"So, your solution is to move in with the sheriff." There's an edge to her voice now. Not quite anger, but something sharp and defensive. "That's your idea of practical?"
"I'm offering a guest room, Claire. Not asking you to move in permanently. Just until you get on your feet, find a proper place to rent. A few days, maybe a week." I pause, knowing what I'm about to say will either convince her or make her run. "And you can check me out if you want. Call the station, ask about me. Talk to Murphy, to Sarah at the bakery, to anyone in town. They'll tell you I'm not… That I wouldn't—"
I can't finish the sentence. Wouldn't what? Hurt you? Take advantage? Turn out to be exactly the kind of man you're running from?
Claire is quiet for a long moment, her jaw tight, her hands clenched in her lap. I can see the calculation happening behind her eyes. Weighing risk against benefit. Survival against comfort.
Jackson leans against her shoulder, his eyes closed now, the book forgotten on the table. He looks so small, so vulnerable. So completely dependent on his mother to make the right choices.
"I'll be at work most of the time," I continue, keeping my voice low and even. "I usually leave around seven in the morning, don't get back until six or seven at night. The house would be yours during the day. You'd have privacy, space, a real bed. A working kitchen if you want to cook. A backyard where Jackson can play."
Murphy appears at the table, collecting our plates. He glances at Claire's barely-eaten burger with knowing eyes but doesn't comment.
"Everything good here?" he asks.
"Fine," I say. "Thanks, Murphy."
He nods and walks away, giving us privacy. Giving Claire space to make her decision. She's looking at Jackson now, stroking his hair while he dozes against her shoulder. I can see the exhaustion in every line of her body, the kind of tiredness that comes from weeks, maybe months, of running on adrenaline and fear.
"One night," she finally says. "Just tonight. And if at any point I feel uncomfortable, we leave. No questions, no arguments."
Relief floods through me, so strong it's almost embarrassing. "Of course. Whatever you need."
"And I want to see the place first. Before Jackson wakes up all the way. I need to know where the exits are, what the layout is, if—" She stops, taking a shaky breath. "I need to feel safe."
"I understand."
Do I, though? I understand that she's scared. I understand that someone hurt her badly enough that she's running. But do Ireally understand what it's like to live with that kind of fear? To need to map out escape routes before you can rest?
Maybe not. But I can try.
"My place is about ten minutes from here," I say. "We can go now if you want. Look around, and if you don't like it, I'll bring you right back to the motel. No pressure."
She nods slowly, then gently shakes Jackson awake. "Come on, baby. We're going for a ride."
"Where?" he mumbles, still half-asleep.
"To see Sheriff Tom's house."
Jackson perks up slightly. "Does he have a yard?"
"I do," I say. "And there's a tree that's perfect for climbing, if your mom says it's okay."
Claire shoots me a look that's half exasperation, half amusement. "Let's see the house first before we start making climbing plans."
We leave Murphy's and walk to my truck. The afternoon sun is warm, and Main Street is busy with the lunch crowd. People wave at me as we pass: Mrs. Patterson with her ancient golden retriever, Casey from the mechanic shop taking a break, a few teenagers hanging around outside the ice cream parlor.
Normal small-town life. The kind of life I thought I wanted when I moved here.
It is what I wanted. It's just been lonelier than I expected.
Jackson is alert enough to climb into the truck himself, though Claire hovers close, ready to catch him if he stumbles. She buckles him in, then slides into the passenger seat.
"It's about ten minutes east of town," I say, starting the engine. "Small house, nothing fancy. Bought it when I first moved here because the price was right and it had good bones."
"Where were you before Blackwater Falls?"
"All over. Fifteen years of deployments will take you to more countries than you want to see." I pause. "After I got out, I tried settling in a few different places. Nothing felt right until I found this town."
