Page 2 of Sean

Okay, so a man of few words.

“Well, I think I need that help now.” There was a long pause, long enough for her to worry that he was going to tell her no.

“Where are you?” Sean asked.

“At a cabin in a small campground near Dorset.” It was an out of the way place that had felt safe enough until just minutes earlier. But after hearing Wilson’s voice, she felt compelled to get out of there, to find a better hiding spot.

“I’m a couple of hours north of you. I’ll be able to protect you and the kids better here,” he said. “I’ll come get you.”

“You don’t need to do that. I’m sure I can get to your place safely.” She was already inconveniencing a man who Ethan described as a recluse. She didn’t want him to make a long drive just to turn around and go back. Besides, she had her car and didn’t want to abandon it. There was a pause before he spoke again.

“All right,” he said, “but I don’t want you to use GPS to get to me. Write these directions down. If you’re using a pad of paper, take the entire pad with you.” She wrote as he rattled off the roads she’d need to take. “Do you have enough gas to get here without stopping?” he asked when she’d repeated the directions back to him.

“I should.”

“Good. Don’t stop unless you have to, and get on the road ASAP. I’ll be expecting you.” With that, he hung up, leaving her a little shell-shocked. He hadn’t been unkind, just…very efficient and confident. Well, that’s what she needed, wasn’t it?

“Road trip,” she said to the kids, trying to sound cheerful.

“We’re going?” Lucy asked, looking up from where she was feeding her horse some of her crackers.

“Again?” Amos’s voice held a little whine, and Julia couldn’t blame him. The poor kid was only four. She’d been dragging him to one unfamiliar place after another.

“I’ll explain in the car. We need to go right away, so gather up your things.” Julia was already placing their snack items into a plastic tote. Sadly, the kids knew the drill and started stowing their toys in duffel bags without further delay. Julia gathered up clothing and toiletries, and within ten minutes they were in her car, headed north.

She’d been avoiding major roads, but speed felt more important than stealth, and she had no wish to deviate from the directions that Sean had given her. Once she reached Richmond, she merged onto I-95, which was always busy and made her focus on the traffic.

“Aunt Julia?” They were exiting the interstate when Lucy finally spoke up.

“Yes, sweetie?” she answered, trying to sound cheerful and relaxed, even when she was feeling anything but.

“Where are we going now?”

She didn’t sound curious or excited, just resigned. Poor kid. All she and her brother wanted was stability in their lives, and she hadn’t been able to give them that. Amos seemed to mostly accept that this was how things were now, but Lucy was a year older and far more tuned into the world around her. Julia was worried about her. She needed to be doing normal kid things, like interacting with other girls her age. But it wouldn’t be safe for her to do any of that until her father was no longer a threat.

“We’re going to stay with a man named Sean,” she explained. “He’s going to help us all stay safe.”

“Do you know him?” Lucy asked, mistrust in her voice.

“I haven’t met him, but I’ve talked to him on the phone.” It wasn’t a lie—exactly. “And he’s friends with people I trust.”

“What’s he like?” Amos wanted to know.

Julia wished she knew, but she could really only guess—and hope for the best. “He’s nice and helpful.”

“Where’s his house?”

“At the end of these directions.” She held up the pad of paper so the kids could see it. “We’re exploring new territory today. Let’s see what we can spy.”

Julia turned their attention to the scenery as they got into a more rural area and began a game of I Spy that lasted as they moved from a highway onto a series of county roads. The directions said to pass the red barn with the checkerboard pattern roof and go three miles. Julia checked her odometer when she spotted the landmark and watched the tenths of miles tick off while keeping up a steady stream of chatter with the kids.

At exactly the three-mile mark, the woods on the left side parted to reveal a tidy-looking one-story house set back from the road, with a workshop between the house and the forest, just as he’d described. She turned in the driveway. As soon as she put the car in park, a man stepped out of the front door. He had a scruffy beard, but it didn’t hide how handsome he was. Her photographer’s eye told her that the camera would love his chiseled features and fit body. He’d look amazing on the cover of a novel or an outdoorsy magazine.

“Is that him?” Lucy’s voice was small as Amos started to whimper. It occurred to her abruptly that the last man Amos had been around was his father—the same father she’d told the kids they needed to avoid, that it wouldn’t be safe to see him or talk to him. No wonder Amos was freaking out.

Oh, god. What was she doing? But she’d committed to this course of action, so she opened the car door and got out. “Let’s say hello.” She reached into the backseat to help with seatbelt buckles. The kids got out of the car but stayed close to her, Amos hiding behind her leg as the man advanced toward them.

“Hello,” Julia said. “I’m Julia Hart. This is Lucy and Amos. Thank you for helping us. I can’t express how much I appreciate it. We’ll try not to be a nuisance.” She wondered again if she should go. He wasn’t smiling, wasn’t saying words of welcome even after he reached them. Maybe he really didn’t want them there. Panic had her reaching for the car door again. This was a bad idea. Sean clearly valued his privacy, and they were invading. She was tired from the drive, tired from everything, but she’d go. “We’ll just—”

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