Page 46 of Sean

“I like to think that’s true,” Kelly said, retrieving her cup of tea. “And I want you to promise me that you’ll come back when it’s safe for you and the kids to. You’ll be welcome anytime.”

“I’d like that.” Julia had no idea if a return here would ever be feasible, so she wouldn’t promise. But she would like that, if it was possible. And either way, it was kind of Kelly to invite them. She said good night and went to her room where she organized her clothes so they could be easily packed. Finally, she returned to Sean’s bedroom. He was asleep, which she’d been counting on. She crawled in next to him and was settling in when his arm went around her waist, pulling her close.

Not asleep after all. She should have known that. Neither of them spoke, and soon her eyes got heavy. She should have stayed in her own room, but if she had to run with the kids—and she really feared she would—she wanted to take the feel of him with her.

TWENTY-THREE

Sean got off the phone with Corbin Neal, an assistant district attorney in Virginia Beach. He’d spent the last half hour detailing what Julia could offer in the case the DA office’s was preparing against Wilson. Corbin had seemed excited to hear about the kind of firsthand testimony she could give.

“She’s worried, though,” Sean had said, careful not to name Julia, just in case. “She doesn’t want to be prosecuted for taking the kids and keeping them safe all these weeks.”

“In my ten years in this office, we’ve never prosecuted anyone who was acting in the best interest of children. No jury will convict under those circumstances, and the DA is sympathetic to situations where the letter of the law has to be bent a little for the sake of the children’s welfare. I can’t give you a one hundred percent guarantee because those don’t exist in my business, but I’d give you ninety-nine. Will that do it?”

It would. Sean had met Corbin when doing some research for a show. He’d even shadowed Corbin for a few days to get a feel for his position. They’d kept in contact since, and he knew the lawyer was a straight shooter. If he said it, he meant it.

“For me, yes,” Sean said. “I need to convince her.”

“The sooner, the better,” Corbin said.

“Agreed. I want this wrapped up—and I know she does, too. I’ll see if I can persuade her that it’s safe for her to testify and then I’ll reach out to the appropriate authorities.”

“I’ll wait for your call. Thanks for being the intermediary here.” Corbin hung up.

Sean went to find Julia to tell her about his call. Since she was usually in the kitchen at this time of day, he headed that way. He heard kids playing and looked out to see Amos and Lucy in the yard. The other kids would be at school. Julia was usually with her niece and nephew, so he stepped outside and bumped into his mother, who sat on the porch swing.

“Good morning,” she said. “I’m on kid duty.”

“I can take over,” he volunteered.

“No, I’ve got it. Watching them is a good excuse for not being in the barn on such a fine morning.” Kelly took a sip from the coffee mug she held. “I’ll miss them.”

“They aren’t going anywhere yet.”

“That’s not what Julia told me.” His mother studied him. “When I talked to her last night, she said she and the kids were leaving, maybe even today. How do you not know that?” She put her foot on the floor to stop the motion of the swing. “She asked me where their bags were and she’s packing now. That’s why I’m watching the kids. Sean, what—”

“They aren’t leaving,” he declared. “Not now, not yet.”

Since he knew his mother would stay with the kids, Sean went in search of Julia. If she was packing, that meant she was in one of the bedrooms. He found her in the kids’ room. Lucy’s duffel bag was open, and Julia was placing clothes in it.

“What are you doing?” He should control his tone and not come off so abrupt, but he was seriously freaked out by what she was doing.

“Sean, I’ve thought about this. I have to go. Once you contact the FBI, they’ll be onto me. I’m a criminal.”

“You aren’t.”

“Legally, I am. If I go to jail, there’s no telling where the kids will be placed.” She folded a pair of shorts. “And I don’t want to be found here. It’ll be clear then that your family has assisted me. Won’t they and you be in trouble, too? I think it’s best if I just go. I haven’t explained it to the kids yet. They’re going to be upset since they’ve loved being here, but…”

“You’re safe here, and it would be dangerous to leave—especially if you don’t have another safe place to go,” he said, struggling for calm. “I talked to my contact at the DA’s office this morning. He told me that your testimony against Wilson and the circumstances that caused you to take the kids guarantees that you won’t be charged with anything. No jury in the world would convict you for getting the kids away from Wilson, and the DA’s office isn’t going to waste time and money on a case they’re certain to lose.”

He saw a flicker of hope on her face and then caution. “Are you sure?” she asked. “You trust this man? Because people say they can help and too often, they don’t.”

“He’ll help.”

She still seemed skeptical, but she’d stopped packing. “I learned a while ago not to rely on people in positions of authority to make things better.”

“Corbin’s trustworthy, and he knows what he’s doing. If he says they won’t charge you, they won’t.” That seemed to take a moment to sink in. For each second it did, his own temper began to rise. He could get her not trusting Corbin right off the bat, but the hesitation made it seem like she didn’t trust him. Didn’t believe his word when he said that she and the kids would be safe.

She left her packing and came toward him. When she went to put her arms around him, he caught her wrists in his hands and stepped back, holding her at a distance. They needed to talk about this, about her lack of faith in him.

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