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them to a movie, but there was nothing playing that they’d both
be interested in. He could simply let them entertain themselves for
a while. He knew lots of parents operated that way. On the other
hand, his kids were still young, too young to be left completely to
their own devices. More important, they were already on their
own a lot, improvising ways to keep themselves entertained,
simply because of his long hours at the store. He pondered the
options as he made grilled cheese sandwiches, but he soon found
his thoughts drifting to Katie. While she was obviously doing her
best to maintain a low profile, he knew it was almost impossible in
a town like this. She was too attractive to blend in, and when
people caught on to the fact that she walked everywhere, it was
inevitable that talk would start and questions would be asked
about her past.
He didn’t want that to happen. Not for selfish reasons, but
because she was entitled to the kind of life she’d come here to
find. A normal life. A life of simple pleasures, the kind that most
people took for granted: the ability to go where she wanted when
she wanted and live in a home where she felt safe and secure. She
also needed a way to get around.
“Hey, kids,” he said, putting their sandwiches on plates. “I have
an idea. Let’s do something for Miss Katie.”
“Okay!” Kristen agreed.
Josh, always easygoing, simply nodded.
7
Wind-driven rain blew hard across dark North Carolina skies,
sweeping rivers against the kitchen windows. Earlier that
afternoon, while Katie did her laundry in the sink and after she
had taped Kristen’s picture to the refrigerator, the ceiling in the
living room had begun to leak. She’d placed a pot beneath the