The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(70)

God bless Owen’s tall frame, all six feet five inches of him. He looked down on the much shorter Roger. “You have no business here,” Owen said. “You were not invited. You’d better leave now.”

“I just came by to see if you needed any help,” he said, holding up his hands, palms toward Owen. “I drove by a few times and I can see you’re moving out. I just thought I’d check on my nephew, see if there’s anything I can do. Maybe I should take him for a McDonald’s or something. You know, a little family time...”

Owen got very close. “You listen to me. We’re not family, all right? You don’t go near the boy under any circumstances. In fact, stay away from all of us. If I see you again, you’re going to be sorry.”

“You threatening me, man? Because I didn’t do anything to you! But I thought, since you have the boy, maybe we should talk. Maybe there are some things I could tell you that will help you.”

“Hannah, call the police,” Owen said.

“For what?” Roger asked.

“For harassing us,” Owen said. “You’re a felon on parole and you’ve been told to stay away from us.”

“I wasn’t told no such thing!”

“You’re being told now,” Owen said. “When the police come, they’re going to hold you long enough to find out what your purpose in coming around here is. I’m willing to bet they find you guilty of something. Just go away before there’s trouble.”

“I don’t know what your deal is,” Roger said. But he turned to go.

“Did your mother send you here?” Hannah asked.

He whirled around. He scowled. “My mother doesn’t tell me what to do,” he said. “I told you, I thought I’d check on the kid. With Erin gone, I don’t have much family.”

But Erin hated him, Hannah thought. “Erin said she hadn’t seen you in years,” Hannah said.

“That was her choice,” he said.

“And now it’s mine,” Hannah said. “I want you to stay away and let her little boy recover and build a new life. He just lost his mother. He doesn’t need more trauma. He has no idea who you are. That’s the way it has to be. Good luck to you, and please, don’t harass us.”

“Listen, I know I deserve that cold shoulder—I earned it. But I haven’t been in trouble in a long time. I’m in a program. I’m turning my life around and making amends. I just wanted to check on the kid. Noah. Is he okay? He lost his mom. Is he doing okay now?”

“He’s okay. So there, you checked,” Hannah said. “He’s adjusting pretty well, considering. It was Erin’s decision that he be placed with me and not her family. Please don’t push it.”

“Okay, but there are a couple of things you should know. Important things.”

“Like what?” Hannah asked.

“Hannah, let him just go,” Owen said.

“I’m going,” he said. “Be careful of my mother. She isn’t who she seems.” Roger backed away while he talked, then turned toward his truck. “I’m not going to bother you.”

If you met my mother, you’d like her, Erin had said. But she isn’t really who you think she is. It rang in Hannah’s memory.

Roger got in his truck and drove away.

Hannah ran to the SUV and opened the back door. “Where’s Noah?” she shouted.

“I took him to Kate’s,” Owen said. “He was dirty and tired and I wanted to get back here to pick you up. We’ll have dinner with them, then head back to the hotel. I think we’re all done here. Let’s lock up.”

“Owen, what was he doing here?” she asked, tears in her voice.

“I have no idea,” Owen said. “But damn, doesn’t he just look like trouble? I’ll be glad to get us back on home turf. Romeo might not be mean but he knows how to look scary.”







A coward is incapable of exhibiting love;
it is the prerogative of the brave.

—Mahatma Gandhi



13


It was a great relief to get back to Colorado. Hannah took Noah to check in with the doctor and physical therapist, both of whom said he was doing great. They shopped for some school clothes and a few supplies, went to Meet the Teacher Day before school started and got back into their routine.

Victoria called and asked when it would be convenient to see Noah, and Hannah politely told her it was much too soon, that Noah was very busy getting ready for school.

“But it’s been a couple of weeks!” Victoria said. “And I miss him!”

That just plain rang false to Hannah. She hadn’t seen him in his life till now. How could this have suddenly become so important? She knew the excuses—regrets, mistakes, et cetera. “I’m sorry, but we can’t fit you in just now.”

“I’d love to hear about his first week of school,” she said.

“I’ll give you a call and let you know how it goes,” Hannah said.

“I was hoping to hear it from him,” she replied.

Hannah paused dramatically. “We’ll see,” she said tiredly.

Hannah was trying to get her things settled into Owen’s beautiful house and she ran into even more things she didn’t need. Her giveaway pile grew as she let go of things that really had no place in Owen’s house. But that locked trunk in the master bedroom closet was emptied of Owen’s things and Hannah was invited to use it for her sweaters or wraps. It took her the better part of a week to settle in.