Owen got very close. “You listen to me. We’re not family, all right? You don’t go near the boy under any circumstances. In fact, stay away from all of us. If I see you again, you’re going to be sorry.”

“You threatening me, man? Because I didn’t do anything to you! But I thought, since you have the boy, maybe we should talk. Maybe there are some things I could tell you that will help you.”

“Hannah, call the police,” Owen said.

“For what?” Roger asked.

“For harassing us,” Owen said. “You’re a felon on parole and you’ve been told to stay away from us.”

“I wasn’t told no such thing!”

“You’re being told now,” Owen said. “When the police come, they’re going to hold you long enough to find out what your purpose in coming around here is. I’m willing to bet they find you guilty of something. Just go away before there’s trouble.”

“I don’t know what your deal is,” Roger said. But he turned to go.

“Did your mother send you here?” Hannah asked.

He whirled around. He scowled. “My mother doesn’t tell me what to do,” he said. “I told you, I thought I’d check on the kid. With Erin gone, I don’t have much family.”

But Erin hated him, Hannah thought. “Erin said she hadn’t seen you in years,” Hannah said.

“That was her choice,” he said.

“And now it’s mine,” Hannah said. “I want you to stay away and let her little boy recover and build a new life. He just lost his mother. He doesn’t need more trauma. He has no idea who you are. That’s the way it has to be. Good luck to you, and please, don’t harass us.”

“Listen, I know I deserve that cold shoulder—I earned it. But I haven’t been in trouble in a long time. I’m in a program. I’m turning my life around and making amends. I just wanted to check on the kid. Noah. Is he okay? He lost his mom. Is he doing okay now?”

“He’s okay. So there, you checked,” Hannah said. “He’s adjusting pretty well, considering. It was Erin’s decision that he be placed with me and not her family. Please don’t push it.”

“Okay, but there are a couple of things you should know. Important things.”

“Like what?” Hannah asked.

“Hannah, let him just go,” Owen said.

“I’m going,” he said. “Be careful of my mother. She isn’t who she seems.” Roger backed away while he talked, then turned toward his truck. “I’m not going to bother you.”

If you met my mother, you’d like her, Erin had said. But she isn’t really who you think she is. It rang in Hannah’s memory.

Roger got in his truck and drove away.

Hannah ran to the SUV and opened the back door. “Where’s Noah?” she shouted.

“I took him to Kate’s,” Owen said. “He was dirty and tired and I wanted to get back here to pick you up. We’ll have dinner with them, then head back to the hotel. I think we’re all done here. Let’s lock up.”

“Owen, what was he doing here?” she asked, tears in her voice.

“I have no idea,” Owen said. “But damn, doesn’t he just look like trouble? I’ll be glad to get us back on home turf. Romeo might not be mean but he knows how to look scary.”

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love;

it is the prerogative of the brave.

—Mahatma Gandhi

13

It was a great relief to get back to Colorado. Hannah took Noah to check in with the doctor and physical therapist, both of whom said he was doing great. They shopped for some school clothes and a few supplies, went to Meet the Teacher Day before school started and got back into their routine.

Victoria called and asked when it would be convenient to see Noah, and Hannah politely told her it was much too soon, that Noah was very busy getting ready for school.

“But it’s been a couple of weeks!” Victoria said. “And I miss him!”

That just plain rang false to Hannah. She hadn’t seen him in his life till now. How could this have suddenly become so important? She knew the excuses—regrets, mistakes, et cetera. “I’m sorry, but we can’t fit you in just now.”

“I’d love to hear about his first week of school,” she said.

“I’ll give you a call and let you know how it goes,” Hannah said.

“I was hoping to hear it from him,” she replied.

Hannah paused dramatically. “We’ll see,” she said tiredly.

Hannah was trying to get her things settled into Owen’s beautiful house and she ran into even more things she didn’t need. Her giveaway pile grew as she let go of things that really had no place in Owen’s house. But that locked trunk in the master bedroom closet was emptied of Owen’s things and Hannah was invited to use it for her sweaters or wraps. It took her the better part of a week to settle in.

“This is as lived-in as my house has ever felt,” he said. “I love having your clothes in the closet and your pretty soaps and lotions in the bath.”

