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inging with it humidity heavy enough to thicken the air and
blur the horizon. Heavy clouds would then form as if by magic,
and violent thunderstorms would drop torrents of rain. The
showers never lasted long, though, leaving behind only dripping
leaves and a layer of ground mist.
Katie continued to work long evening shifts at the restaurant. She
was tired when she rode home, and in the morning her legs and
feet often ached. She put half the money she earned in tips in the
coffee can, and it was almost filled to the brim. She had more
money than she’d imagined she’d be able to save, more than
enough to get away if she had to. For the first time, she wondered
whether she needed to add more.
Lingering over her last few bites of breakfast, she stared out the
window at Jo’s house. She hadn’t spoken with her since their
encounter, and last night, after her shift, she’d seen lights burning
in Jo’s kitchen and living room. Earlier this morning, she’d heard
her car start up and listened to the crunching of dirt and gravel as
it pulled away. She didn’t know what to say to Jo, or even
whether she wanted to say anything at all. She couldn’t even
decide whether she was angry with her. Jo cared about Alex and
the kids; she was worried about them and had expressed her
concerns to Katie. It was hard to find malice in anything she’d
done.
Alex, she knew, would be by later today. His visits had settled
into something of a routine, and when they were together, she
was constantly reminded of all the reasons she’d fallen for him in
the first place. He accepted her occasional silences and varying
moods, and he treated her with a gentleness that astonished and
touched her. But since her conversation with Jo, she wondered if
she was being unfair to him. What would happen, after all, if
Kevin showed up? How would Alex and the kids react if she
disappeared, never to return? Was she willing to leave all of them
behind and never talk to them again?