Swinging the unlit lantern, she made her way down the tall, wide, winding staircase, counting each step—twenty-four—as she went. When she reached the bottom, she turned left and went through the great room, past the fireplace, where, suddenly, she heard a low, growling sound. She stopped. And froze.

A dog?

A raccoon?

A skunk? Did skunks even growl?

For the second time that night, Annie’s heart began thumping. She wasn’t sure which way to turn. But all she could see in the starlight shimmering through the windows was a pile of tarps that Kevin must have left by the doorway that led to the kitchen and the back door.

She wished she had a broom and a bucket. She wondered if she could shoo away whatever the growling intruder was with one swipe of the lantern.

Sucking in a quiet breath, she slinked toward the sound, “like a darn fool,” her mother Ellen would have said. Annie listened. The sound stopped for a moment, then resumed.

She moved closer.

When she reached the tarps, she hit the on switch; the beam flared down from the lantern onto the floor. And there, curled in a ball, white hair spiking up, was Earl. Asleep. And snoring.

“Earl!” she squealed.

He shook his head, no doubt clearing cobwebs. He opened his eyes and saw her. “Hey! You scared the hell out of me!”

Exasperated, Annie plunked down beside him. “What are you doing here?”

He rubbed his eyes. “I’m on guard. My son ordered me to come. He might even have deputized me, though I’m not sure about that. He told me what happened. I told him Kevin was in the cottage with your mom. And John didn’t want you up here alone.”

John, she whispered to herself. So he wasn’t angry with her after all. She smiled. John. Donna. Kevin. Earl. As much as Annie believed she could take care of herself, it was nice to have protectors all around her.

* * *

Sometimes it was hard to believe that she was there. In her daughter’s home. In her daughter’s bed.

It had not been an easy journey. It was not easy still. Donna had, after all, never been comfortable telling a lie. She tried hard not to, and yet . . .