“Manners,” Margie warned.
Elliot quickly chomped his way through his mouthful of cereal and swallowed hard. “Next time you hear an owl, can you wake me up?”
“No.” Margie shook her head to reinforce her command. “You need to sleep. We’ve had a busy few days and you need to rest.”
“Listening to an owl won’t tire me out,” Elliot replied.
“No, but waking up in the middle of the night and then not being able to get back to sleep will.” Margie waved her spoon at her son. “We need to take care of you.”
Amber watched Margie’s expression. Her sister-in-law genuinely was concerned for her son. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Elliot had been a sickly child who had breathing difficulties at birth which had followed him through his early childhood. Although his inhalers kept it under control, Margie must live with the constant fear her son might get sick again.
“It’ll be dark early tonight,” Amber said gently. “I expect we’ll hear the owls before you go to bed.”
Margie shuddered. “This house reminds me of the three little pigs. It wouldn’t take much for a wolf to huff and puff this house down.”
“I don’t think Kelos would let that happen,” Amber assured her.
“He can’t be here twenty-four-seven, though, can he?” Margie looked around the room. “He’s not here now and I expect he has to work every day to pay for renovating this…house.”
“I like it here.” Lauren cast a longing look over her shoulder. “I’d love to live here. Maybe then I could have a dog.” She glimpsed at her mom out of the side of her eyes and then pressed her lips together. “Or maybe not.”
“We’ve talked about this,” Margie told her daughter. “A dog needs feeding and walking every day. Not to mention the hair…”
“I’d help feed it and walk it,” Elliot said quickly. “Lauren and I could look after it together.”
Margie sighed. “I’m not having this discussion again.” She swept her hand through her hair. “I’m tired.”
“Just a little dog,” Elliot pleaded.
Margie tried a different tack. “What if we got a dog and you were allergic? What if it made your breathing worse?”
Elliot dug his spoon in his cereal and twirled it around. “It’s not fair.”
“Life isn’t fair.” Margie got up from the table and poured herself another cup of coffee. Despite her feelings toward the house and the man who lived here, she didn’t think twice about using his stuff.
“Okay, let’s eat our breakfast and then go outside.” Amber dug her spoon into her bowl and ate without talking. However, she communicated with the children with her eyes, urging them to eat their breakfast by making faces. Luckily, she had her back to Margie.
Lauren giggled as she munched her way through her cereal, but she managed to cover her laughter by crunching her cereal loudly. She reminded Amber so much of her brother, Fabian.
As she finished her cereal and took the bowl to the sink, she asked quietly, “Has he called?”
Margie’s bottom lip trembled, and she shook her head. “No, but it’s early.”
Amber nodded. Margie might have her faults, but she loved her husband. Really loved him. And she made him happy.
“Come on. Bring your coffee outside.” Amber put her arm around Margie’s shoulder and led her out into the sunshine. “Spring is my favorite time of year.”
“I like summer when the flowers are in full bloom.” She looked at the trees surrounding them. “Do you think we’ll be home by summer? Do you think this will all be over?” Margie sounded young and vulnerable and Amber’s heart ached for her. After all, Margie’s life had been turned upside down and she’d been spat out into the world to fend for herself and keep her children safe.
“The court case is next week. As long as there are no delays, there’s no reason why this won’t be over by then.” Amber scanned the back yard and spotted a couple of chairs pushed to the side of the house. She went and grabbed them, dragging them over to the back door. “There.”
“You said the court case will be over.” Margie caught Amber’s gaze and held it. “You didn’t say we’d be home.”
“Let’s see what happens, shall we?” Amber said quietly.
“If we can’t go home, we could come and live here.” Lauren had overheard the conversation as she came out of the kitchen.
“What about all your friends?” Margie asked. “And all your clubs? I don’t expect any of these towns have all the facilities we have at home.”
Lauren chewed the inside of her cheek and didn’t answer.
“We could spend all our time outside instead of doing clubs and things…” Elliot began but a stern look from Lauren made him stop talking.
“Don’t you like all the activities you do?” Margie asked as she slumped down in her chair, her face pale. “I thought you liked dance classes and cheerleading and…”
The sound of a car crunching over the gravel driveway leading to Kelos’s house brought all their attention into sharp focus. Amber ran toward the corner of the house and Margie sprang to her feet and ushered the children inside.
“Who is it, Mommy?” Elliot asked in hushed tones as they went inside.
“I don’t know, baby.” Margie glanced over to Amber. “Come on.”
Amber shook her head. “Go inside and lock the door. Get ready to call emergency services.”
Margie nodded and closed the door. When Amber heard the bolt shoot home, she straightened up and flicked her hair back over her shoulders. Keeping her cool, she walked around the side of the house, keeping her body language relaxed.
The sun flashed off the trunk of a silver car that was parked next to hers. As she edged her way around the house, the sound of a car door opening and then closing was followed by the crunch, crunch of someone walking toward the house.
“Hi there.” She stepped out of the shadow of the house. “Shawn.”
“Who did you think it was?” Shawn asked as she cupped her face in her hand
