Page 71 of Look for Me

Dahlia had been confused at first, but her nightmares about her dying father subsided in November when snow fell, blanketing the log cabins and walkways.

When Corinne wasn’t working, they stayed in their cabin. Sometimes they cooked fresh vegetables from the retreat garden. Sometimes they ate at the lodge.

Like tonight.

It was Thanksgiving Eve, but Corinne planned to stay indoors all day on Thanksgiving Day, so tonight was their turkey night.

Sitting at a corner table and talking very little to strangers who had nothing to say to her, Corinne ate quietly and thought about her life up until now.

Mostly, her thoughts turned to Martin.

He had proposed to her on the beach that day back in July. She didn’t give him an answer. She thought he was probably emotional and not thinking straight.

They had just met again after four years apart, so how could he be so sure he wanted to marry her.

Unfortunately, it was the second time in four years he had proposed to her, and both times, Corinne had disappointed him.

She could never…

Well,neverwas such a severe word.

Sitting beside her, Dahlia was falling asleep. It was only about seven o’clock in the evening, but Corinne had trained her daughter to go to sleep by eight. That way, Mommy had time to herself for a couple of hours to read the Bible and take it easy before she went to bed.

Alone.

As soon as Corinne finished eating, she asked for a takeout bag. A server cleared her plates, so she didn’t have to leave Dahlia by herself with a bunch of strangers at the dinner table.

However, when Corinne tried to carry Dahlia, she felt that the girl was pushing too hard against her womb. The seven-month-old baby kicked his big sister.

Corinne had to let Dahlia down, but the little girl didn’t want to walk. She was starting to whine.

“No whining,” Corinne said sternly.

Through the windows, she could see that it was snowing harder now. How could she walk uphill with a griping child? The last thing she needed was to fall in the last trimester of her pregnancy.

She prayed for wisdom.

When she stopped at the door to take a deep breath, she heard someone call her.

The Mendenhall Retreat co-director came her way. Larina always smiled when she saw Corinne and Dahlia. On the other hand, her husband, Joseph, the other director, often wore a scowl, as if everything was deadly serious.

And perhaps it was.

Mendenhall Retreat, Corinne found out, wasn’t like any other mountain resort. Its guests ran the gamut from people in the military and government to private security companies. They came here to recharge and rest before they launched back into their work and career. Some others came to hide and wait until the danger was over.

Corinne learned never to ask questions, and to assume that many might be using nicknames or false identities.

Larina Brannigan wasn’t her real name. And no, Corinne wasn’t allowed to ask about her life. All she needed to know was that Larina led a women’s Bible study at the retreat every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Every Sunday, the Mendenhall Chapel held services, and so did the Misty Mountain Chapel in the nearby town. While trusted employees were allowed to go to town, Corinne wasn’t. Not until danger passed.

To keep her and Dahlia safe, she had to trust Larina completely. That’s what Agent Tanaka had told her.

“Happy Thanksgiving to you and Joseph.” Corinne smiled, getting the attention of the octogenarian. “Are your kids coming to town?”

“Oh, they can never come here, as you know.”

“Ah, yes. I forgot.”

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