Page 32 of In Hiding

She levelled a look at him to put an end to his apologies. “Stop apologizing, but you do need to start being honest with me. What’s on your mind?”

He blinked slowly and took her hand in his. Watching him press a kiss to her knuckles filled her heart with love but the distress in his eyes unnerved her. Stevie was right. He needed to talk to someone.

“It’s hard to talk to you about it.” He finally admitted. “I’ve been having nightmares and visions. I don’t know why.”

She couldn’t begin to imagine how he struggled with that. How he’d coped this long with the memory of what his father did to her—and to him—was beyond her. She could only guess he thought he had to be strong, to be a man and contain his feelings. It was too much to ask of anyone, let alone a sixteen-year-old boy who probably remembered holding her as she bled almost to death.

A fierce need to protect him surged through her and she pulled him into her arms. “I’m the one who should be sorry,” she whispered at his ear. “You were just a baby.”

“I was ten.”

“Too young. You should never have witnessed any of it.” Allowing him to rise, she touched the scar on his temple. “Or experience this. You were not to blame. Nor was I, but it is a big burden to carry. You need to talk to someone, William. Maybe doing that will help you work through your feelings and address the nightmares.”

“Maybe,” he conceded.

“Are you worried he’ll come back?”

Terror dilated his pupils. “Aren’t you?”

“Your father is in prison. His chances of getting out are very slim. If he somehow manages to talk his way out, I will be notified and we can decide what to do then, okay?”

One corner of his mouth turned upward. “Why can’t I stop thinking about it? Why can’t I just be like other kids my age?”

Because he had to grow up too fast. Because he watched his father almost kill the woman he’d come to know as his mother. Because he hadn’t lived a normal life. There was no denying the fact his experiences couldn’t be matched by most and the strength to live through them meant he was not like other kids.

Taking his hands in hers, she held them tight against her chest and peered into his eyes. “Do you think you’d want to see a counsellor again? No one needs to know.”

His pain tore at her heart but his nod filled her with a hope that together, they could find their way through this next hurdle. She smiled.

“I love you, William Andersen. Nothing you could do would ever make me doubt you or love you any less.”

A tear rolled down his cheek. “And I love you, Mama.”

With a final hug, she sent him to find the doctor. As she waited, the familiar figure of her handyman filled the doorway once again. How much had he overheard?

“Did he get any sleep?”

Jake nodded. “Slept like a baby. Exhaustion will do that to a kid.”

“And you?”

His head tilted to the side as those dark eyes studied her. “Some. Do you know how long they’ll keep you in here?”

“A couple of days, at least.”

“I’ll make sure he gets to school and stays out of trouble until they release you.”

“He’s not your responsibility, Jake.”

“That may be true, but he can’t stay here with you. Let me do this for you, Sarah. You can rest easy knowing he’ll be taken care of.”

When she’d come to Wills Crossing, she knew no one. The police sergeant back then, John Long, had assured her it was a safe place to live but since their arrival, it had been only her and William. He’d had her to rely on, but she’d never had the support of anyone. Jake offered something she hadn’t had for so long she didn’t know if she could—or should—trust it.

Perhaps this would prove to her once and for all whether Jake Langley was indeed a man to believe. And maybe, just maybe, it could prove to her if she could ever have faith in another. The last time she did, it almost killed her.

~

Jake was in the kitchen when he heard a car pull up in the drive. Behind him, Will sat at the dining table with his head down and his focus solely on the homework his teacher had set him. The kid’s head lifted. Jake shook his head and pointed to his workbook.

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