do this,” she whispered.
“I love you, Kate.”
“Then stay here.”
“I’ll be back.”
She turned away.
“Kate?”
“Go.”
Lockman ran a hand over Jessie’s head. “Take care of her.” He limped out the door, closed it behind him. The cab he had called pulled into the lot and parked in front of their motel. He couldn’t imagine what the fare to take him from here to the airport would cost. But he couldn’t leave the girls without a car.
He looked over his shoulder.
Jessie peered out at him through the window. She waved.
He hesitated. Why was he doing this? Leaving behind people he loved? His first real family.
Because he never would have made it this far without Teresa. If there was any chance of saving her, he owed it to her to try.
He waved to Jessie then limped to the cab, got in. One last look at the motel as the cab pulled away. Kate stood behind Jessie in the window, expression unreadable.
Please wait for me .
But he wasn’t sure she would.
Chapter Fifteen
Craig had been gone only about ten minutes when Jessie’s mom said, “Pack your things.”
Jessie had pulled a chair to the window and was staring out at the tall grass of the field across the road. The morning breeze swayed the grass while the sun glinted off the dew on the blades. She drew her attention away and turned to her mother. “Why?”
Mom had the suitcase they kept packed in the cabin’s cellar on the bed, and stuffed the few things she had removed back in. Hair brush, the blouse she wore yesterday, makeup bag. “Because we’re leaving.”
“To go where?”
“Somewhere away from here. Somewhere he can’t find us.”
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
Mom slammed the suitcase shut and zipped it closed. “Don’t talk back to me.”
“We’re not going back to those days. Where you just yell at me and tell me what to do.”
“I’m your mother. You’ll do as I say.”
“Craig’s my dad. I’d rather listen to him.”
Mom thumped a fist down on her suitcase. “Stop it. Stop taking his side over mine. I was the one who was there your whole life. Not Craig. Me. By myself for most of it. He can’t come into our lives for a year and negate all that time he was gone.”
“I thought you were over that. You know why he left. You know all about the crazy stuff out there. But you still hold leaving against him?”
“I’m not discussing this any further.” She pulled the suitcase off the bed and lugged it to the door. There she dropped it and turned back to Jessie. “Get your things together now.”
“No.”
“Now!”
“You’re jealous. That’s what this is really about.”
“This isn’t about her. This is about Craig shirking his responsibility to us.”
“What about his responsibility to Teresa?”
Mom stomped her foot, hands fisted at her sides. “I said I’m not discussing this.”
Jessie leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “And I said I’m not leaving.”
“Are you going to pay for the room yourself? Because I’m checking out, and unless you’ve got money, I doubt they’ll let you stay here out of the goodness of their heart.”
“Man, you have turned into Mega-Bitch.”
Her mother raised a hand as if to slap her.
Jessie forced herself not to flinch. She lifted her chin and waited for the strike.
But Mom lowered her hand. “You didn’t see the cabin. It was destroyed. Craig was on the floor, unconscious. I thought he was dead.”
“But he wasn’t.”
“He should have been. He said so himself.”
Jessie tried picturing what her mother had seen. It didn’t take much. Last year Jessie had seen all kinds of destruction, and had survived her own close calls. She could imagine what it must have been like for her. “So you run away because you’re afraid of losing him?”
“Not running away. Moving on.”
“Then you’ll have to move on without me. Did you not hear what I said before he left? I love him. He cares about me. Gets
“I love you, Kate.”
“Then stay here.”
“I’ll be back.”
She turned away.
“Kate?”
“Go.”
Lockman ran a hand over Jessie’s head. “Take care of her.” He limped out the door, closed it behind him. The cab he had called pulled into the lot and parked in front of their motel. He couldn’t imagine what the fare to take him from here to the airport would cost. But he couldn’t leave the girls without a car.
He looked over his shoulder.
Jessie peered out at him through the window. She waved.
He hesitated. Why was he doing this? Leaving behind people he loved? His first real family.
Because he never would have made it this far without Teresa. If there was any chance of saving her, he owed it to her to try.
He waved to Jessie then limped to the cab, got in. One last look at the motel as the cab pulled away. Kate stood behind Jessie in the window, expression unreadable.
Please wait for me .
But he wasn’t sure she would.
Chapter Fifteen
Craig had been gone only about ten minutes when Jessie’s mom said, “Pack your things.”
Jessie had pulled a chair to the window and was staring out at the tall grass of the field across the road. The morning breeze swayed the grass while the sun glinted off the dew on the blades. She drew her attention away and turned to her mother. “Why?”
Mom had the suitcase they kept packed in the cabin’s cellar on the bed, and stuffed the few things she had removed back in. Hair brush, the blouse she wore yesterday, makeup bag. “Because we’re leaving.”
“To go where?”
“Somewhere away from here. Somewhere he can’t find us.”
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
Mom slammed the suitcase shut and zipped it closed. “Don’t talk back to me.”
“We’re not going back to those days. Where you just yell at me and tell me what to do.”
“I’m your mother. You’ll do as I say.”
“Craig’s my dad. I’d rather listen to him.”
Mom thumped a fist down on her suitcase. “Stop it. Stop taking his side over mine. I was the one who was there your whole life. Not Craig. Me. By myself for most of it. He can’t come into our lives for a year and negate all that time he was gone.”
“I thought you were over that. You know why he left. You know all about the crazy stuff out there. But you still hold leaving against him?”
“I’m not discussing this any further.” She pulled the suitcase off the bed and lugged it to the door. There she dropped it and turned back to Jessie. “Get your things together now.”
“No.”
“Now!”
“You’re jealous. That’s what this is really about.”
“This isn’t about her. This is about Craig shirking his responsibility to us.”
“What about his responsibility to Teresa?”
Mom stomped her foot, hands fisted at her sides. “I said I’m not discussing this.”
Jessie leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “And I said I’m not leaving.”
“Are you going to pay for the room yourself? Because I’m checking out, and unless you’ve got money, I doubt they’ll let you stay here out of the goodness of their heart.”
“Man, you have turned into Mega-Bitch.”
Her mother raised a hand as if to slap her.
Jessie forced herself not to flinch. She lifted her chin and waited for the strike.
But Mom lowered her hand. “You didn’t see the cabin. It was destroyed. Craig was on the floor, unconscious. I thought he was dead.”
“But he wasn’t.”
“He should have been. He said so himself.”
Jessie tried picturing what her mother had seen. It didn’t take much. Last year Jessie had seen all kinds of destruction, and had survived her own close calls. She could imagine what it must have been like for her. “So you run away because you’re afraid of losing him?”
“Not running away. Moving on.”
“Then you’ll have to move on without me. Did you not hear what I said before he left? I love him. He cares about me. Gets
Similar Books
