Page 16 of In Hiding

A frown greeted her. Much as the kid loved swinging his axe, he hated hauling the loot up to the house to supply each room. It was a tedious task, she agreed, and one her new handyman could fulfill once employed.

“Then you can do your schoolwork.”

With a noisy sigh of protest, he gulped the last of his drink and handed back the mug. “This is child labor.”

Sarah chuckled. “So, you admit to still being a child?”

He rolled his eyes. “Slave labor, then.”

She ruffled his hair again before sending him on his way. “It’s called penance, my boy. You do the crime, you do the time.”

Beside her, Jake seemed amused by their exchange. “He’s in trouble?”

“Do you remember being sixteen, Jake?”

A coy smile played on his full lips. “As if it were yesterday.”

“Then you’ll understand.”

“Shouldn’t he be at school?”

“Yes.” She turned and headed back into the warmth of the kitchen. “He should, but he was too hungover this morning. Hence his punishment. I chose to sweat the alcohol out of him.”

That eyebrow arched high on his forehead again. “You gave a boy, who might still be under the influence of alcohol, an axe. Did it occur to you that he could’ve chopped off a toe?”

Laughter burst from her, much to Jake’s surprise. Covering her mouth with her hand, she almost felt ashamed by the reaction. “It’d be a lesson he’d never forget, I suppose. For what it’s worth, we do have a talented trauma surgeon at the hospital. I’m sure she could’ve sewn it back on without a problem.”

Mischief twinkled in his eyes. “At least you didn’t give him a chainsaw.”

Laughing, she encouraged him to sit at the dining table and took a seat opposite. “You have a sense of humor, Jake, I’ll give you that.”

He shrugged as the laughter died down. “It has come in handy, once or twice.” He set his mug down and grew serious. “I think it only fair that you know my recent history, Ms. Andersen. I have spent the last twelve months in prison. I was released a few weeks ago.”

Shock seized her lungs momentarily, making her cough. Sarah set her mug on the table and looked him in the eye. “For?”

“I was a member of a biker gang. There was some petty theft involved, and at times, I was a bruiser.” He blinked and looked away momentarily. “I’m not proud of it, but I have served my time.”

Sarah doubted that was the whole story. She studied him openly, trying to discern how dangerous he could be. Judges didn’t throw men in jail unless they had done something worthy of incarceration. “Your honesty is appreciated.”

“That’s why I’m looking for a new start. I have a,” he winced, “reputation in Melbourne. I don’t want it to drag me back to that life.”

That was good to know.

“I will need to check in at the police station every few days, so I don’t violate the conditions of my release. The local cop seems nice enough.”

“Neville Wilson?”

He nodded. “He did warn me not to stir up trouble, of course.”

She resisted a smile. “Yes. Yes, he would. Wills Crossing has had its fair share of late. He wouldn’t want any more.”

Jake looked unconvinced. “How much trouble can there be in one small town?”

“More than you can guess. Perhaps the question I should ask you, Jake Langley, is can I trust you? What assurances would you give me that you won’t put me or my son in harm’s way?”

Because I’ve seen more than enough for one lifetime.

His expression became solemn. “I have no intention of doing any such thing. I want peace and a chance to start over. I’ll understand if you can’t accept my past, but that’s what it is, my past.”

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