I looked down at the boys. Both watched me. I gave their warm little hands a gentle squeeze of reassurance then viewed the diner.
The inside of the place appeared clean and smelled wonderful, like grilled meat. Booths lined the front of the building by the windows as well as the right exterior wall. Scattered tables took up the rest of the open room. Two kitchen doors occupied the left wall, which divided the dining area from the kitchen. A large opening in the section of wall between the two doors gave the cooks a counter to pass the completed orders to the waitress.
The waitress passed us on her way to refill some of the patrons’ coffee and told us we could sit anywhere.
Tugging the boys forward, I passed the man in the booth and chose a spot near the bathrooms at the back. A strategically sound location. I could see everyone inside as well as the door. I let the boys slide in first. It probably looked weird with all of us sitting on one side, but it felt safer. Anyone walking up to the table would need to go through me to get to them. However, I doubted I’d put up much of a fight in my current state.
“Mimi,” Liam said, calling me by the pet name they’d made up for me. If he and Aden had their way, they’d call me mom, having never known our mother. He had to tap my arm to break into my thoughts. I’d been staring at the placemat, not paying attention, and hadn’t noticed the waitress standing next to us.
I looked up at her. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” I attempted to return her smile.
She gave me an overly patient look. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Yes, apple juice for all of us if you have it. And can I get the special and an order of french fries?” I didn’t want to wait to order. We needed to eat then keep running.
She asked if we wanted anything else, and I tiredly shook my head. She offered the boys some crayons before she left. Liam thanked her politely and turned over their placemats. They took turns drawing shapes while we waited.
I didn’t know what to do next. The need to keep running had kept me awake so far, but I would soon need real sleep or I would risk running us off the road. Where could we go that we would be safe? The image of Blake’s teeth popped into my head, and I doubted anywhere would be safe enough.
Propping my chin in my hands, I aimlessly looked around. My eyes found their way to the man in the booth. He had finished his meal and sat sipping his coffee, not looking at anything particular. The waitress grabbed his empty plate on her way past.
My attention started to drift, and before I could prevent it, my eyes closed. It took three attempts to open them again, and when they did, I struggled to focus. Safe from Blake or not, we might not be able to leave the parking lot when we finished eating. I blinked to clear my vision and saw the man glance my way. I sat straighter and rubbed my eyes.
When I glanced back at the man, he again looked out the window while he sipped his coffee. His bill lay on his table, and I hoped he’d leave soon. Even though I felt certain I’d never seen him before, something about him made me very aware of him. Maybe just the fact that he’d caught me dozing. I really didn’t want any witnesses when I face-planted my meatloaf.
The waitress brought our drinks, and I took a big gulp for something to do. I leaned back in the booth and saw the man watching again so I arched a brow at him. If he wasn’t after me, what was his deal? Didn’t his mother teach him it wasn’t nice to stare?
He had the nerve to grin at me. My stomach did a weird flip again. I frowned and looked away then started asking the boys about what they’d drawn.
The man’s smile hadn’t been a leer or even a smile-because-she-looks-crazy type of smile. It had been a kind, hi-how-are-you smile...with a dimple. So, what was up with the stomach flip? Sure, he looked attractive. But hadn’t I learned not to react to how someone looked?
After a few minutes, the waitress came back with our meal and extra plates. I divided the special between the three of us and placed the french fries so they could share. Hot mashed potatoes were a nice change from chips, but reminded me of the last dinner with Blake and his men. I shuddered and took a bite of the meatloaf instead.
The boys dug into their food, and I felt a pang of guilt. I’d been caring for them for four years. Crying babies, diapers, throw-up, you name it. In the beginning, Richard had helped, but Blake made the rules and didn’t want Richard near me. In reality, Blake had wanted me to bond with the boys so he had power over me. Yet, he never allowed me to care for them without supervision. David watched everything and controlled our time together.
I brushed Aden’s hair back tenderly. I loved them so much...even at their most annoying. I just wanted them to be safe.
We’d made it over forty-eight hours without any Blake sightings. That had to mean something.
The few other customers who’d been sitting when we entered slowly trickled out as we ate. Eventually, only the man remained. The boys finished their meals and nibbled on the fries while they continued to draw.
I forced myself to keep eating, diligently working my way through the small piles of food on my plate. I needed the nourishment as much as I needed sleep. Eating while I drove hadn’t worked well for me. Split concentration almost landed us in the ditch. I just hoped after this break I wouldn’t confuse the pedals again as I had in the beginning.
My continued to struggle to keep my eyes open—they felt hot and gritty—eventually made me to set my fork aside. I stood and let the boys out to use the ladies room behind us. My legs felt weak and achy so I leaned against the back of the bench seat.
The waitress spotted me beside the booth and came over with the bill. I handed her the cash and told her to keep the change. She smiled her thanks and walked away. Before I could move, the room started to tilt. I held onto the back of the booth, waited for it to pass, then went to check on the boys.
When we walked out of the bathroom, the man’s booth sat empty. I felt slightly relieved...and maybe a little disappointed, too.
We stepped into the afternoon sun, and I noted that the parking lot had cleared since we’d arrived. Not paying attention, I staggered a little when we stepped down from the curbed sidewalk that surrounded the diner. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed.
The man stood near his bike, searching in the panniers. His lingering presence should have made me nervous, but I was too tired to care. If he left before we reached the car, I’d take it as a sign I should nap in the parking lot.
Between walking, wishing for sleep, and the motorcycle man, I didn’t notice the vehicle parked on the far side of my own. When I recognized David’s vehicle, I faltered and my stomach sank. Beside me, Aden whimpered, and I gave both their hands a reassuring squeeze. We all knew what David’s presence meant.
My tired, strained eyes darted around the parking area, trying to locate David. He didn’t let me look too long. With a mocking smile, he stepped from behind his SUV. Dressed in his usual khaki pants and dark V-neck sweater, he looked fresh and ready to drag me kicking and screaming back to my prison. He looked me over, unconcerned that I’d stopped walking and stood several feet away.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel so tired.
“Michelle, you look terrible,” David said in a patronizing tone. “In fact, I’d have to say you look like hell. Not surprising since you’ve only been sitting still a few minutes at a time.” His smug look evaporated, leaving impatience. “I’ve followed you long enough. It’s time to come home.”
Followed? I stared at him blankly. I’d been checking my mirrors and staying to the back roads. I never planned where I was going to turn until I turned. I would have seen him.