Safe Haven

Chapter 4

"Wait inside the SUV. I'll make sure it's safe."

He could feel Hayley's impatience as he walked toward the cabin. The glass in the front door hadn't been broken. He looked through the dirt-stained windows. All he could see was five years' worth of dust and cobwebs covering everything.

The door to the SUV snapped shut.

If Hayley ever listened to him, it would be a miracle. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Can we come inside? Mom needs to use the bathroom."

He gave the outside of the house one last look before walking toward her. "I'll help your mom. She might be stiff after traveling in the car."

He opened the door and helped Alice to her feet.

Alice looked around the property. Her gaze rested on the old wooden swing on the porch. "Have I been here before?"

"No," Hayley said. "This is Tank's house. We're going to stay here for a few days."

She looked around the yard and shook her head. "You need to mow your lawn. It's a little messy."

Tank almost smiled. The grass was past his knees and the garden was non-existent. "I'll fix it later today, Alice."

She shuffled forward, clutching his arm like a lifeline.

Hayley walked beside them. "Do you have a key for the door?"

He handed her his key ring. "It's the big silver one. Be careful where you step."

"I'm not afraid of spiders."

"Good to know. Just watch the stairs in front of you. I should have replaced some of the boards five years ago."

She looked down. "It adds to the charm."

She didn't know it, but her softly spoken words made his reunion with the cabin a lot easier. He'd spent some of the best and worst times of his life here.

Alice's hand tightened on his. "This is such a lovely house. It reminds me of my first home. Nathaniel planted wildflowers for me."

"It sounds as though your husband had a romantic streak."

"He still does," Alice said a little wistfully. "He's a wonderful man."

By the time they made it inside, Hayley was coming out of the bathroom. "Have you got any towels? I'll wipe the cobwebs off the toilet seat."

He pointed to a closet. "Look in there. I left most of Granddad's things in the cabin."

While Hayley hunted for the towels, he helped Alice down the hallway.

"Found them." Hayley closed the doors and followed them into the bathroom. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"I'll need to turn on the generator. Hopefully, the water pump is still working."

Hayley reached for her mom. "I can look after Alice."

"Turn a tap on in ten minutes and we'll see what happens. I'll be in the shed behind the house if you need me."

He left Hayley and her mom in the bathroom. If the generator and pump didn't work, they'd really be living off-grid.

His granddad used to call the wooden shed his powerhouse. When he'd installed the water system it was state-of-the-art technology and had never let them down.

Tank took a can of fuel out of his SUV and walked to the back of the property.

The old wooden shed looked safe and secure. One of his neighbors checked the property once a month, but the cabin's isolation still worried him. It wouldn't take much for someone to break in and take what wasn't theirs.