Laurie unconsciously laid her hand over her heart. Their emotion touched her, and she was still a bit homesick herself. She was on the verge of tears. She looked down to clear her throat, taking a deep breath before she made a fool of herself. Then a heavy arm wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up to find Bob leaning against her.
“Well, gorgeous, I guess this is goodbye.” His eyes twinkled.
“Not staying for dinner, Bob?” asked Dante’s father.
Laurie had overlooked him in the ecstatic exchange between mother and son.
Dante’s father ambled over toward her and Bob. He was tall, lean, with long, muscled limbs. His face was sharp, angular, and tanned from ample time outdoors. He wore a red flannel shirt with a faded leather vest. He had a non-descript belt over faded jeans. With his work boots on as well, he looked like every farmer Laurie had ever seen on TV or in pictures. Unassuming, unnoticeable. Laurie guessed that was very deliberate.
“No, no. Gabriella will want me home for dinner. I’ve had some fun with these kids, but it’s time to get on home to my family.” Bob gave Laurie’s shoulder a squeeze.
“Bob, I can’t begin to thank you,” Dante’s mom said. Her emotions now spent, she was content to stand beside her son with an arm wrapped around his waist, while he rubbed her shoulders.
“No thanks necessary, Emma. It was a lot of fun to get in the air again.” Bob sounded a bit wistful. “Gabriella and the kids and I will come for a visit real soon. I imagine these two will need some entertainment after they settle in.”
Bob winked at Laurie.
“Behave yourself now. No more getting in the way of mobsters.” He gave her a gruff hug. Laurie laughed.
“I’ll try really hard this time.” Laurie squeezed him right back.
Then he released her and went to Dante.
“You—take care of her and your mom. I want a good report when I come back for a visit.” He pulled Dante into a bear hug.
“Yes, sir, Lt. General Stark.” Dante smirked. Bob shook his head.
“Don’t. Don’t even get me started.” He laughed as he walked back toward the door to the airstrip. “I’ll see you all soon.”
He gave a short salute and disappeared out of the airport door. When Laurie looked back at the room, both of Dante’s parents were now staring at her. Laurie smiled, blushing while her stomach fluttered.
“Mom, Dad—this is Laurie. She’s a witness I’ve been protecting.” Dante put his hand on her shoulder.
“Hello, Laurie. I’m Emma.” She clasped both of Laurie’s hands in hers.
“It’s nice to meet you. Thank you so much for taking me in.” Laurie looked from Dante’s mother to his father.
“Oh, of course. We wouldn’t have thought twice about saying yes. I hope you’ll feel right at home.” Emma gave Laurie a hug, which caught Laurie off guard, but she was extremely grateful. Some of the tension in her shoulders eased. After a slight pause, she hugged Emma back.
“This is Albert.” Emma gestured to her husband. Albert gave a polite nod, extending his hand to her.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Laurie shook his hand with all the warmth she could muster.
Dante’s father didn’t intimidate Laurie at all. He was nothing like what she had imagined after listening to Dante and Bob. She could see an underlying sternness, a hard edge in his features. Yet, his brown eyes softened when he looked at Dante. Laurie wondered if he wanted to hug his son as his wife had.
“Dad.” Dante extended his hand.
Dante shifted on his feet. His father’s gaze was guarded. Dante and Albert tensed, as Albert’s eyes flickered to Dante’s hand with a frown.
“Son.” Albert shook his hand. “Glad to see you made it out here all right.”
“Yeah. Bob had everything under control.” Dante took a step back.
Albert nodded thoughtfully. There was a lull in the conversation, as Emma stood beside Laurie, both of them watching father and son. Neither of the two subjects moved nor spoke. They just stood there, staring at the floor or the ceiling, both struggling to speak. Albert coughed.
“Well, we should be on our way. We don’t live too far from here.” Albert gestured to the door.
“Where exactly is here?” Laurie fell into step beside Dante.
“Nebraska.” Emma answered the question over her shoulder. “Farm country. I hope you like gardening!”
“I’ve never gardened before.” Some of Laurie’s anxiety returned.
“Well, I’ll teach you, honey.” Emma smiled and put her hand on Laurie’s forearm.
“Oh, okay.” Laurie’s brow furrowed. Taking gardening lessons wasn’t something she associated with protective custody.
They all moved toward the exit to the parking lot. Emma told Laurie and Dante all about their cozy little farm with chickens, a garden, and acres of sweet corn. They had just started a tiny little orchard on the neighbor’s farm they bought last spring. They piled into an old dark green Chevy, and Albert pulled out onto the tiny two-lane road that led out to the highway. The highway was only a larger two-lane road, which cut through the farms that comprised the landscape far out into the horizon.
It was late, but Laurie could see one thing in the dusk of the setting sun: corn. It was everywhere. She was in a sea of corn. There were no visible homes or churches or dark shadows of them leaning over the road. There were dirt roads leading away from the highway, which disappeared into the corn. Occasionally, there was a cattle paddock and a large barn. Then there were machines. Bulldozers, ploughs, tractors, seeders and all manner of machinery Laurie couldn’t even name. They were parked by the side of the road, laying there like the scattered toys of an errant child. Laurie couldn’t believe her eyes when a tractor pulled out in front of them on the road they turned down from the highway.
“God damn it.” Albert slammed on the horn.
“Albert.” Emma gave a sharp reprimand and then tsked at him.
“It’s Dale. I know he did it on purpose. He knows we’ll be stuck back here for miles.” Albert beeped again.
“They let those out on the roads?” Laurie’s mouth fell open.
“Honey, this is Nebraska. Farming is the biggest business here. That would be like banning boats or planes in Hawaii.” Emma peered over her shoulder from the passenger’s seat.
Laurie turned to Dante, baffled.
Dante smiled and shrugged.
They drove behind the tractor for a few miles, Albert fuming the whole way, until they hit a passing zone. With nothing coming as far as the eye could see, Albert gunned the engine and sped around the tractor, blaring his horn.
“Oh, Albert stop that.” Emma slapped her thigh.
“I know he did it on purpose.” Albert pointed his finger at nothing in particular.
“He’s just ribbing you. All that man has ever done is tried to be friends with you.” Emma lifted her hands in frustration.
“I don’t want to be friends with him—he’s suspicious.” Albert’s voice dipped to a whisper.
Emma let out an exasperated sigh. She turned her head to Dante in the back seat.
“I’m so glad you came. Otherwise, I might have killed your father.” Emma rolled her eyes.
Albert snorted derisively.
“Glad I could help, Mom.” Dante grinned.
They pulled onto a dirt road, which wound back through rows and rows of tall corn. After a few minutes, the corn opened up into a wide lawn with a lone farmhouse. A wooden porch spanned the front of the house. A two-seat, wooden swing was hanging on the front porch, and a large barn and several tall trees framed the house, with a pick-up truck parked out front.
“Well, here we are! Home sweet home!” Emma gestured to the house.
When they got out of the truck, Dante and Albert grabbed the bags, while Emma ushered Laurie up the porch and into the house.
“Albert and I always wanted a house like this. When we were raising Dante, we couldn’t really do it because of Albert’s job, but when the opportunity came along, we took it.”
“It’s lovely, Mrs. Stark. It seems very peaceful.” Laurie let her eyes wander over the porch.