Nowhere To Hide. Debby Giusti
Bobby’s parents. Nice people. The Jacksons are Katherine’s next-door neighbors.”
An attractive, thirty-something couple waved to Matt. “Good job, Bobby,” the man called out. The boy sprang to his feet and ran to hug his dad.
“It’s got a moat and two turrets and it’s bigger than the other kids’ castles,” the boy gushed.
Bobby’s mother rumpled her son’s red hair and then walked to where Lydia and Matt were rising from the beach towels.
“Sarah Jackson,” Matt said. “I’d like you to meet Lydia Sloan. She and her son, Tyler, are staying at Katherine O’Connor’s place for a while.”
With a quick smile, warm eyes and auburn hair the color of her son’s, Sarah reached out for Lydia’s hand. “Welcome to Sanctuary. Bobby’s going to love having a friend next door. The two of them can play together.”
Matt watched Lydia take a step back. The overt offer of friendship seemed to overwhelm the newcomer.
“We’re having a sleepover next Saturday,” Sarah continued. “Why don’t you let Tyler spend the night?”
“Thanks for inviting him, but I’m…I’m not sure how long we’ll be staying here.”
“This is my husband, Rob.” Sarah turned to greet a solidly built man who walked up to the group.
“Pleased to meet you,” he said to Lydia as they shook hands. Turning to Matt, he asked, “Any word on the road repairs?”
“Won’t take long once the crew gets started. Right now, they’re working on the main county access road. We’re next in line. I’ll let you know if I hear anything different.”
“Sounds good,” Rob said.
Luke Davenport stepped forward and extended his hand to Lydia. “I’m Chase’s dad. Welcome to Sanctuary.”
“Luke’s head of the Island Association,” Matt added. “He oversees just about everything that happens on Sanctuary.”
Luke slapped Matt’s back. “Having a good security chief helps.”
Matt appreciated the compliment. “Did you get that request I sent over to your office?”
“Don’t suppose I could change your mind?”
Matt shook his head. “I told you a year when I signed on.”
“Give me a couple weeks.” Luke turned to Lydia. “Nice meeting you, ma’am.”
Matt glanced at his watch, then walked to the center of the castle-building area and held up his hands.
“Time’s up, everyone. Brush yourselves off and then look at what the other teams have done. We’ll get the grills going and have some lunch after the announcement of the winning castles.”
The smell of charbroiled burgers filled the air a short time later. A number of the parents hovered around the grills, talking about the Friday night storm.
Lydia stood by herself near where Tyler and the boys played.
Matt had asked the church youth director to judge the sand castles and expected him to arrive at any minute. The kids were hungry, but Matt wanted to announce the winner before they gave thanks and got their food.
The youth director pulled into the parking lot. Matt looked up as a black Mercedes zipped along the road, heading south.
“Okay, kids, gather round.” The children circled Matt, all except Tyler.
Matt’s eyes searched the now-crowded picnic area, but he didn’t see Lydia or the boy.
Tires screeched against the blacktop.
Matt glanced around in time to see Lydia’s SUV race out of the parking lot, heading north.
FOUR
Lydia pressed her foot down on the accelerator while her hands clutched the steering wheel white-knuckle. She wished she could drive until there were no more men who could steal Tyler away.
And she never wanted to see another black Mercedes again.
Of course, that might be tough on an island full of wealthy home owners. The car could have belonged to an island resident merely out for a drive.
Just like that, she felt foolish for running away. Foolish, tired, scared—the same feelings that had plagued her over these last seven months.
Tyler sat forlornly next to her. His blond hair hung damp with perspiration, the smell of a little boy who’d been hard at play filling the car.
Lydia forced in a deep breath, hoping to quiet her pounding heart and the pulse of blood running rampant through her veins. Would she react this way every time she saw a black Mercedes?
Checking her speed, Lydia eased her foot from the gas pedal. “Tyler?”
The boy stared straight ahead.
“I’m sorry we had to leave.”
Tyler’s fingers twisted around the buckle of his seatbelt. “Was he wearing an Action-Pac watch?”
“Who, honey?”
“The man in the black car.”
A chill ran down Lydia’s spine. “Did the man in the school yard wear one?”
Tyler nodded, his eyes wide, his forehead wrinkled with worry. “An A.P. digital. I didn’t see his face, but I saw his watch when he tried to grab me.”
Lydia’s stomach roiled at the memory of that frightful afternoon. Before this, Tyler had never mentioned a watch. Another clue, but would it help her find the man who tried to grab her son?
“You know, honey, sometimes I overreact. Now that I think about it, that wasn’t the same car as in Atlanta. And the driver wasn’t wearing a watch.”
No way she could have seen the man’s wrist, but she needed to reassure her son.
Tyler’s lower lip inched forward in a pout. “Then why’d we have to leave?”
Lydia sighed. How could she explain her immediate panic? Seeing the car had made her heart pound with fear. Her only thought had been to protect Tyler. So she’d pulled him from the beach activity.
Now, the look on her son’s face made Lydia realize her mistake. From here on, she needed to remain calm. Sanctuary Island was far from Atlanta. She and Tyler were safe here. At least for a while.
“I know you wanted to stay longer.”
He scrubbed a sandy hand across his face and captured the tear trailing down his cheek. “Bobby and Chase said we did the best. We could’ve won.”
Tyler needed stability and security, not a mother who ran scared. She smiled reassuringly. “I’m glad you had a good time.”
“Can I see Bobby again?”
“Maybe later.” A normal life, that’s what Tyler deserved, filled with friends and fun.
“Bobby said he’s having some of the guys over next Saturday. He invited me.”
Lydia’s throat constricted. She swallowed the lump threatening to shut off her airway. She wasn’t ready to let Tyler out of her sight for an hour, let alone a whole night. “We’ll see,” was all she could promise.
Turning into Katherine’s driveway, Lydia felt an unexpected sense of coming home. The house that loomed ominously two nights ago seemed like a safe refuge in the light of day.
Birds flittered in the trees, chirping a welcome song as a rambunctious squirrel dug for nuts at the foot of the live oak tree. At the far edge of the lawn, brick-red begonias nestled next to azalea bushes, thick with blooms, while purple periwinkles fluttered in the breeze.
“Get