“Everything will be fine. I promise you’re safe here.”
Hope surged until Blake’s crazed and determined face resurfaced in my mind. The building hope fell. I needed to remember my own words to Emmitt. They wouldn’t stop looking for me. Emmitt mentioned other people living here. Would my presence jeopardize them? Yes, it definitely would.
I nodded to show that I heard him; and despite knowing I was being selfish, I opened my door, hopped down from the truck, and turned to help Aden. There was nowhere else for us to go, and this man was willing to help. But, telling myself that did little to ease my guilt.
Aden and I looked around as I set him on the ground. Trees boxed in the spacious yard on three sides. A garage, set back from the house, listed to the side within the overgrown grass.
Everything smelled so fresh. I breathed in deeply and eyed the green expanse of lawn. It had to take hours to mow. I itched to sit down and run my fingers over the blades. It had been over a year since I’d felt grass tickle the bottoms of my feet. Richard had let me walk outside in the moonlight as a reward after an exceptionally profitable premonition. The reward had lasted less than a minute, long enough for David to call Blake. I shut out the memory and took another deep, slow breath.
Liam slid across the seat and joined us in our rapt study. Like me, they had rarely been allowed outside. If the boys liked this view as much as I did, we’d never spend time inside.
A man dressed in jeans and a dark fitted t-shirt opened the back door, disrupting our awe. The boys moved closer to me, and I gave them a reassuring squeeze. I easily recognized the man as Emmitt’s brother from the picture in Emmitt’s wallet. He stood about six feet tall with enough muscle to nicely fill in the height. He wore his light brown hair a tad shaggy, which looked good on him. An impressive tan covered his arms and face, and I guessed he spent a lot of time outside. His wide, welcoming smile reached his grey-blue eyes as he stared at Emmitt.
“Emmitt! About time they let you go,” he said as he sprang down from the porch. The brothers greeted each other with an enthusiastic hug. Emmitt pulled back and grinned widely at him. Then, they both turned to look at my brothers and me at the same time.
Emmitt’s eyes locked with mine. “Jim, this is Michelle and her two brothers, Liam and Aden. Michelle, this is my brother, Jim.”
Before either Jim or I could respond, an older woman stepped out onto the porch. Her long white hair, twisted into a thick bun, lay pinned to the back of her head. Dressed in tan slacks, white blouse, and pink cardigan, she looked the picture of someone’s loving grandmother. I felt a pang of envy. We never had a grandmotherly figure.
She marched straight to Emmitt and pulled him into a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you,” she said. Then she turned to us.
Her warm smile grew as she looked at the boys. “I’m Winifred, but everyone calls me Nana Wini.”
“This is Michelle,” Emmitt said, introducing me. I held out my hand, and she clasped it affectionately. She emanated strength.
“I’m so glad he brought someone home with him.” She turned her attention to the boys and bent to pull them both into a tight hug. Surprised by the brief embrace, they didn’t even have time to think about fighting it before she straightened again. She looked back at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “I have to say, I always thought it would be Jim who brought someone home first.”
Emmitt looked slightly embarrassed. “Nana—”
“But, I’m very happy. How long have you two been together?”
I looked at Emmitt helplessly while my face flushed scarlet.
“Two blissful days, Nana,” Emmitt said dryly. “Michelle and her brothers need a place to lay low.”
Nana looked over her shoulder at Emmitt, her expression unreadable.
Emmitt’s expression turned quietly serious. “She needs us,” he said.
“Of course she does,” Nana said turning back to me. She smiled mischievously and winked. “Since you’re not with Emmitt, would you be interested in going out with my nephew Cameron?”
“Nana!” Emmitt said in an exasperated tone.
She laughed. “It’s good to have you home, Emmitt. Jim’s been good company, but these young men are going to be a welcome distraction from the monotony around here.” She held out a hand for each boy. “Let’s go in and have dinner. After that, I’ll see if I can find any of Jim and Emmitt’s old toys. Believe it or not, they used to be smaller, like you two, and liked playing. Still do. So you better keep an eye on the things I give you. They’re likely to try to convince you to let them play, too.”