and scooped the stuffing from the floor back into the bunny.
Jack handed her a plastic sack. “Put it in here. Maybe we can sew it up later.”
Crystal nodded, once again fighting tears. She tucked the bunny into the bag and held it tightly.
Devon looked up at Jack and asked, “Where are we going to go?”
Jack looked around and said, “Probably a motel. I’ll figure it out.”
Crystal glanced at him and he shook his head no.
“Bugged?” she whispered softly to him, and he shrugged.
“Maybe. Just don’t say anything more than is necessary.” He closed up the cardboard box and carried it to the hallway. He helped the boys and then Crystal with their suitcases, and they all stood in the hall for a moment.
Mark said, “Maybe we should leave a note for daddy.” Before they could stop him, he stepped into his old apartment and froze when he saw the condition. A mess, just like Crystal ’s place. “Oh.” He turned to Jack and Crystal. “I guess we don’t live here anymore.” He glanced at Crystal ’s apartment. “I guess we don’t live anywhere.”
Crystal ’s heart clutched at his words. She turned to Jack and could tell by the look on his face he felt the same way. He grabbed Mark by the hand and urged, “Come on. You’re going to like where we’re going.” He led the child out, and shut the apartment door behind them. “Not sure why I bother to lock it.”
“Hasn’t helped yet,” Crystal agreed, but nonetheless locked her own door. “Let’s get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps.”
They carried their things down and loaded up the Explorer. As he drove away, Jack told the children, “I changed my mind about the motel. We’re going to my house.”
“Is it big?” Devon asked.
“Big enough.” Jack nodded. “There’s a bedroom for each of you, although you’ll probably want to bunk together. That’s fine, too.” He glanced sideways. “And there’s a bedroom for Crystal .”
She looked straight ahead. “Don’t go to any trouble on my account.”
He gave her a small smile before glancing in the rearview mirror at the boys. “There’s something else. I have a dog.”
“A dog?” both boys squealed, and they chattered with excitement on the drive across town.
Crystal noticed Jack checking his rearview mirror frequently, and finally asked softly, “Are we being followed?”
“Nope. Just making sure.”
She rubbed her hands over her arms nervously. Jack kicked the heater up a notch. “I’m fine,” she told him.
“Yeah,” he snorted.
She knew he saw right through her. She was anything but fine. She was holding it together for the sake of the boys, but on the inside she was a complete and total basket case. She glanced at Jack, and realized that once again he was rescuing them. She'd never been so grateful to anyone in all her life.
* * * *
The boys were clearly excited as they toured Jack’s house. He flipped on the lights as they went from room to room, and disengaged the alarm system that Crystal eyed with relief. Maybe we’ll be safe here . She looked around. The home was decorated plainly, but was certainly big. They passed through a spacious living room with a comfy-looking sofa and a big screen TV into a dining room that looked as though it was rarely if ever used. The table was buried under stacks of books and papers. She noticed the kitchen out of the corner of her eye, and realized it was about as big as her whole apartment.
Jack drew back the curtain on the sliding glass door. A large golden-colored dog barked at them wildly. The boys jumped behind Jack and even Crystal eyed the animal nervously. He was a big dog.
“Zeus!” Jack spoke firmly to the animal. “Stay, Zeus.” He snapped his fingers at the dog. Zeus stopped barking, but continued to look askance at his visitors. Jack removed the broomstick from the track of the door and opened it a little. “Zeus, this is Devon, Mark and Crystal . Everybody, this is Zeus.” He
Jack handed her a plastic sack. “Put it in here. Maybe we can sew it up later.”
Crystal nodded, once again fighting tears. She tucked the bunny into the bag and held it tightly.
Devon looked up at Jack and asked, “Where are we going to go?”
Jack looked around and said, “Probably a motel. I’ll figure it out.”
Crystal glanced at him and he shook his head no.
“Bugged?” she whispered softly to him, and he shrugged.
“Maybe. Just don’t say anything more than is necessary.” He closed up the cardboard box and carried it to the hallway. He helped the boys and then Crystal with their suitcases, and they all stood in the hall for a moment.
Mark said, “Maybe we should leave a note for daddy.” Before they could stop him, he stepped into his old apartment and froze when he saw the condition. A mess, just like Crystal ’s place. “Oh.” He turned to Jack and Crystal. “I guess we don’t live here anymore.” He glanced at Crystal ’s apartment. “I guess we don’t live anywhere.”
Crystal ’s heart clutched at his words. She turned to Jack and could tell by the look on his face he felt the same way. He grabbed Mark by the hand and urged, “Come on. You’re going to like where we’re going.” He led the child out, and shut the apartment door behind them. “Not sure why I bother to lock it.”
“Hasn’t helped yet,” Crystal agreed, but nonetheless locked her own door. “Let’s get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps.”
They carried their things down and loaded up the Explorer. As he drove away, Jack told the children, “I changed my mind about the motel. We’re going to my house.”
“Is it big?” Devon asked.
“Big enough.” Jack nodded. “There’s a bedroom for each of you, although you’ll probably want to bunk together. That’s fine, too.” He glanced sideways. “And there’s a bedroom for Crystal .”
She looked straight ahead. “Don’t go to any trouble on my account.”
He gave her a small smile before glancing in the rearview mirror at the boys. “There’s something else. I have a dog.”
“A dog?” both boys squealed, and they chattered with excitement on the drive across town.
Crystal noticed Jack checking his rearview mirror frequently, and finally asked softly, “Are we being followed?”
“Nope. Just making sure.”
She rubbed her hands over her arms nervously. Jack kicked the heater up a notch. “I’m fine,” she told him.
“Yeah,” he snorted.
She knew he saw right through her. She was anything but fine. She was holding it together for the sake of the boys, but on the inside she was a complete and total basket case. She glanced at Jack, and realized that once again he was rescuing them. She'd never been so grateful to anyone in all her life.
* * * *
The boys were clearly excited as they toured Jack’s house. He flipped on the lights as they went from room to room, and disengaged the alarm system that Crystal eyed with relief. Maybe we’ll be safe here . She looked around. The home was decorated plainly, but was certainly big. They passed through a spacious living room with a comfy-looking sofa and a big screen TV into a dining room that looked as though it was rarely if ever used. The table was buried under stacks of books and papers. She noticed the kitchen out of the corner of her eye, and realized it was about as big as her whole apartment.
Jack drew back the curtain on the sliding glass door. A large golden-colored dog barked at them wildly. The boys jumped behind Jack and even Crystal eyed the animal nervously. He was a big dog.
“Zeus!” Jack spoke firmly to the animal. “Stay, Zeus.” He snapped his fingers at the dog. Zeus stopped barking, but continued to look askance at his visitors. Jack removed the broomstick from the track of the door and opened it a little. “Zeus, this is Devon, Mark and Crystal . Everybody, this is Zeus.” He
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