She wore them anyway. What choice did she have?
That’s part of the problem. Her choices are so limited. She’s gotta be feeling boxed in.
Maren had called her supervisor and given her the story about a family emergency in Iowa, asking for more time off. Medical coding work that usually kept her hands and brain busy had evaporated. She’d cooked three meals a day and made batches of cookies. She’d reorganized the safehouse kitchen cabinets twice, weeded the gardens, and cleaned the entire house top to bottom. The rest of her time went to making sure Juni was feeling happy and safe, and for the most part, she was. Juni was adapting well to her new—if temporary—life.
The cookies helped.
But Maren was not adapting. It didn’t help that her car was sitting in Iowa with Carla DeVivo keeping an eye out for a couple of days before flying back home. So far, no sign of being followed.
Colin had watched Maren stand at the front window that morning, coffee mug in both hands, staring at the empty spot in the driveway where the Subaru used to be. She hadn’t said anything. Hadn’t cried. Just stood there for five full minutes before Juni called her name and she turned away with that same damned smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
That was the moment Colin decided to make the call.
“How about you let me finish the dishes while you get Juni down for her nap, then go take a nice, long shower?” he told Maren, grinning. He’d made her the same offer a couple days ago and Maren had joked about how bad she must smell.
Today, she didn’t even bother joking. She nodded, dried her hands, and went outside where Mac was keeping an eye on Juni.Colin was pretty sure Mac was still trying to wrangle a tea party date out of her.
Colin waited until Juni was down for her nap and Maren had gone to take her shower. He stepped out onto the back porch and pulled out his phone.
Gina answered on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Then why are you calling me instead of Kyle?” He heard a smile creep into her voice. “People usually only call me when there’s a problem.”
Fair point. “I need a favor.”
“Thereit is. I’m listening.”
“Maren’s…at loose ends,” Colin said. “The police back in San Diego have no leads on who broke into her house and don’t seem to care. She’s cleaned the place twice, cooked every last scrap of food, and the garden looks like it’s being professionally maintained. She has no job, no car, and she’s wearing someone else’s clothes. And, she’s barely eating and losing weight. Don’t get me wrong; she’s grateful for everything, and she’d die before complaining or asking for anything else, but she’s also…” He paused as he searched for the right word. “She’sdisappearing, Gina.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Gina said. “We can make the most comfortable safehouse in the world, but it’s still going to feel like a prison after all that adrenaline burns off and reality sets in.”
“Exactly.” Colin closed his eyes, relieved that Gina understood. “She needs to feel like herself again. Even just for a few hours.”
“You want to take her out.”
“Yeah.”
“In public.”
“With Nettie’s help,” Colin said. “If she’s available. Disguise Maren well enough that we can move around Lyons withoutpinging every camera between here and Denver. That’s the favor I’m asking, if you can contact her.”
Gina was quiet for a moment. Colin could almost hear her thinking.
“Nettie’s in Boulder on a job,” she said finally. “She can be at Watchdog by ten tomorrow morning. You thinking shopping? Lunch?”
Colin’s heart felt ten times lighter. “Whatever Maren wants.” He shifted his weight. “Let her choose. Let her pick out her own clothes, eat somewhere that isn’t this house or Arden’s kitchen—not that she’ll find anything better than her own cooking or Arden’s.”
“That’s true,” Gina said, an obvious grin in her tone.
“Let her be a person instead of a principal.”
“This is very…thoughtfulof you, Colin.”
“Well…it’s my job to make sure she’s comfortable, especially being my boss’s family.”
“Mmmm.”
