With a prod from Officer Barnes, Ray was led away and slowly Luke released Katie. Jarrod, still fuming, kicked at the broken glass and muttered under his breath about women who didn’t have the common sense of fleas.

With Dean in the back seat, the police cruiser pulled away and a few neighbors who had gathered in the yard peeked inside. One, Leona Cartwright, an elderly woman with keen eyes and a hearing aid that helped her miss nothing that was going on in the neighborhood, admitted calling the police when she heard the commotion. “I just thank the Lord that you weren’t hurt,” she said, basking in the bit of glory that came with being the person to inform the authorities. “I just knew something wasn’t right.”

“Thanks.”

“You’ll write about this in the paper, no doubt.”

“No doubt,” Katie confirmed and Leona, like a preening peacock, beamed, looking from one of her neighbors to the next.

Luke didn’t leave Katie’s side and by the time the mess was cleaned up, they’d given statements at the police station and had returned home, it was nearly ten o’clock.

Katie, exhausted, was greeted by her entire family. Her father and mother, half-brothers and half-sisters were all milling and pacing around her kitchen, their faces drawn, lines of worry etching their features. At the sight of her sliding out of the Jeep, the family poured onto the back porch.

“Katie, oh, thank God!” Brynnie, smelling of cigarette smoke and perfume, dashed through the door and down the porch steps to fold her only daughter into her arms. “I was so worried.”

“We all were,” John said as Luke, who had parked behind the Jeep Katie had been driving, walked slowly across the lawn. He hung back, letting the family surround her while Jarrod’s truck screeched to a stop. Rushing over to join the rest of the family, he was still wearing the role of protective older brother.

“I’m okay, Mom,” Katie assured Brynnie.

“Thank God.” Again, Brynnie’s arms tightened around her, then she let them drop. “You’re still my baby, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Lord, what I wouldn’t do for a cigarette.”

“Mom!” The screen door opened and banged shut. Josh flew down the steps to hurtle himself into Katie’s arms.

Her throat was suddenly swollen, at the gesture of her son. She blinked hard and silently thanked God for her boy.

“Hi, bud.”

“Are you okay?”

“Fine, fine.” She kissed Josh’s crown and for once he didn’t seem embarrassed that his mother was displaying her heartfelt affection for him.

“What happened? I thought you were just going to try and rent the house.” His eyes were wide and now that the worry of her safety was over, he was keyed in on the fact that his mother was some kind of heroine.