“Why did you wait four years to do that?” Nate asked.
“Because they found me in California. So I conveniently died and moved all the way across the country to a new location, with another new name.”
Nate couldn’t help sympathizing with her. He’d hated the idea that she’d been forced to go on the run, not just once but twice. “Go on. So, you left the hospital and noticed what?”
“I was being followed, so I headed into the mall, hoping to lose them in the crowd.”
“Carrying Hailey beneath your winter coat was a smart move,” Nate told her.
A slight smile tipped the corner of her mouth. “Thanks. Anyway, from there you know the rest.”
Yeah, he knew the rest. The men with guns had shot at him, and he’d shot at them in self-defense. Then he’d left the scene of the crime.
Too bad he didn’t have a clue what their next steps should be. He wanted to keep Melissa and Hailey out of harm’s way, but right now, he didn’t even know who the bad guys were.
“Excuse me. I need to check on Hailey.” Melissa rose to her feet and quickly made her way into the other room.
Nate hovered in the doorway between their connecting rooms, listening as she coaxed Hailey into brushing her teeth and putting on her pajamas.
Then the little girl insisted on saying her nighttime prayers.
“God bless Daddy up in Heaven, and Mommy, and Mr. Nate, who saved us today. Amen.”
“Amen,” Melissa echoed. “Sleep tight, Hailey. I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
“Okay, Mommy,” the little girl murmured sleepily.
Nate was touched by the fact that Hailey had included him in her nighttime prayers.
There were so many things that were different about the woman Melissa was today compared with the girl he’d loved years ago. Yes, she was a mother now, but that wasn’t the only thing that had changed.
She was raising her daughter as a Christian. Because of Hailey’s father? Did she love him still, even though he’d passed away?
Not that Melissa’s feelings were any of his business. He wouldn’t risk getting emotionally involved. And not just because he sensed she was still holding something back from him.
She’d left him without a word, breaking his young heart.
No way was he willing to risk another heartbreak.
* * *
Melissa took her time getting ready for bed, admittedly as a way to avoid spending more time with Nate.
She’d already told him far more than she’d intended. Anything else would only hurt him.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she mourned what they’d lost. Their young love, so pure, so sweet. They’d never done anything more than kiss, but even twelve years later, she could still remember the sweetness they’d shared. For several weeks after she’d left, she’d find herself looking for him, wishing he was still there for her to lean on.
Why hadn’t her father mentioned the letters Nate had written? Surely he hadn’t thrown them away. Why not pass them along, especially after she’d been forced to fake her death? They’d both thought she was relatively safe from that point forward.
And where were Nate’s letters now? Hidden somewhere in her father’s house?
For a moment, she actually considered going back to the house where she grew up to search for them. But of course, she couldn’t take the risk. For one thing, she was pretty sure her dad’s house was being watched, the same way the hospital had been. How else had they found her? Besides, heading there was probably exactly what they’d expect her to do.
No, going to her childhood home wasn’t an option. Besides, whatever Nate had written hardly mattered now. She’d been married all too briefly before losing her husband to a rare infection that had settled in his lungs. Jeremy had helped her find God and had given her Hailey, the two greatest gifts of all. No reason to go back and attempt to recapture the past.
Far more important to plan the next steps of her mission to keep Hailey safe.
By the time Melissa emerged from the bathroom, Nate’s room was dark except for the blue glow of the television. Relieved that she didn’t have to talk to him anymore, she slid into the bed next to Hailey. Wearing her jeans and sweater wasn’t exactly comfortable, but she didn’t plan on sleeping.
Once Nate fell asleep, she’d take Hailey and slip away. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice they were gone until morning.
Yet, in spite of herself, Melissa dozed, jerking awake a few hours later. She took a moment to orient herself before sliding out of bed.
Moving silently, she eased toward the doorway between their connecting rooms. The television was off now, and she stood for what seemed like endless moments listening to Nate’s deep, rhythmic breathing.
It was tempting to venture into his room to search for his car keys, but she didn’t want to risk waking him. No, her best chance to escape was to slip away without making any noise.
She gently closed the door on her side of the room, hoping to muffle any errant sounds. She packed the few meager belongings they had back into the suitcase and then took out her mobile phone.
Only twenty percent of battery left, but enough juice to enable her to call for a taxi once she was far enough away from the motel.
After setting the suitcase near the door, she went over to the bed to wake Hailey. This would be the most difficult part of sneaking away. If Hailey cried or made any noise at all, she knew Nate would be up in a flash to see what was wrong.
Thankfully, the little girl was so sleepy, she simply curled up against Melissa’s chest, snuggling into the hollow of her shoulder.
Since the hallway outside their rooms was heated, she decided to wait until they were safely away before putting Hailey’s coat, hat and boots on. Carrying everything with her wasn’t easy, but she managed to open the door, wincing when it creaked a bit.
Moving as quickly and silently as possible, she stepped out and then closed the door behind her. The hallway was brightly lit, making it easy to navigate as she headed toward the stairs on the far side of the building, opposite from the lobby.
Inside the stairwell, she paused to get Hailey into her winter gear. She was still half-asleep, so Melissa couldn’t exactly make her stand to get dressed. Somehow she slipped her daughter’s arms into the coat sleeves. Getting her hat on was no problem, although the boots were difficult. She hoped they wouldn’t fall off.
She carried Hailey and the suitcase down the stairs, and when she reached the bottom, she paused to catch her breath.
Melissa hated the thought of leaving Nate for a second time without saying goodbye, but she forced herself to go anyway. The cold winter air stole her breath as she went outside, and Hailey instantly started crying.
“Shh, it’s okay. We’re going to be fine.”
“It’s cold,” her daughter sobbed.
“I know, sweetie. We’ll get someplace warm soon.” Hailey wasn’t used to northern winters, having spent her entire life in South Carolina. And the idea of snow was more fun than the cold reality of it.
Melissa stayed alongside the shelter of the building as long as possible before making her way toward the sidewalk. There was a gas station on the other side of the street, but the windows were dark, indicating the place was closed.
Headlights cut through the darkness, heading in her direction. For a moment she froze, fearing she’d been found. But she sighed in relief as the vehicle