The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(66)

“Can you ask for an extended leave of absence?”

“To keep a job but not to keep my position. I’ve used up almost all my leave, remember.”

“Can we take small steps that might turn into bigger steps? For you. I understand your uncertainty and I also understand that I don’t have to quit a job or move, so I’m not risking as much.”

“What kind of small steps?” she asked.

“Rent out your house. Ask for an extended leave even though it won’t secure your position but it would ensure you a place of employment in a company you understand. It’s a little safety net. It won’t come to that, I bet. But one step at a time.”

“I have a lot of stuff in that house...”

“Let’s go empty it out. Bring what you want here, store the rest.”

“It should be painted. Carpets cleaned. Repairs made. I’ve had a neighborhood kid cutting the grass but everything else is a mess...”

Owen laughed. “Everything except the sorting can be done by phone. Since you’re not living in the neighborhood, you’ll need a property manager. They get about ten to twenty percent. You’ll pay the mortgage with the rent money. Maybe you’ll like having a rental. Hannah, Noah has to go to school somewhere. You don’t have much time to decide exactly where.”

“This is such a small town,” she said. “It’s not like Minneapolis, where I can find so many specialists...”

“And yet we’re friends with a semifamous criminal defense attorney and a well-known neurosurgeon. I think Noah will get what he needs. I think you know I would move heaven and earth to help you do that for him.”

“He wants to stay here...”

“I want him to make friends his age here, and for that he needs school,” Owen said. “I’d love to spend every second with him but that’s selfish. He needs to be with kids. He can’t spend his whole life with some guy and his dog. Have you seen him lately, the way he runs? With those crutches that he can manhandle? He’s like a pony, loping across the yard. I don’t think he even needs them anymore but he uses them so he doesn’t have to contort his body to walk. Yeah, he needs more time with kids his own age.”

“I feel a little safer at the idea of having him go to school in a nice little town like Timberlake,” she said. “I’ll feel even better when Victoria goes back to Minneapolis. Do you think she’ll know when we’re there, cleaning out my house? Because I can’t leave Noah behind. I can’t. Our whole custody thing has felt so slippery.”

“She won’t know. Maybe her flying monkeys will find out, but how would she? Unless she has a spy on your house. And if we’re clearing it out, we won’t be staying there.”

“We could stay with either Sharon or Kate.”

Owen smiled. “That sounds like you’re willing to give it a try.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “We’ve only known each other a few months.”

“I knew in a few weeks,” he said.

“I’m afraid of being wrong again,” she said.

“Aren’t you afraid of walking away from something that’s right? I am,” Owen said. “Don’t panic, Hannah. Just don’t give up on us too soon.”

  The next day while Hannah took Noah to his therapy appointment, Owen gave Cal a call and asked him when he could get together for a talk. “I’m working at home all day,” Cal said. “Stop by anytime.”

Owen drove over right away so he could be back by the time Hannah and Noah were home. Cal let him in and gave him a cup of coffee. “What’s on your mind, Owen?”

“Hannah has decided to stay on,” he said. “She’s going to enroll Noah in school here. We’re making a quick trip to Minneapolis, clear out her house, set up some repairs and she’s going to rent it.”

“That’s fantastic news,” Cal said. “She and Noah will make a wonderful addition to the area.”

“She hasn’t told Noah yet, but she will real soon.”

Cal frowned. “Why don’t you look as happy as you should?”

“I have a bad feeling,” Owen said. “We don’t really know where Victoria is. Is she staying around here? Where is she living these days? Does anyone have an address? Is she going back to Minneapolis and how can we find out? I know we settled the court issue, but I just have the feeling the woman wants something. And I don’t know what to do. I can’t just hover over Noah 24/7 without spoiling his life. I mean, we’ll stay close, but I’d like a guess at what might be coming.”

“This is when a crystal ball might come in handy,” Cal said.

“You said you did an extensive background check on her. How’d you do that?”

“I used private investigators,” Cal said. “At times, when there are crimes involved, I can get help from the police. It won’t be too much of a challenge to find out where she is. But what good is that going to do? It won’t tell you anything except where she is.”

“I thought maybe you’d be better at telling me what good it could do. I think we should know where she is and what she’s doing. I’d feel a lot better if I knew she’d accepted the ruling and was moving on. Can you help me with this?”