“That’s kind of you,” he said, stuffing the discharge paperwork into his pocket. “All right, let’s get out of here.”
Inside the elevator, the tension in the claustrophobic space seemed to pulse with a current of its own. Sonia kept her eyes forward, wondering, not for the first time, if she should be afraid of Ray. She tried not to think about how easy it would be for him to hit the emergency stop switch and strangle her. She could still feel Henry’s hot little fingers digging into her neck. Goosebumps pricked her skin. She had to make a decision soon on whether to go to the police with the information she had. Did Ray sense she was keeping something from him, planning to rat him out while playing the friendly neighbor? More important, what was he keeping from her?
The doors finally dinged open revealing the hospital lobby. Exhaling a silent sigh of relief, Sonia led the way out to the parking lot and unlocked her car. Ray climbed into the passenger seat and reached for his seatbelt. That had to be a good sign. He hadn’t forgotten the basics of life, at least. Hopefully, he still remembered how to use a computer, so he could order his groceries online. She had put a few staples in his refrigerator, but she didn’t want to be obligated to keep him fed and stocked up until he was able to drive again. “Do you remember what your house looks like, yet?” she asked.
Ray furrowed his brow for a moment, before shaking his head. ”No. I can’t even remember my own son’s face. That’s what worries me most.”
“I’m sure you’ll recognize him once you see him.”
“I meant to ask you,” Ray said, scratching the back of his head. ”Does Henry go to school?”
Sonia grimaced, navigating her way through an intersection before answering. She’d hoped to avoid having this conversation until she’d decided whether to report Ray to the police. “He just started at the local preschool, Small Steps. I picked him up from there the day of your accident. The principal asked me to remind you that you haven’t turned in all his paperwork. The registration process needs to be completed before he can go back to school.”
Ray blinked, a befuddled look on his face. ”Do you know what paperwork they’re talking about?”
“They’re missing his birth certificate and immunization record.”
“That’s odd. Maybe I haven’t unpacked them yet,” Ray said absentmindedly, before turning to look out the window.
Sonia darted a glance across at him. He didn’t sound particularly concerned, or guilty. Either he’d forgotten that he didn’t have a birth certificate for Henry, or he was an exceptionally smooth liar. A shiver of fear ran up her spine as Finn’s words flitted back to mind.
Don’t think for one minute that if anything happens to Jess I won’t come after you.
Finn had called Ray a psycho, and Jessica thought he was creepy. What if they were right? What if they were more in tune to the danger Ray presented than she was? She didn’t exactly have a good track record for knowing a villain when she saw one. The longer she delayed turning the information over to the police, the more risk she could be exposing her family to.
When they pulled back into her driveway, Sonia switched off the engine and turned to Ray. ”Henry may not react the way you want him to at first. Remember, he lost his mother not that long ago, and then you suddenly disappeared out of his life. He’s attached himself to my daughter, Jessica, and he may not want to go home with you right away.”
Ray looked crestfallen. ”We can’t continue to be a burden on you and your family. He needs to come home with me tonight. We’ll figure it out.”
Sonia flashed him a sympathetic smile. ”Let’s just play it by ear.” As far as she was concerned, Henry was welcome to stay for another night if it made things easier, but she wasn’t about to offer Ray her guest room. She could just imagine Jessica telling her father that the strange man next door was now sleeping in the guest bedroom. The last thing she needed was CPS and a SWAT team swarming her house.
“Well, look who’s back,” Evelyn said, running an appraising eye over Ray as she untied her apron. “You look all tuckered out. How does a hot cup of tea sound?”
Ray gave an appreciative nod. “That would be great, thanks.”
Sonia gestured to a chair. ”Park yourself there. I’ll go find the kids.”
“They’re outside playing on the tire swing,” Evelyn called after her.
Sonia leaned against the back door frame and folded her arms across her chest, watching the children for several minutes. Her heart warmed at the rare sound of Henry’s laughter pealing through the air. A few more days here, and he might start acting like a normal four-year-old. There was nothing she wanted more for him than to see the fear in his eyes gone.
You’re safe here, I promise. I won’t let anyone hurt you.
”Higher!” he shrieked as Jessica pushed him.
Reluctantly, Sonia straightened up, steeling herself to interrupt their play. She wasn’t sure whether to let Henry know that his father was back, or simply to tell him it was time to come inside. All things considered, it was probably best to prepare him—it didn’t feel right to blindside him.
“Watch this, Mom!” Jessica called out, pushing the tire swing with all her might. “Hold on, Henry!”
Sonia walked up to her and smoothed a hand over her ponytail. ”I know you guys are having fun out here, but Henry’s dad is back, and he wants to see him.”
Jessica threw her a wary look before reaching for the rope and slowing the swing down.
“More!” Henry cried, kicking his feet excitedly.
“I’ll push you some more later,” Jessica said, in a motherly tone as she helped him off the swing. “First we have to go inside and see your dad.”
“Why?” Henry asked, searching out his thumb.
Sonia
