“Can we?” Emily asks hopefully.
Colin looks up at me, and I nod, giving him my silent approval.
He stands. “Come with me.”
Colin, I meanMac,walks us across his yard and to the house next door. He pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocks the door. He moves to the side to let us walk in first. I can’t help but suck in a breath as I take the place in. This place is nice. So much nicer than I was expecting.
“Go look around,” I say to the kids.
Tanner looks at me and frowns. My heart aches at the way he hesitates to leave me alone.
“It’s okay,” I say to him.
Tanner takes Emily’s hand in his, and they take off, Emily a bit more excited than her brother.
“It’s not much, but it’s the best I could do. I hope it’s okay,” Mac says.
“It’s too much…” I say quietly as I take in the living room.
When Bertha said her brother had a place, I imagined a run-down house that was empty. This place isn’t that. It has fresh paint and newer-looking floors. There’s not even a scuff on the walls. What is more surprising, though, is all the furniture. Not only is there a couch, but there are end tables, a coffee table, and even a flat screen on the wall. It is way more than I expected, and I haven’t even seen the rest of the house yet.
“It’s really not.” He takes the key off his keyring and hands it to me. “Here. I’ll leave you to get settled. If you need anything, let me know. I’m just next door.”
“Thank you,” I tell him.
“You’re welcome.” He looks over at his sister. “Stop by before you take off.”
“I will,” she says to him.
He steps out and shuts the door behind him.
“So what do you think? Will this work?” Bertha asks me.
I let out a shaky breath. “Are you sure it’s a good idea? Won’t I be putting your brother in danger? He will eventually find me.”
Bertha smiles. “Trust me, my brother isn’t afraid of danger.” She steps toward me and begins to rub my arms. “This is all going to work out. Everything will be okay. I know it. Have a little faith.”
Faith.
I want to laugh at the idea of having any. It’s been too long since I’ve felt that feeling.
“I hope you’re right,” I murmur softly as my son calls out for me from down the hall.
Arms crossed, I stare out the kitchen window at the house next door. Questions swirl around my mind like a whirlpool, all of them centered around the family next door.
What’s the situation? Did my sister pick up a stray who just needs a fresh start, or is there more to it?
Shit, the way the boy Tanner was standing tall but trembling slightly nearly killed me. The girl—she’s too young to really know what they were living through, thank God. Tanner, though, whatever he saw is going to stick with him.
Poor kid.
My front door opens and closes, but I don’t bother turning around.
“Staring is creepy,” my sister says as she walks into the kitchen.
I hear her open the fridge and pull something out, but I don’t turn around.
“How serious is this?” I ask.
