* * *
Their first day of driving was long, and the second day they got up early, had a big breakfast and hit the road running. Noah spent a lot of time with his headphones on, watching movies or falling asleep, and they didn’t stop as many times as they had the first day. When they were within an hour of the house, Hannah pulled into a grocery store lot. “Almost done for the day, kiddo,” she said. “We’ll need some groceries. And I need your help because I’m not sure what all your favorite foods are.”
“’Kay,” he said, unstrapping himself from his safety seat.
She went around to help him out of the SUV’s back seat but he brushed her hands away and managed to get out on his own. He might be slow and stiff-legged, given the braces, but he was confident and self-sufficient. They loaded up on groceries and headed for the house. “I hope you like this place,” she said, buckling him in. “It’s beautiful. It has lots of books. And we have Netflix so maybe tonight we can watch a movie.”
“’Kay,” he said.
“You pretty tired, buddy?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I was wishing Mom could come.”
“Me, too,” Hannah said. “But we’ll have fun, I think. There’s a campground on the other side of the lake and I met the people who run it. We’ll check it out. Maybe there will be kids there, camping with their parents. Maybe you’ll make friends.”
“Maybe,” he said. “Usually I just have Linda’s kids or the teachers because...” He stopped and shrugged.
“Because?” she pushed.
“I’m not very fast,” he said.
“You’re getting stronger and better every day. We’ll work at it, Noah. Your mother said you wouldn’t have to wear the braces forever. She said your condition is mild, that you’ll be walking without braces before you know it.”
“I’ll know it,” he said.
“Let’s buy all of our supplies and then we’ll get set up at the house and plan our adventures,” she said.
It wasn’t long until they pulled into the clearing and she watched Noah’s reaction to the majestic cabin. “Look at that,” he said, straightening. “It’s like a castle! Made of logs!”
“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, thrilled to her very marrow that she had somehow pleased Noah. There it sat atop a long lot that sloped ever so slightly toward a crystalline blue lake, a wooden dock stretching out from the shore. There was a small building that looked a little like a stable that she guessed it was the owner’s shop and guesthouse. “Wait till you see it inside!”
“And look at that lake!” he said. “Are there horses in that barn?”
“I’m afraid not,” she said. “That’s where the owner works.” But at that moment she’d cash in her retirement for horses for Noah.
She came around to his side in case he wanted help to get out. But, once again, he brushed her aside. He was happy and excited to be done with the drive. And just as Noah was getting out, a very large dark brown dog appeared. His ears were upright and pointed, his legs spindly, and his head was square with a wet pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“Whoa!” Noah said, hanging on to Hannah so he wouldn’t fall. “Hey, look at you,” he said, just as the Great Dane stuck his wet nose into Noah’s face. “You’re bigger than me!”
There was a whistle and a shout. “Romeo!”
The dog backed away, looking for all the world like he might be embarrassed.
“Hi. Ms. Russell?” a very tall man asked. “I’m Owen Abrams.”
“Oh, hello,” she said. “I didn’t know I’d see you today.”
“What kind of dog is that?” Noah asked.
“This is Romeo. He’s a Great Dane,” Owen said. “He’s very nice and extremely friendly but you have to watch out—he can be clumsy and he’s so big it can be a catastrophe. He loves kids and sometimes he loves them too much.” Right on cue, Romeo almost licked Noah’s face off. But Noah laughed wildly and immediately put his arms around Romeo’s neck.
“And your name is?” Owen asked.
“Noah,” he said, hanging on to Romeo. “I didn’t never have a dog.”
“He’s a good dog,” Owen said. “He’s a rescue. He’s been with me five years now and he’s almost six years old. That’s his full adult height and he’s off the charts, but he’s gentle. And sweet. It’s just that he’s clumsy, like I said. He sometimes knocks people over just saying hello.” Then he said to Hannah, “Let me help you get your stuff inside, and then I’ll leave you to your vacation.”
“You’re living in that barn there?” Noah asked.
“Yes, it’s nice inside and I have everything I need. I love the house but I admit, sometimes it just swallows me up.” He pulled a couple of grocery sacks out of the back of the SUV.
