Page 78 of In Hiding

“I don’t even know who either of you are, really.”

Julie smiled softly. “My husband is Magnus. He’s the local mechanic. Kate’s husband is Gabe. I don’t know if you remember Stevie, the surgeon who saved you, but she’s married to a man named Riley. All of them are former soldiers who trained with Jake.”

All of them. “What about Ben?”

Kate smiled, the fondness shining in her eyes an unexpected comfort. “Ah, big Ben. He’s one of them too. It seems you are surrounded by heroes.”

Sarah felt her eyebrows arch high on her forehead. Heroes? Who said she needed a hero? “How many more people know about my story?”

Kate turned serious and shook her head. “Please don’t worry, Sarah. It’s just us, and really, only because our husbands knew Jake.”

Her stomach dropped at the thought of so many people knowing about her dirty laundry. Needing to move, she stood and paced by the fire. “The more people who know, the more chance he has of finding me.”

“Not true,” Julie said confidently. “And I should know. I came to this town with my son to escape my ex after he was put in jail.”

The uncanny similarity in Julie’s story brought Sarah’s feet to a standstill. She knew she gaped at the woman, but she was too shocked not to stare. “What happened?”

“My ex was killed in prison. It was his father who came looking for me and my son. It’s a long, gory story, but Magnus and his team made everything right. Without them, I would not have survived. I may not know all the details of what you went through, but Sarah, you’re not alone.”

“We’re here to help,” Kate offered. “You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. It takes courage and bravery to let others in like this and you have both. You wouldn’t have got this far if you didn’t.”

Sarah clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking. She felt raw and naked, like someone had stripped away the protective shield she’d spent years building. Tears burned her eyes and the empty hollow inside her threatened to swallow her whole.

Part of her wanted to run as fast and as far away as she could but what was the point? They knew. Her past had grown legs and escaped the hold she thought she had over it.

Was it too much to ask to live in peace? To be safe?

A hand on her arm caused her to blink away the tears blurring her vision. She found Julie by her side, the empathy in her eyes pleading with her to trust them.

“You survived hell, Sarah. A hell you didn’t deserve and a hell you certainly didn’t ask for. You’ve been strong for your son, and that is a credit, but you need to take care of you. A problem shared is a problem halved, right? Let us help.”

The kind offer tempted her. “I don’t know there is much you can do. The short story is William and I need to stay hidden. The less people who know about us, the better.”

“You’d be surprised how many people want to help,” Kate added. “The Crossing is full of wonderful people.”

Sarah took a breath and thought about the town she’d tried to call home for the past four years. Distrust had kept her to herself, only going in for groceries and other necessities. The only people she had much contact with was the school and William’s teachers. She knew there were rumors. Some called her a hermit, others a witch. She’d stopped caring long ago in the hopes it would protect William, but now she wondered how many people knew enough to lead Ryan to them, even unintentionally.

It almost seemed stupid to remain so ignorant. By keeping her distance, had she unwittingly offered herself up as fodder for gossip?

“I see Ben has installed security,” Julie said quietly. “That’s a good start. It was one of his systems that helped save my life.”

Sarah looked from one woman to the other, searching for a reason not to trust them. Letting Jake in had shifted something, giving her assurance. With their eyes wide and open, their smiles soft and seemingly genuine, a desire to share blossomed in her chest.

“I don’t want to put either of you at risk,” she warned. “My ex is not a man to be taken lightly.”

Julie patted her arm. “Neither are we, sister. Neither are we.”

---