Page 39 of Seal of Approval

Ethan said it with such certainty that none of us could doubt him.

“Will you keep Mum safe?” Bailey asked. “Dad hurt her bad last time.”

“I will do everything in my power to keep your mom safe.”

I glanced at Rose. She was holding Timmy and the bear to her chest. How much did she remember now that she’d seen Max again? She’d blocked it out afterwards. The psychologist said that was normal.

Ethan stood up. “We’re a team, right?”

Bailey nodded. Ethan turned his attention to Rose. She smiled.

“OK team, let’s check the windows and doors and get out of here.”

As we were leaving the house, Ethan held me back. “You go on ahead. I want to check the house next door and lock it up.”

I broke into a sweat. I flicked my eyes to the house and back at him. “I don’t want you to go in there alone.”

He took hold of my arm. Gentle but firm, as if he was requesting understanding not demanding it. “I need to make sure, Jasmine. I don’t want you and the kids here when I do it.”

“Come with us and bring Jack back with you,” I pleaded.

Ethan turned me to face him. “No.” He glanced at the children. “I don’t want them to think this house is something else to be scared of.”

The house I once wished he’d move into and now, I wished he never would. “OK.”

“I won’t be long. I’ll catch up soon.”

“OK.”

My feet were rooted to the ground. All I wanted to do was hug him and feel the safety of his arms. He released my arm and turned me to the children. I took a step towards them and then another.

“I’m going to lock up the other house and I’ll meet you there,” he said as casually as can be.

“We’ll get the best spot.” I slung his chair over my shoulder and then addressed the children. “Not too close to the fire.”

They walked on ahead of me, and I glanced back at Ethan who was watching us leave. I took a deep breath. He would be fine. It was just my nerves. When I looked again, he was walking up the stairs.

By the time we got to the bonfire site on the beach in front of the store, Ethan had not caught up. I studied the empty roadway. Where was he? My heart pounded an erratic beat like waves during a storm. I set up our chairs, my gaze continually flicking toward the road.

“Waiting for your husband?” Jack asked from beside me. I jumped. I’d been concentrating too hard on Ethan’s return to notice Jack’s approach.

“He’s locking up the other ranger house.”

“Good idea.”

“He’s taking longer than I thought.”

Jack squeezed my shoulder. “The windows probably got stuck. They would have expanded after the storm.”

“Yeah. Probably.” Except we hadn’t reopened them.

They hadn’t been stuck the last time we’d closed them. Rose was sitting next to Lily, telling her some kind of story. Bailey was helping Ross fill the Esky.

“I’m going to see if he needs any help,” I said.

“Ethan is a big boy. I’m sure he can lock up on his own. Go and have a chin wag with Lily.”

But I couldn’t stop watching for him.

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