Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
She’d been insisting on just that since she came to Navesink Bank. We’d left the homestead twice in the past two weeks. Once, to hit a big box store to load up on more clothes, stuff for Edith, and pantry supplies, since the girls kept her pretty full on fresh stuff. The second time was to take Edith to visit my cousin Andi to get a full work-over on Edith—going by an alias and listed as one of Kit’s dogs.
“Yeah, sounds like a plan. Alright. Well, let me know if you do find anything, yeah? And be careful.”
“Will do. Off to go see her?”
“Yeah. Just gotta pop over to pick up her fake ID first.”
Then we had our next outing planned.
A trip up to Hailstorm.
It was time for her to finally get some prenatal care.
It’d been a bit of a process trying to explain the concept of Hailstorm to someone who wasn’t from the area and hadn’t glimpsed the long, winding structure, the solar panels, the dogs, gardens, and obstacle courses.
But she was about to see for herself.
When I got to the homestead, Lolly was already waiting near the driveway, wringing her hands and breathing a little too fast and shallow.
“It’s just a doctor’s visit,” I reminded her as she climbed into the SUV. “An hour and we’re out of there.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, exhaling hard. “I’m just worried about… all the stress.”
“I think you got out of there before the stress could actually affect growth or anything.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “That was the plan. Thanks for taking me.”
“Of course. Maybe after your appointment, I can show you around a bit. It’s a pretty neat place.”
“That’d be nice. Kit and Ariah talk about going there all the time when they were kids. Something about martial arts.”
“Yeah, the aunts and uncles demanded the kids all learn how to defend themselves. Especially the girls.”
“Maybe I can learn someday.”
“You can. And you can just go to a place in town now if you want. Aunt Lo and Aunt Janie opened a self-defense gym ages ago. For all ages.”
“Maybe this one will go one day,” she said, patting her still-flat stomach.
“I did.”
“Did you?”
“Yep. It was a non-negotiable growing up. Mostly because we kids grew up in and around the club, and our parents wanted to know we could defend ourselves if we ever needed to.”
“Did you ever need to?”
“Not as a kid, no. Our parents kept us pretty protected.”
“I hope I can say the same.”
“You can. You will. You’ve done everything you could to make sure you and your baby are safe.”
“But can we ever really be safe?” she mused, uncharacteristically down. “I mean, I can never be out in public without a disguise. My kid… could he or she even go to school?”
“Well, luckily, New Jersey has pretty lenient homeschooling laws. If that is the path you want to take. There are options, babe. This will help with that,” I told her, handing over her new driver’s license.
“Laura Smith.”
“Your new name. Obscure enough that it shouldn’t put any kind of alarms up anywhere if you do need to show it for any reason. It’s not a full identity. Yet. We will cross that bridge if or when we need to. I’m still hoping you get to have your real identity back eventually.”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Yes.”
One way or another, I was going to get that life for her. Even if it meant driving my ass all the way down to that glass house and setting the fucking place on fire with Ben inside.
Hell, I’d even enjoy that shit.
“You sound so sure.”
“I am. You’re going to have your life back, free to live it how you want to live it.”
“I think I want to live it here,” she said, watching as we drove out of the main area of Navesink Bank and toward the hill where Hailstorm was situated.
There was no rational reason for the relief I felt at her words. Other than, I guess, that I wanted her to stay.
What can I say?
I’d been worried about her for years.
On top of that, I’d seen her every single day for two weeks. Granted, some of the visits were on the short side since she was enjoying spending time with the animals, helping weed the garden, and learning how to bake bread and sew. She was busy. And I didn’t want to get in the way of her newfound hobbies.
But, yeah, I liked having her around.
I liked her gentle familiarity, the way she would nudge me or hip-check me. How, when she was upset or worried, she leaned into me; she happily walked into my arms.
It was nice to have a new friend.
Just a friend.
No matter what ideas popped up in my head in those quiet moments before sleep. Or in the morning when I woke up hard and aching. Or in the shower when I couldn’t seem to stop myself from reaching down and dealing with the problem… with thoughts of her in my mind the whole time.