“Come on, Noah, let’s get you up the stairs onto the porch while I unload,” Hannah said. “You can call Romeo to come with you if it’s all right with Owen. Once you’re up the stairs.” Then she handed him the crutches.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Owen was frozen, watching Noah walk stiff-legged toward the stairs. He frowned and met her eyes. She smiled at him.
“It’s all right with me and I am sure it will be fine with Romeo,” Owen said.
Hannah got Noah situated on a deck chair. Then she clicked her tongue against her teeth to call the dog. He lumbered up the stairs and slowly went to Noah, sitting down politely beside him, patiently accepting the boy’s petting.
Hannah tried the door to the house. It was unlocked, probably because Owen was home. She’d been told the key would be under the mat—great security system. Then she went down the steps to unload their groceries and luggage. “Don’t let that big dog eat you,” she told Noah on the fly.
It took a few trips, even with Owen’s help, to get everything out of the SUV and into the house. She left the bags near the master bedroom door and began putting away the groceries. “Thank you for your help, Owen. Can I call you Owen or would you prefer Mr. Abrams?”
“Owen is great.”
“And I’m Hannah. I appreciate the help and the use of your very beautiful home. Just what the doctor ordered.”
“Do you mind me asking about your son’s—”
“He’s not my son,” she said in a whisper. “Not yet. He’s my best friend’s son. She passed away a few weeks ago. It’s been very hard on both of us, Noah and me. And on Erin’s other close friends. It was sudden and unexpected—complications from the flu. I guess that’s the best way to explain it. It was a bad flu and went downhill from there. As for Noah’s condition, the leg braces. He has cerebral palsy, a very mild case, and with good medical care and therapy he will overcome most if not all of the problems associated with it. He’s getting stronger every year. He’s the best kid. Right now we’re really missing his mom.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said. “Is there anything more I can do to help you settle in?”
Hannah grinned. “Can we borrow the dog for a couple of weeks? That’s the biggest smile I’ve seen on Noah’s face in weeks.”
“I’ll be around,” he said. “And when I’m around, Romeo is around. Just be careful because he’s—”
“I know. Clumsy.”
He pushed his shaggy hair back with a big hand and smiled shyly. The man was so tall, Hannah was staring into his chest. “I can relate to the poor guy’s problem. I’m a little clumsy, too,” he said.
* * *
One of the issues with having a trauma buried in your past was obsession. Owen was at his computer for hours while Hannah and Noah settled into the house. He researched her car license, her name, and while he didn’t know Noah’s last name, he soon found it. Erin Waters of Madison had been survived by her son, Noah, her mother, Victoria Addison, her half brother, Roger Addison, many friends... Hannah’s name and Noah’s turned up in the obituary. It also turned up on LinkedIn. Hannah’s name popped up here and there in business-related stories and while there was no media coverage of her taking custody of a little boy, he became comfortable with the idea that she was legit and he was not dealing with a kidnapping.
But he’d watch the situation closely. He had that undercover agent, Romeo. If anyone could make a kid talk it was a big Great Dane.
Then he read for a couple of hours about cerebral palsy and what appeared to be diplegia—he read about physical therapy, about prognosis. It was quite hopeful.
The next thing he knew, Romeo was whining to go out in the early morning before it was even entirely light. Owen held him off as long as possible. When he did open the door, Romeo ran barking onto the lawn and chased a couple of does. When he came back a moment later, he looked like he was grinning.
“That was just plain rude, Romeo,” Owen said. “They were girls, for one thing. And they weren’t bothering you.”
“And one of them looked very preggers,” came a voice from across the yard.
There sat Hannah on the porch, a cup of coffee balanced on the arm of her chair. He walked over to her. “She was pretty quick, though, wasn’t she?”
“Oh, she skedaddled. Would you like a coffee?”
“You’ve got a pot on?”
“I’ve been up awhile. How do you take it?”
“Black. Thanks. That’s very neighborly of you. Especially since you weren’t expecting me to be hanging around.”
“That dog is going to save my life,” she said. Romeo came up on the porch and nudged her. “Yes, you are a handsome dude.” Then she went inside to fetch the coffee.
“I take it Noah is sleeping in,” Owen said, accepting the cup.