When they were finally back in the car, each child hanging on to two books, he said, “Well, anyone hungry?”

“I’m stuffed,” Ellie said. “Kids? Hungry?” They shook their heads. “We’ll just head home, Noah,” she said. “Thanks for asking. That’s very nice.”

It was only 5:00 p.m. They’d had their McDonald’s at two—they’d get hungry. Ellie hadn’t been planning on an overnight visit. “I bet you could use a run by the grocery store before going home, to stock up for your sleepover,” he said.

“Do you mind? I’m sure you have to get back to Lucy and I can just head out after I take you back to town.”

“Don’t be silly, Lucy is fine. She probably has that second bathroom painted by now. We’ll stop at the store on our way home. You’ll need something for tonight, after the hamburgers wear off. And breakfast. As for tomorrow—don’t take them back to Redway without me. I want him to know there’s some scrutiny. That you have backup. Let me take you there.”

“But, Noah, it’s Sunday. You probably have things to do. Don’t you have religious things to do?”

Yeah, he thought. I have to stand in that empty church and remember what community really means. What shoring up your friends and neighbors is all about. What the real blessings are—they’re small of stature, they’re young, they’re innocent and they have to be protected. “I’m free all day, but I won’t interfere with your family time. I’ll be ready to take you in time for your deadline.”

“Mama?” Danielle asked from the backseat. She pronounced it “Mumma.” “Can we stay with you now?”

“Just for tonight, angel. Arnie thinks he can do a better job, and so does the judge, and we have to give him some time.”

“But, Mama, he doesn’t do his manners,” she said. “He doesn’t like us very much.”

“Sweetheart, all we can do is go along for now. The judge said ninety days, and we’re getting through it, then it will work out. Try not to let your feelings be hurt when he doesn’t mind his manners. Just do your best. And please, baby, please know that I will never ever be disappointed in you. I’m proud of you every second. We’ll all do our very best and soon it will be over.” She smiled at her daughter over her shoulder. “My gramma used to call it ‘Go along to get along.’ That’s what we have to do—go along for now. Pretty soon, we’ll be together. Forever.”

Danielle sniffed a little. “Oh, Mama,” she said. “It’s hard not to let my feelings hurt.”

“I know, Danny. But when we don’t have a choice, we have to be tough. I know how strong you are. You can get through this. And then, when it’s over, I’ll hold you and cuddle you every night.”

“Oh, Mama,” she said softly.

“I love you, Danielle. I’m proud of you for trying so hard.” But when Ellie said that last, her voice caught. She shook herself. “Well, having to be strong is no big deal to us, huh? Because we’re very strong! We love each other, and it makes us very strong. Right?”

“Mama,” was all the little girl said.

“I know it’s very hard,” Ellie said. “I know, honey. It’s very hard for me, too. I miss you so much it makes me want to cry. But I’m trying to be as brave as you. I’m so proud of you.”

Noah thought he might have to pull over to the side of the road, put his head down and have a bone-deep cry himself. When he pulled into the grocery-store lot, he forced himself to let her be the parent, to be independent and do her own shopping. He offered to keep the kids while she went into the store, but of course she couldn’t be separated from them for a second. They returned a few minutes later with only two shopping bags, but she must have indulged the kids, because they were happy again. They chattered about little pizzas, popcorn, cereal, juice and milk.

He dropped them off right at the back stairs to her rented room and watched them clamber up. Just as he was about to walk back down the street, Jo Ellen Fitch came out on her porch. She watched Ellie and her children go up the stairs. To Noah she said, “She didn’t mention kids. I’m not really set up for kids here.”

When Noah looked at her, his expression was grim. “Gimme a break. It’s overnight, that’s all.”

“Where do they live?” Jo asked.

“They’re with her ex-husband right now. She only sees them on weekends. Try to be nice about it. They mean everything to her.”

“Of course I’ll be nice about it,” she said, sounding affronted. “It’s just that—”

“It’s very hard for her, so let’s all be generous,” he said.

“Of course,” Jo Ellen said. “I didn’t mean—”

Noah took a breath. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Fitch. It’s been a rough day for them.” For me, he thought. “I know you’ll be very kind to them. Thank you.”

He thought he should probably go someplace quiet and just pray until he fainted or lost bladder control, but instead he collected Lucy and went to Jack’s. He leashed Lucy while she ate, and he went into the bar, his throat dry and aching. He asked for ice water.

“Anything to eat or drink with that?” Jack asked him.

“Not yet, thanks,” Noah said. And then he sat, pondering the water in his glass, thinking. He’d been close to more than one difficult domestic situation in his career, especially as a counselor. Some of them had been more dramatic than Ellie’s, frankly. But this time it felt personal. Just listening to Danielle in the backseat of his car, her voice barely controlled, “Mama…” It tore his heart out.

“You getting hungry?” Jack asked him a while later.

“Nah,” he said.

“Having trouble with the cleanup next door?” Jack asked, obviously trying to pin down the reason for Noah’s unusually quiet mood.

