"You thought I would?” he asks, and I shrug. "Well, not everything is how it appears."
Is he trying to tell me that him knowing my father personally might not be what I think it is?
"If anyone should know that, it's me." How the world perceives my family is drastically different from reality.
"Where are you planning on going? There’s a winter storm coming."
Crap, I should have checked the weather, but honestly, it’s not going to change my mind.
"I haven't thought that far ahead."
"Maybe you should stay until you do." I'm already shaking my head before he can finish his suggestion.
"He put up a reward for information on finding me. I'm not going to put Farrow Haven at risk. It does too much good."
"Come home with me,” he says.
"Seriously?" I momentarily wonder if I dreamed that response and my father might be right. I’ve lost it.
"No one would guess you'd be in my home. You'd be safe there."
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” It’s tempting, though. Does he live alone? I don’t see a ring on his finger, but that doesn’t mean much these days.
“I think it’s better than your idea.” He raises an eyebrow in challenge, and I press my lips together. He’s not wrong. “Kate, think about it. You can lay low for weeks or even months at my place and he’ll never find you.”
“Why would you do that?” Who wants a random person in their space? Not only for a couple of days either. He’s offering a lot more than that.
“I volunteer here because I believe in what Farrow Haven is doing. No matter what you think you know about me, I would never put someone in danger. Not here or outside of these walls.”
"I’m not sure," I say, but there’s hesitation behind my words. I want to trust him, but should I?
"I can see that you've got your mind made up on leaving. Stay with me for a few days, at least until the storm passes, then decide."
"Why should I trust you?" I search his face, hoping I’ll be able to see the truth.
"Because we're going to tell Juliet, and only her, that you'll be coming with me. That way someone you can trust knows where you are."
Juliet is the woman who turned her childhood home into Farrow Haven. She was so sweet and understanding when I arrived, and if there’s one person I know I can trust, it’s her.
"Okay," I say. I don't think I'd last long out on the streets without a clue where to go, but I can’t stay here and put the other women at risk.
Wynn's whole posture relaxes, and I’m pretty sure that mine does too. I guess we’re both relieved to have a plan in place.
CHAPTER
FOUR
WYNN
Luckily Juliet came by Farrow Haven not too long after Kate agreed to stay with me. She was there to check on things and drop off supplies before the winter storm, but I called her into my office to give her the news.
At first she seemed surprised that Kate was leaving, but then when I explained the situation with the reward money, she relaxed a little. When Kate told her she didn’t want to put the other women in danger, she looked pained but could understand her reasoning. I explained to Juliet that she would be the only person to know, and she agreed that it was for the best.
Juliet helped us sneak out by turning off the cameras at the back entrance and calling everyone to the front to go over safety protocol for the storm ahead. My house is close to downtown but far enough away that Kate will have some privacy. The only traffic comes from my neighbors walking their dogs, but I’ve got a privacy fence that will protect Kate from prying eyes. Plus, with all the snow coming, people will be indoors.
“Is it really going to be as bad as they say?” Kate asks when we’re in my truck and heading to my house.
The local news is on the radio warning people to prepare to not drive on the roads once the sun sets. “I think it’s got everyone scared because it came up so quickly. There wasn’t a lot of warning.”
