was falling. He wondered if he’d hit solid ground soon.
When he woke up, he was in the hospital with a dozen bruises, four broken ribs and a collapsed lung. The memory of what it meant to be part of a family rang in his ears.
Jeremy nudged Jacob. “Dad asked you a question.”
Jacob glanced at Jeremy, then at Bobby. “I don’t have anything to say to you.”
“He was trying to be nice,” Jeremy whispered.
Jacob put his hand inside his jacket pocket. He wanted to run. Not just from Meg and Bobby, but from himself. He wrapped his fingers around the handle of the gun. A calmness began to soothe his adrenaline surge.
He had power, ultimate control. He could shoot Bobby in the back of the head right now. He’d lose control of the steering. The car would roll out of control. They’d all be dead. One shot, that’s all he’d need.
Jeremy knew Jacob was hiding something in his coat pocket. Whatever it was, he’d had it for several months. Whenever he touched it, Jacob’s eyes got this funny, glazed look that scared him. He didn’t know what he’d do if his brother left. He didn’t want to find out what life would be like without Jacob because it couldn’t be good.
“Promise me you won’t do nothin’ stupid,” Jeremy said in a low voice.
“I won’t.”
“Promise.”
“I promise.”
Jeremy had always trusted Jacob, until now. His brother was lying. His promises weren’t real. It was like everything solid in his life had turned to wax and it was all melting away. He wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t.
“Anyone have to go to the bathroom?” Meg asked when they had been on the road about an hour.
The boys shook their heads.
Meg felt hot tears slide from her eyes, hidden behind dark glasses. It was the continued sniffing that Bob noticed. He reached over and took her hand in his. Meg’s lower lip began to quiver. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
Why was all this happening now? They were finally into a rhythm of normalcy. The boys were doing well in school. She and Bob had their schedules synced up so one of them was home when the boys got home in the afternoon. Everything was going so well.
Meg thought back to therapy sessions they’d had, both individual and family. Jeremy was a chatterbox, always willing to tell details of events, even when they weren’t pretty. Getting Jacob to share was always harder. He would give the basics, but anything more had to be pried out of him with a crowbar.
How deep must it go? If the things he’d shared were only the tip of the iceberg, just what horrible memories did he live with every day? And, how do you survive something like that? How do you help someone survive something like that?
Meg grabbed her phone and began composing an e-mail to her counselor. The answers weren’t going to simply fall from the sky. This wasn’t just Jacob’s problem, it was a family issue and it would take all of them working together to find some kind of answers.
Meg glanced over her shoulder at Jacob. He was listening to his iPod, one hand in his pocket. He looked peaceful, almost serene. She wondered what he was thinking about.
Chapter Nine
The second stop was uneventful. The boys were unusually quiet, setting Meg’s nerves on edge. A fact she shared with her friends while they were in the restroom.
“I wish they’d say something, anything. This silence is driving me crazy.”
“Be thankful for it,” Court said. “It could be so much worse, with yelling and gnashing of teeth.”
“Have you ever seen someone gnash their teeth?” Purity asked. “It’s an odd saying, don’t you think?”
“The point is, they’re not trying to get away from you and they’re not swearing at you. They’re safe. Let’s all just be thankful for that.”
Meg shrugged. “I guess. I wish we were back home. If they take off now, we wouldn’t even know where to look to find them.”
Purity put her arm around Meg’s shoulders. “They’re not going anywhere. Once we get to the Double Y, our focus will change. You’ll see. Things will get better.”
“Pure’s right. Once they start roping and wrangling, they won’t have to time to sit and stew.”
“Like a chicken,” Meg said.
“What?” Purity said.
“You said stew and I said like a chicken. Chicken stew, get it?”
“But I wasn’t talking about an animal.”
“I know, Meggie. It was supposed to be a joke. Bad timing.”
“Bad joke,” Court said.
“Come on, let’s get