Noah lifted his eyes to Jack’s face. “I have a situation.”

“No kidding,” Jack said. He nodded to Noah’s glass. “You haven’t downed that water yet. And you don’t have much to say, either. Which is a first.”

Noah took a breath. “You know just about everyone around here, right?” he asked Jack.

“I’ve been around long enough to know plenty of people.”

“I have an issue to resolve. It’s not a confidence, but I really can’t talk about it.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean to pry,” Jack said.

“It’s just that it’s…Well, it’s a custody issue. I’m trying to puzzle it out.”

Jack lifted his eyebrows. “You divorced?”

“Nah, it’s not my issue. It’s a friend’s.”

“Ah, I see. Hard to know how to help, I guess.”

“That would be it,” Noah said. “I feel helpless. That’s my least favorite feeling.”

“You haven’t had enough time around here to make your connections, figure out who’s going to be useful to your work,” Jack said. “That helping-people line of your work, I mean. I’m sure you’re good for some mighty powerful praying, but sometimes a man has to know who’s gonna pass him the ammunition.”

Noah had to chuckle. “You hit that right.”

“Friend of mine had some serious custody concerns a couple years back. There was a woman he was interested in and she was running from a dangerous ex. She had a kid with her and nowhere to turn. But my buddy had been fishing with this judge from Grace Valley and they were tight. That old judge—named Judge, by the way, like his folks knew the day he was born where he was headed. Anyway, that tough old bird, he didn’t like domestic violence. Irked him right down to his toes. He helped. So did my little sister, Brie—she’s a lawyer. She’s dealt with more than her share of domestic situations, not to mention her own divorce. She lives right next door to me and Mel. The judge and my sister helped my buddy out.”

“Really? And is the woman safe now?” Noah asked.

“I’d say so.” Jack smiled. “My buddy married her, had a baby with her. Everything got sorted out.”

“That’s good to know. Maybe I ought to go see this judge. Or talk to your sister. Maybe someone has some advice.”

“First off, why don’t you go back to the kitchen, have a chat with the other Preacher around here while he slices and dices. He might head you in the right direction so you can help Ellie.”

“Ellie?”

“Noah, everyone seems to like you fine, but you don’t have all that many close friends yet. If it isn’t Ellie and it isn’t me, the person’s not from around here.” He gave the counter a wipe. “Go talk to Preacher. He’s real good at confidences. He’d have his tongue cut out before he’d give up your secrets, but he’s candid about his own. And he knows everything. He gets on that computer of his and gets himself an education about every issue under the sun. He’s one smart critter. And awful helpful.”

“Think he’d mind? Even if I can’t really discuss the particulars of this problem?”

“Noah, most folks around here would jump in to help a neighbor, but Preacher is one of a kind. He might be built like a refrigerator and look scary as hell, but he’s the sweetest man I know. He’d do anything in the world to help. Go on back. Then I’ll give you some dinner.”

Five

Noah didn’t see Ellie all day on Sunday and didn’t expect to. The way they had left it, he was planning to drive with her to take her kids back to Redway to their stepfather’s house. He was hoping that if she had support, it might modify the jerk’s behavior.

But that wasn’t the way it worked out. He walked down to her rented room at three that afternoon, but she wasn’t there. Her deadline for getting her kids back was four and her car was already gone. He waited around awhile in case she came back looking for him, then at close to four he went back to his RV. At six he and Lucy grabbed a bite to eat at Jack’s, hung around for a while, then walked down the block just to see if her car was back yet.

It wasn’t. He worried briefly that she hadn’t taken them back to her ex-husband’s house at all. Frankly, if he were Ellie, he might not have. The temptation to flee must be overwhelming. He went back to his RV, knowing he wouldn’t sleep all night without knowing.

At nine, he walked down the street again, but this time he left Lucy behind. The summer sun had set and people turned in early in this little town, but her car was not yet parked in front of the Fitch house. There was a single light on inside the big house and an outside light at the top of the garage stairs, but her room was dark. Noah sat on the stairs that led to her rented room and waited.

About thirty minutes later, he heard the engine of her PT Cruiser as she came into town. She pulled up in front of the house and parked. He heard the car door slam; her feet were quiet and slow on the driveway that led to the garage.

Deep in thought, she didn’t see him until she was about twenty feet away. She stopped. He stood. The light from the top of the stairs illuminated him. Still sheathed in semidarkness, she approached another ten feet and stopped again. Finally, in a very soft voice that didn’t sound like Ellie, she asked, “What are you doing here?” She took a couple more steps toward him. She looked different. Oh, the clothes were Ellie—tight jeans, snug top. But her makeup was gone, her big hair pulled back severely into a ponytail. She looked so young. Sweet. And so vulnerable.

“I was waiting for you,” he said. He came down the steps and stood in front of her. “I wondered how it went. If everything was okay.”

“It’s okay,” she said in a voice that sounded weak and beaten. “They’ll be all right.”