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looked fragile, ready to shatter with the slightest pressure. And Nate felt the ache deep inside of him grow.
    Comfort. Maybe he could offer her comfort and hope for some in return. The ringing of the phone shattered the heavy silence between them. He forced himself to turn away from her and grab the receiver.
    “What?” He should have sent up a prayer thanking God for this timely interruption.
    “Dad?”
    He slammed his eyes shut, turned his back on Jessie, and wished he’d ignored the call. “Hi, sweetie.”
    “You sound upset. What’s wrong? How’s Maude? Is everything okay?”
    “Everything’s fine.” He glanced at his watch, frowned, tried to ignore Jessie’s presence. Was she even breathing? “It’s awfully late. Shouldn’t you be asleep by now?”
    “Dad? What if it happens while I’m gone?”
    Nate bit back the promise that rushed to his lips. He wouldn’t — couldn’t — make this promise. He glanced over his shoulder at Jessie. Had he made Maude a promise he couldn’t keep?
    “Dad?”
    The sweetness and hesitation in Sara’s voice drew his full attention. Nate clenched his teeth, waiting for the bombshell to drop.
    “I want to come home.”
    Panic tumbled through him. “Sara, this isn’t a good time.”
    “Dad, I want to be there in case something happens.”
    “No.” He forced himself to calm down. “Look, I can’t talk about this now. I’ll come up there this weekend. We’ll sit down and discuss it.”
    The sound of footsteps crossing the kitchen floor drew his attention. Nate turned to find Jessie at the entrance to the porch.
    “Hold on a second, sweetie.” He covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “Where are you going?”
    “You’re busy. I’ll just get out of the way. Go for a walk or something.”
    “Jess?” He waited for her to look at him, held his breath as the seconds ticked by, very nearly forgot about Sara and dropped the phone. When Jessie turned to face him, tears shimmered in her eyes and he gripped the receiver, forced himself to remain strong and impartial. “I promised Sam you’d stay.”
    “I came this far, didn’t I?”
    “You’re not going to leave in the middle of the night, are you?”
    She shrugged, turned her back on him and wandered from the room, her footsteps muffled against the floor rug. The back door creaked open, then clicked shut. He stared after her and wondered if she’d still be around come morning.
    “Dad? Are you still there?”
    He hoped she didn’t stay. He had too much to lose. Absently he lifted the receiver back to his ear. “What?”
    “I...I need to talk to you, Dad.”
    Something in her voice demanded his full attention, the slightest hint of uncertainty, the worry that edged her words. Parental instincts he’d honed over the years came to full alert. “What’s wrong, Sara?”
    “I...I...is Hale around?”
    Hale? Nate frowned. Since he’d hired the kid nearly six months ago, Sara had barely spoken to the boy. What did she want with him now? “I don’t know. He’s usually in town in the evening. Do you want me to give him a message?”
    “I...nothing. Dad, I just want to come home.”
    He couldn’t allow that. Whatever was bothering her had to wait. “You know what, Sara? If you so much as think about setting foot in this house before the end of the next two weeks, you can kiss your summer plans goodbye.”
    Nate managed to set the receiver down without slamming it into the cradle. A moment later, the phone rang again. Ignoring it, he wandered through the house and clicked off the lights, pausing once in front of the bay window.
    A lone figure sat on the front porch of the house across the yard. It took every bit of his willpower to turn his back on the sorrowful image and climb the stairs to bed.

CHAPTER FIVE

    Sara, sweetie.
    Jessie punched the pillow, rolled on to her back, and stared at the moon-dappled ceiling. The memory of Nate’s voice, and the intonation of his greeting, had kept her tossing and