“I have work to do in Noah’s room,” she said.

“I saw. I think that room needs another bureau and some shelves.”

“Don’t you have work to do?” she asked.

“I’m planning a big catch-up once Noah is in school. For now, helping you make this your house is a priority.”

Through the last dog days of summer, late August, there was a lot of time in the lake swimming. There were fishing and reading and visiting friends and neighbors. Then first day of school finally rolled around.

And Noah couldn’t eat his breakfast.

“You really need a little something in the tummy,” Hannah said. “It’s going to be a long day.”

“I don’t feel like it’ll fit,” Noah said.

“Are you nervous?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “I think it’s way worse than that.”

“And you know what? That never changes. First day of kindergarten, first day of junior high, first day of high school, first day of college...”

“First day of a new job,” Owen said, coming from the back, rubbing a towel over his wet hair. “First days have a reputation that way.”

Noah promptly leaned over and threw up on the floor.

“Well, that should take care of an immediate problem,” Hannah said.

Noah looked up at her with watery eyes. “Hannah, what if I throw up at school?” he shrieked.

“A lot of that stuff happens in kindergarten,” Owen said, bringing paper towels to the table, wiping up. “You’re not the only nervous one, Noah. I promise.”

“I’m the only one who can’t walk,” he said.

“Are you kidding me?” Hannah said. “You get around as well and as fast as Romeo. All I have to say is, please be careful until you get the lay of the land and find out where all the bumps and holes are in the playground. Try not to crack your head open on the first day.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t go today,” he said. “I don’t know anyone there. I don’t feel scared when I have Romeo but when I don’t have no one, I could fall or throw up or... What if I... Hannah, what if I cry?”

She pulled him into her arms, kissing his cheeks. “Noah, there isn’t anything you could do today that the teacher hasn’t seen a lot of times before. The best thing to do is get that first day out of the way. Let’s get your teeth brushed and get your backpack. Let’s do this!”

“Ohhhh,” he said. But he crutched off to his bathroom.

And Hannah leaned against Owen and said, “Ohhhh.”

“He’s going to be fine,” Owen promised. “We’ll take Romeo.”

The atmosphere around the school was festive and charged with excitement of all sorts—kids running, reuniting with friends, small children clinging to their mothers or fathers, older kids walking younger siblings to the door, teachers waiting near the doors to welcome children.

Owen parked in the lot and got out of the car with Romeo on a leash. He bent down to kiss Noah on the head. “Knock ’em dead, Noah.” Then, to be manly, Owen gave him a fist bump.

“’Kay,” he said. Then he gave Romeo a loving stroke.

“Hey, that your dog?” someone said. A child of about seven or eight came over and got close. “He bite?”

“Nah, but he sometimes steps on people,” Noah said.

“Can I pet him?”

“Sure,” Noah said. “He doesn’t have a mean bone.”

The boy started running his hand from Romeo’s head, down his back. Romeo obediently sat. “He’s cool. What teacher you have?”

“Mrs. Dempsey,” Noah said.

“I had her! She’s cool. Now I’m in second grade.”

A young couple migrated over and introduced themselves as Rick and Lydia. Then suddenly a firefighter they knew stopped by with one of his kids. “Hey, Noah,” Rafe Vadas said. “First day, good for you.” Then Rafe shook hands all around.

A couple of other kids approached, making a fuss over the dog, and Romeo was in his element. It clearly gave Noah some confidence.

“Let’s get going,” Hannah said. “I want to walk with you to the classroom, make sure you find your seat and cubby for your backpack. Did we forget anything?”

He shook his head. “Can Romeo come?”

“Not in the building,” Owen said. “I’ll wait here. But I’ll bring him this afternoon when we pick you up.”

“’Kay,” he said, then bravely started off toward the doors.

Children poured in. It was noisy and disorganized. A couple of little ones cried noisily and begged their mothers not to make them go. There were women with babies bringing their older children to school. Older kids who knew the routine jumped out of cars that were dropping them off. Some rode bikes to school and they were stowed in a long bike rack. Some women were dressed for work; Owen spied a woman in hospital scrubs taking her son into the building.