Providence

“I have missed you, sweet Nina,” she crooned.

When she retreated to the kitchen, Jared pul ed me to him and kissed me affectionately. “I told you. She loves you.”

I smiled, feeling a little overwhelmed at the outpouring of love. Aside from Jared, the only person that I felt loved me so deeply was my father. It felt as if I’d had a secret family my entire life that I wasn’t aware of. They had al —but one— loved me from afar and watched me grow. Gabe’s occasional proud paternal glances made more sense, now.

I looked over at Claire and wondered why they didn’t regard me in the same way that she did. My family had kept Gabe away much of the time, and now I occupied the majority of Jared’s and, until recently, Claire’s time. I couldn’t fathom the pure goodness in Lil ian for loving me despite what my family had done to hers, but she sat across from me, watching me like I was a long lost daughter that had final y returned home.

I looked down to my food, the deluge of emotion threatening to bring tears to my eyes.

“Nina?” Jared whispered, gently touching my knee.

I nervously chuckled. “I’m fine,” I said, looking up at him as if he’d given me the greatest gift in the world.

He was confused at first, but my overwhelming happiness prompted a wide grin across his face. We ate and laughed as Lil ian and Bex told funny stories about Jared. Even Claire al owed herself to laugh a few times. Jared and I shared our time in Little Corn, and Lil ian rushed over to look at my ring, kissing her son on the head in approval.

Lil ian looked at her watch and smiled at her youngest son. “I’m afraid it’s bedtime, Bex,” she smiled.

Bex fought a look of disappointment and nodded, stopping to hug me before he retreated upstairs.

“Wow. What a great kid,” I mused, watching him leave.

“He is. Al of my children are exceptional,” she said, watching Bex as he climbed towards the second floor.

“Yes they are,” I enthusiastical y agreed. We al shared a laugh at that, and Claire cleared the table of our pie plates.

Jared leaned over to kiss my forehead and Lil ian beamed with joy. “You make my son the happiest I have ever seen him. You don’t know how wonderful it is to see final y see him smile that way.”

I looked at Jared, who scanned my face with deep adoration. He touched my cheek and I tore my eyes away from his affectionate stare, embarrassed by the intimate way we were behaving in front of his mother.

I struggled to deflect the three pairs of eyes staring at me. “So…how does that work? Bex having a bed time, I mean. Isn’t he awake by midnight?” I asked.

Lil ian’s musical laugh fil ed the air. “He real y has told you everything, hasn’t he?” she said, winking at her son. “The younger they are, the more they sleep. They slept almost as much as other infants when they were newborns. By their first birthdays they no longer need naps, but they stil slept nearly through the night. My goodness, you and I would have our work cut out for us if we had babies that only slept two hours a day!” She laughed again and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

Jared shifted in his seat. “We haven’t real y…discussed that, yet, Mom.”

“Oh…I’m sorry,” she smiled sweetly. “I’m notorious for wishful thinking.”

I felt Jared’s warm hand gently encompass mine. “Let’s just take one thing at a time. We don’t want to scare Nina off.”

I smiled at Jared. “It would take a lot more than that to scare me off. As if that could ever happen.”

Claire stiffened in her seat, and almost simultaneously Jared did the same. Lil ian watched her son. She was waiting for something, but didn’t seem afraid. Jared turned his head, listening intently. He reminded me of a wild animal sensing danger, on alert, ears scanning the air for movement.

Suddenly Claire stood up and kicked her chair against the wal . I jumped at the noise, and then it was dark.

“Bex,” Claire whispered.

Jared grabbed my arm and whisked me up the stairs, with Lil ian just behind us. We rushed down a long hal , and then entered the last door to our right. He backed me into a corner and gently put his finger to my mouth. It was then that I realized something was very wrong.

I could barely make out Jared’s form in the darkness as I saw him lean over Bex’s bed and whisper in his brother’s ear before disappearing silently from the room.

It was quiet for a long time, and I jerked when I felt Lil ian’s hand on my arm. My eyes darted back and forth between the door and Bex, who was lying as stil as a statue in his bed.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from downstairs and I closed my eyes. My heart threatened to punch through my chest with every beat. Another crash came from a different area of the lower level and then two gun shots rang out. I heard scuffling, and then a male voice cried out, abruptly cutting off.

Bex remained in his bed. The room became clearer as my vision adjusted to the darkness. Unable to discern who was in the house, how many, and who was winning, I told myself that Jared was alive as long as I was.

In the next moment, a stranger dressed in black burst through the door. The bed lit up with the beam of a flashlight, and in the next moment the man charged, yanking Bex from his bed. I lunged forward when the man pressed cold metal against the boy’s temple.

“No!” I screamed. Lil ian grabbed my shoulders and jerked me against her chest.

Claire appeared in the door way, targeting the intruder with her handgun. She jerked her head up once, breathing heavily. “It’s been awhile, Crenshaw.”

Even in the darkness I could see a smug smile on Claire’s face, as if she had the upper hand. Crenshaw pressed the barrel of his gun against Bex’s head.

“Claire?” Bex said, sounding as terrified as I felt.

“It’s okay. Everything’s going to be al right,” Claire assured him.

“Just let me take her, and I’l go quietly. I’l leave the boy down the street,” the man growled, true fear underlying his demand.

“You know that’s not going to happen, Crenshaw. Just take your life and go,” Claire said, looking down the sights of her firearm.

Crenshaw tightened his grip on his gun. “I can’t go back without her—you know that. Hand Jack’s kid over and I’l leave the boy,” he rasped.

Bex’s head tilted from the pressure of the barrel pressing harder against his skin.

Claire’s expression was frightening, even in the darkness. “Do you know what I’l do to you if you leave a mark on him? Ease up on that barrel, Harry.”

“I’l go!” I said, desperate to end the standoff.

Crenshaw’s attention jerked toward me, then. “Nina?”

“I’l go with you. Just leave them alone,” I blurted out, a tear burning down my cheek.

Claire sighed in exasperation, keeping her eyes on Crenshaw. “I’m not going to trade one brother for another, Nina. Stay where you are.”

Crenshaw cocked his weapon and Claire took one hand off her gun and held it palm-out, toward Crenshaw. “Okay. Okay, Harry. I’m laying down my weapon. Easy does it,” she said, moving slowly to lay her gun flat on the floor.

Lil ian held her breath and her nails lightly dug into my shoulders.

“Your heart is racing, Crenshaw.” Claire said, standing up slowly with both hands in front of her.

“So?”