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Joy’s heart broke that these children had already lived through something so traumatic. She had a fresh perspective on what trauma like that could do. Crinkling noises let her know the little girl was rifling through the snack bag from Pastor Sol.

The boy pulled her hand away. “You can’t do that, Celie,” he told the child. “That’s not ours.”

“No, it's alright,” Joy assured him. She opened the bag so all the contents were visible. “Get whatever you like best.”

The girl dug through the goodies and came out with a large package of peanut butter cups. “Yum, those are my favorite, too. Here, take another one.”

She invited the boy to grab a few things as well. “Nah, that's okay. You keep your stuff. But thanks for sharing with Celie.”

“I’m happy to,” Joy said. “So, now I know Celie. What’s your name?”

“Reggie.”

“Well, Reggie. It must make your mom feel great knowing you are here to look after your little sister.”

Reggie’s eyes dimmed. “I hope so. She’s been through a lot to keep us together.”

Joy’s eyes stung. There was too much sadness and hardship in the world. It was a reminder that what she was going through might be hard, but it was easier than what many were enduring.

She stuck out her hand. Reggie stared at it a moment, then clasped it and gave her hand a shake.

They chatted for a while. Long enough to learn that Celie, Reggie, and their mom, Michelle, were long-term residents. Reggie had been looking forward to starting high school next fall. Michelle had gotten a waitressing job at a local Jenny’s Diner there in Wilder with the hope of renting an apartment by then.

Celie tugged on Reggie’s shirt and pointed to the window framing a swingset. Someone wanted to play.

“I can’t right now, Celie girl. It’s too cold outside, and besides, it’s dark. Why don’t I take you to go potty, then I’ll read some more until you fall back asleep.”

At his sister’s nod, he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom in the hall. Joy should probably follow Reggie’s advice for his sister, but she couldn’t get everything Celie and her brother had endured out of her mind. Deciding a walk around the town might settle her mind, she put her coat back on and headed out. Maybe she could even find an all-night store to buy some treats to leave with the kids before she left the next day.

When she walked by Reggie’s cot, she slipped seventy-five dollars of the hundred she’d earned that day into the backpackunder his bed. She really didn’t have money to spare, what with her needing to leave town tomorrow, but Reggie and Celie’s mother was doing everything she could and needed help more than her.

Being attacked and abandoned by the people who were supposed to love you was awful. If she could help, even a little, she wanted to do it. It took half an hour to find a convenience store, but they had exactly what she was looking for. Once she had what she wanted, she took everything to the checkout counter.

She pulled out her wallet to pull some cash from the emergency pocket behind her credit card. The one she hadn’t used since she left Nameless. The one no longer in her wallet.

Where was her credit card? When was the last time she’d seen it? She ignored her racing heart and tried to remember.

As she drove into Wilder the day before, she was relieved to see a large gas station since she was running on fumes. Ten minutes later, her gas was pumped, and she’d been tempted to use her credit card because her cash was so low. She’d spotted the flyer for the Friendsgiving and used the rest of her cash for the gas.

She knew better than to use her card because, hello, true crime documentaries educated people. She’d be painting a bright red target on her back if she used her card. As the manager of the bank his father owned, Eddie would no doubt be watching her account. He might find her eventually, but she wasn’t making it easy for him.

But now her card was gone. Had she dropped it at the gas station? Apologizing to the clerk, she left the candy on the counter and raced back to the church where she’d left her car.

The steering wheel slipped through her trembling fingers more than once as she drove to the gas station. The attendant on duty wasn’t the same man who’d been there before. He couldn’t find her card but said he’d call if they found it.

Turned out that when a person hyperventilated in eighteen-degree weather, their lungs burned like they were breathing fire. But Joy couldn’t control her breathing. She blamed her racing heart.

Calm down, Calliope Joy. You don’t know what happened.

Her mama always told her not to borrow trouble from tomorrow because today had enough of its own. The people at the gas station would probably call tomorrow. And even if they didn’t, it could be anywhere. Probably. And she wasn’t going to be in Wilder after tomorrow anyway.

CHAPTER 4

Chance tossed yet another bale of hay onto the frozen ground of the western pasture. The sun wasn’t even up yet, so why the fuck was he? Because he wasn’t getting any sleep anyway, that’s why. He might as well get some work done.

He should have let her spend the night at the ranch. Had she made it to the shelter in Wilder? Had she gotten any sleep? Was she safe? He was such an ass. He told himself he didn't want her to stay for the safety of those at the ranch. But was it the ranch he was worried about or himself?

The ranch had been his sole responsibility for the past seven years. Sure, everyone pitched in to help, but he was the one who made the decisions. If everything fell apart, if they lost the family ranch, that was all on him.