Page 70 of His Loving Wife

“Yes, a vacation,” Andrew said, his voice optimistic.

They hadn’t talked about a vacation all year. It didn’t seem right. The vacation they’d taken just weeks before the attack was the last time Kate remembered her family being truly happy. She wondered if Andrew thought the same.

“When would we even go? You’ve been so busy with work.”

“I’ve been busy trying to close this account, which should happen at the end of the month. It’s perfect timing, really. We could leave town right before—”

His voice trailed away, but Kate knew what he wouldn’t say. Right before Paul was released, if Detective Barnes’ timeline checked out.

“Just think about it,” Andrew said, sitting beside her on the bed. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to rub. “We can sit around here, driving ourselves crazy. Losing sleep at night. Looking over our shoulders. Or we can enjoy a few days at the beach. Drinks by the dock. Nights where the kids take off, and we’re left to our own devices.”

Kate looked at him and couldn’t help but smile. He seemed joyful, happier than she could remember in a long time. She didn’t have it in her to shoot him down, even though her own body was filling with dread. He was trying, which is all she had asked him to do. Maybe, instead of living and dying in her own head, she should try back.

“We’ll talk about it,” she said, even if she didn’t feel fully committed. “If there are any places open.”

“There are always places available,” Andrew said, climbing the stairs that led to their bedroom.

She imagined he was searching for rentals on his computer. Their usual hotel would be booked. Rather than join him, Kate wandered into the kitchen. She didn’t want her own lack of enthusiasm to dampen his. Both children were back now and in the yard, and she watched them from the kitchen window. Noah was shooting a basketball, and Willow was swaying in a hammock, her familiar earbuds in.

Her children, she realized, were content wherever they went, as long as they felt safe and protected. Her children could sense that happiness in their own mother, picking up on her feelings like vibrations. When she was afraid and vulnerable, they sensed it. When she was confident and at peace, they sensed that too. It wasn’t Kate’s fault she’d lost her sense of security in the past year, but she was the only person responsible for finding it again. And if she needed just a little more time to do it, if she needed to find that peace in a different setting, so be it.

She went upstairs to help Andrew weigh the pros and cons of the rentals he had selected.

Chapter 36

Now

I’m pacing across the living room. Not even ten minutes after I send the request, my phone buzzes, but it’s not an email, it’s a phone call. I answer, and am surprised to hear Detective Marsh’s voice.

“Sorry it’s been so long,” she says. “I’ve been meaning to check in with you since the move, but life has been pretty hectic. As I’m sure you noticed, my phone number has changed.”

“Not a problem,” I say. I’ve been trying to reach Detective Marsh since I first got word Paul was being released. Detective Barnes has been forthcoming, but Marsh has a way of putting me at ease. If she tells me there’s no way Paul Gunter will be able to reach us, I might believe her.

I feel my chest flutter with anxiety. “I don’t want to bother you. I realize this is no longer your case.”

“If you were a bother, I wouldn’t have called back.” She sounds sincere. “What’s going on?”

I take a deep breath, holding the air a few seconds before slowly exhaling. “I’ve been struggling ever since we learned Paul was released. When I think our lives are back to normal, we learn he’s out there again. It’s brought up all those old feelings.”

There’s a pause. “Kate, I’m sorry. I think—”

“I know, I know. I’m in my own head. There are tons of procedures in place to keep him away from us, but life was a lot easier when I knew he was still behind bars. Knowing he’s back on the streets—I don’t feel safe anymore. We’re on vacation, and I keep thinking I see him. And we’ve been finding things in our house, things I think were left by Paul. I know it’s out there, and I don’t have any proof, but I think Paul has followed us here.”

Another pause. Then, “What makes you think Paul Gunter has been released?”

I squint in confusion.

“Detective Barnes told us Paul was released two weeks ago.”

“I looked up the status of your case before I called you, just in case there were any updates.” Marsh exhales. “Paul Gunter is still in jail. His request for bail was denied. He’ll be there until the trial later this fall.”

I lean forward, raking three fingers against my forehead. “That can’t be right. Detective Barnes told us. We’ve had multiple conversations about it. The whole reason we planned this vacation is because we didn’t want to be in Hidden Oaks when Paul was released.”

“Tell you what, let me put you on hold while I make a quick call.” It sounds like she’s playing along, but I can tell her voice is strained.

“Please. I don’t understand. Surely—”

“Kate, it makes perfect sense that Paul’s release would upset you. That’s why I want to get the facts. Give me a minute.”

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