Глава №1. Огородная слобода и Чистые пруды – между двух царских дорог. Андрей Монамс

here.”

      She gasped instinctively, and her emotions rolled on a current of remembered thrill at the deep tone of comfort in his voice.

      “You sound awfully tired.”

      Without warning, the moisture in her eyes turned into a cascade, and Sarah felt her face contort. As in Sikeston, she could barely see the road, and this four-lane was a lot busier. “I had some coffee, but that’s not cutting it.” She steered the car onto an exit ramp as trucks rumbled past. “Thank You, God,” she whispered, unable to contain the sobs.

      “Hey, Sarah, honey, it’s going to be okay.” He used the endearment as if without thought, but it was exactly what she needed at the moment.

      It gave her time to compose herself and manage traffic. She stopped at a signal, realized it was green, turned left and followed the road toward the outer edge of Springfield. “I’ve been so scared. If anything happened to her I’d just...” She would want to die. “I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Sorry.” She took some quick gulps of air to regain control. “I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t called, Nick. Thank you. I can never repay you, and I’m so sorry to be causing all this trouble, and—”

      “You aren’t the one causing trouble, Sarah. You’re the one trying to manage everything on your own. Why don’t we start worrying about you now? Where are you?”

      The flow of his words wrapped around her like a blanket held in front of a fireplace. “I just pulled off the interstate in Springfield. I don’t know why I didn’t just stay on Highway 60, but—”

      “Springfield’s a good place to stop.” His voice was so gentle she felt more easing of the ache that had been with her for hours. “Is there a hotel nearby?”

      “No need for that.” She glanced around her at the signs, then caught a familiar logo. Airport. There would be parking. “If I could just get a little rest, freshen up, get some coffee—”

      “Let me call a nearby hotel and make reservations for you. My treat. I don’t want you taking any chances.”

      She turned right at the airport sign, then pulled to the side of the road, unable to continue. “Why are you being so kind? You don’t even know me now.”

      “Damsels in distress, that kind of thing. Besides, how can you say I don’t know a lifelong childhood buddy? How many English tests did you prep me for? Remember how well we knew the woods around town and every inch of the creek bank? Sneaking into the backside of the cave? Do you still have that little egg-sized formation I found and gave you?”

      That brought a slight smile. “Sure do.”

      “There are brothers and sisters who don’t know each other as well as we do. Don’t sixteen years count for anything?”

      She smiled a little more as she recalled the happy times they’d gone fishing together, hiked the hills together and yes, even explored the cave before the adults discovered what they were doing and put a stop to it. He’d even confided in her one day when they were sixteen about a crush he’d developed on Shelby. Which had, of course, broken her heart.

      “Your little sister looked kind of frightened,” he said.

      “Why? Did something happen?” Sarah went on immediate alert.

      “She got lost, and I don’t think she was sure of the reception she’d receive here.”

      Good. “So what kind did she get?”

      “Firm but fair.” There was a smile in his voice, and it warmed her.

      “Don’t worry, Dad will be here before long. In fact, I’ll call him now and see what’s keeping him, but he’s out with old friends and probably forgot to check his watch.”

      “I’ll get there as soon as I can.” She dabbed at her face and resisted checking her reflection in the mirror—and why on earth would she do that? It wasn’t as if he could see her. And it wasn’t as if she wanted to impress him with her appearance.

      “Sarah, it’s late. By the time you’d get here we would all be asleep, including you, and that would be dangerous. There are two spare rooms for guests—you know how Mom loved company. They opened up the attic to make another guest suite just last year, and that’s where I’ll put Emma. She’ll be safe and warm and fast asleep before you could get here. I’m serious about making reservations for you in Springfield.”

      “No. Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” Her parents had taken care of her responsibility all these years. This time she could handle it herself. “You’re right. I’ll get some rest and pick up Emma in the morning.”

      There was a short silence. “Pick her up?”

      “I need to get her back home to Sikeston where she belongs, and out of harm’s way.” And keep our lives from exploding in our faces.

      “You know what? I’ve been thinking about that. School’s out for the year, right?”

      Sarah grimaced. “Yes, but Emma’s been talking about getting a summer job, and I still have so much legal work to take care of for Mom and Dad.”

      “Can it wait? Dad’s been through a lot these past weeks. He’s barely functioning. Same with me. You and Emma must be reeling.”

      “And thus this crazy flight across Missouri.”

      “You don’t need to be alone right now. Some time here could help.”

      She grabbed a paper towel from the passenger seat and tore off a sheet to wipe her face. Again. “Jolly Mill isn’t exactly safe.”

      “I had alarms put up in the house. We have a motivated neighborhood watch. Everyone’s on the alert, and Gerard has a lookout from his place on the hillside above the town, complete with telescope. He’s taking it seriously. Dad and I could really use your company. If it makes you feel any better, nothing else has happened since the explosions three weeks ago.”

      She wasn’t up to an argument right now. She’d just have to convince him in the morning that she and Emma couldn’t stay there. He was being a gentleman about twisting her arm, but he was twisting. Why? Part of her felt a little thrill at the thought that Nick Tyler—the guy she’d adored for years as a teenager and had thought about constantly when Emma was growing up—now wanted to reach out to her. Another part of her wanted to hide.

      She couldn’t respond. The longer Emma stayed in Jolly Mill, the more secrets might emerge.

      “Your cousin lives right down the street from us,” he said. “Carmen even packs a pistol and learned how to shoot since our ex-cop moved to town, and I know for a fact she has plenty of room in her big old house for company.”

      “And does Carmen have an alarm system in her house, as well?”

      “Sure does. A woman living alone can’t be too careful. She had it installed a week ago.”

      Sarah leaned her head against the headrest. On this long drive across Missouri, why hadn’t she considered what she would do about a situation like this? She hadn’t expected Nick to be so generous with his time. She hadn’t thought, period.

      There was a sigh. “Sarah, I know you’ve got to be exhausted. Stop and sleep. Find a safe place. Everything’s covered here, so I’ll see you in the morning. Will that work for you? We’ll talk about the rest then.”

      “It’ll have to. I’m afraid my brain’s on lockdown.”

      His voice lowered and lingered, comforting and kind. “Then sleep.”

      “Nick...you’ve always been the sweetest guy.” Always.

      “And you’re everything I remembered you to be.”

      “Um...I’m not sure what that means,” she said with a smile. “Good night, Nick.”

      “Sleep