounding up the quiet road leading to Mr. Garrison’s old house when the light leading him shone on an old car parked by the mailbox at the end of the long driveway. Ian knew something was wrong as he gunned it for the car, desperate to get a closer look. No, he couldn’t see a reason for a car to be parked at the end of the driveway, other than the need for stealth. They must have followed Brian here earlier. Ian jerked the wheel to race up the winding gravel road. Jake’s truck revved deep as Ian bounced over the rutted-out lane. Ian had to believe he wasn’t too late. The consequences of even the slightest delay were unbearable. Blood pumped hard through his veins, spurring him on, begging him to run to her. He called Jake, ready to summon the g
Cold. Sara couldn’t think of anything beyond the cold. Her body shook, and her teeth clicked together as she fought to regain an ember of warmth. Ian burst into the house and laid her on the couch before backing away. She felt the loss of his heat, and the freezing renewed. People descended on her, and they worked like bees in a hive—constantly moving, but never bumping into each other or stumbling. They were pulling at her clothes, but she couldn’t dislodge her arms from where they were wrapped up in Ian’s jacket. She heard questions every so often, but she couldn’t answer. The shaking was too violent to override. A few of the men lifted her onto a gurney. Ian was beside her as they moved her outside and into the ambulance. Ian ducked his head low to follow the paramedic into the ambulance. He sat close enough that he could lay his hand on her leg, but he gave the man enough room to help her. After all the wet clothes were gone, warm blankets were piled on top of her, and Ian