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“Hazel, meet Gemma.” Bennett gestured toward the ginger-haired girl, who stood gawking at the Old West scene she would call home for the foreseeable future. “Gemma, this is Hazel.”
Gemma turned to face Hazel, a timid grin curving her mouth. “You live up in those?” she pointed toward the western hills.
“I do.” Hazel pointed toward Elk Canyon. “Up that way.”
“Wow. Is it high?”
“My cabin is a little over eight thousand feet above sea level.”
“Oh.” Clearly that meant little to Gemma.
“We’re currently at about six thousand feet.” Hazel tried to help her understand.
Bennett squeezed Hazel’s hand and then stepped toward Gemma. “Chicago is a little more than five hundred feet above sea level, if that helps at all. If your ears are popping or your head hurts, the elevation change might be why.”
Or it could be that they were all exhausted. Bennett rubbed his temples, thinking he could use a large glass of mountain water and an aspirin himself.
“Oh,” Gemma repeated. Then she rubbed her right ear. “This one hurts a little.”
“We’ll get you something for it.” Bennett patted her shoulder. “Drink lots of water, okay?” Then he looked over the car. “Nathan, meet Hazel Wallace.”
“Your lady friend.” Nathan didn’t even look up from his phone, his impassive tone both typical and grating. “I’m sure she’s hot.”
Bennett held a brief but hard look on him—which Nathan didn’t care about because he didn’t look up to see—and then shook his head as he turned to meet Hazel’s reaction. As he would have guessed, Hazel wore a scowl, her lips pinched.
She was not one bit impressed. Part of Bennett wanted to watch that match play out, because he was 100 percent sure Nathan had zero idea what kind of beast hishot lady friendcould be when provoked.
It’d be a little amusing to watch. Especially since Nathan’s mumbled complaints had long since gotten on Bennett’s nerves.
But maybe that would not be the best introduction to this new life they’d all been thrust into. Bennett searched for a distraction and didn’t have to look far. Jeremy Yates stood in front of the Pantry, waiting his turn while the family met Hazel. At Bennett’s small head movement, Jeremy approached, hand outstretched.
“Sheriff.” Bennett shook the man’s offered greeting with relief. “I assume your wife is somewhere nearby?”
“Leslie is waiting for you at the house she thinks would work best.” Jeremy lifted his brown cap bearing a gold star and the wordsElk County Sheriff, let the cool breeze ruffle his nearly black hair, and then returned it. “It's just a couple of blocks off Main. I can walk with you there, if you’re up for it?”
“Good plan.” Bennett looked over his shoulder, finding Hazel standing on the boardwalk, chewing her bottom lip, Gemma still a statue beside the Bronco, a fake smile plastered in place, and Nathan posted up against the back end of the vehicle, face buried in his screen. A great start for all of them. “We could all use a good walk after all that traveling.”
“Right,” Gemma said, like an overlit Christmas tree. Too bright. Too cheery.
Poor girl was scared to death, and Bennett couldn’t blame her. What preteen wouldn’t be, with her parents off to someplace in Europe indefinitely and her new guardian a single, nearly thirty-year-old half brother she barely knew.
What had Chip been thinking?
Bennett placed his attention back on Hazel, silently pleading with her for help. Granted, he knew she was wildly uncomfortable with this scenario too. But she was a grown-up in this situation. And she knew what it was like to feel abandoned. If only she knew how to connect with other humans.
God, please help us . . .
Jeremy rescued them from the strained silence. “Shall we?” He gestured toward the county jail, which wasn’t the direction Bennett had imagined they’d go, but that hardly mattered.
“Let’s do it.” Bennett waited for Hazel to draw up beside him and then took her hand. When Gemma filled the spot on his other side, he draped a casual arm on her shoulder. And then they waited for Nathan, who remained glued to the side of the Bronco, lost in his world ofMinecraft.
“Nathan, we’re going to see the house,” Gemma said with sugar in her voice.
“Go ahead,” Nathan mumbled.
“Nate.” Bennett nearly barked his name. “You’re coming too. Let’s go.”
“My name is notNate.” This time Nathan didn’t mumble. He still didn’t look up though.
