Chapter 2
Six months later . . .
Nellie took a deep breath and turned off the light in her office at the school.
Summer break, thank goodness. It was only a half day, but it seemed to go so slowly as she watched the clock tick down to noon.
And even better, Ingram had signed the final divorce papers this morning and Sue Ellen would be on her way to sign them herself. It would be over in an hour.
What a horrible six months it had been, but the end was in sight. Ingram had blustered, fought everything Sue Ellen asked for, withheld spousal support, withheld child support, and had been a complete and unrelenting asshole. Not that Nellie had expected anything less.
The town had ostracized them both too. All thanks to the Faust family.
Nellie was asked to leave her book club.
Sue Ellen was kicked out of the country club.
Even their parents turned against them and sided with Ingram.
Probably so they’d keep their social standing.
Nellie and Sue Ellen were shunned by the town, but Sue Ellen had gone back to school online to complete her education degree and had rented a cute little house a couple of blocks away from Nellie.
She and the kids had moved in a month ago.
“Aunt Nell!” Tally called out as she walked out of the school hand in hand with her brother.
James had become very protective of his family, especially his sister, since Sue Ellen filed for divorce.
He was afraid his father would return for them and had sadly lost that magical innocence of youth.
Ingram had visitation with the kids, but rarely showed up for his visits.
The kids didn’t seem to mind. “It’s summer break! ” Tally yelled.
Nellie chuckled. She didn’t think summer break mattered much to an almost four-year-old.
James smiled indulgently, looking way older than his almost seven years.
Both had birthdays coming up this summer, but Nellie hated how James rarely laughed anymore.
She was working with him in a professional manner, but knew it was a long road ahead for him to overcome the trauma his father put him through.
“It is summer break. Should we celebrate by playing in the sprinklers?”
“Yay!” Tally jumped up and down as Nellie tried to calm her down enough to get her strapped into the car seat.
“I just need to have my blood drawn for a follow-up lab, then I’m all yours for the afternoon,” Nellie told them as she drove to Griffith’s practice, praying the entire way he wasn’t there today. “Stick close to me, okay?”
Tally nodded, talking about blood and wondering if her dolly needed her blood taken. “I don’t think she does. I wasn’t taking my vitamins, so this is a test to make sure I am.”
Tally wrinkled her nose. She hated their chewable vitamins, but maybe this would help her get over that.
Nell had found out on her last visit that she didn’t process vitamin B because she lacked a gene so she had to take these chewable B vitamins with folate in them.
That and her vitamin D was also low. She had to admit, she thought that was all nonsense, but she had so much more energy after taking those two vitamins over the past six months.
James took Tally’s other hand as the receptionist led them back to the lab. The nurse was already there, pulling out the needle for the blood draw. Nell held her breath, silently urging her to hurry up.
“Just a little prick,” the nurse smiled. Nellie assumed she meant the needle because Griffith was a huge prick.
“Eww,” Tally said, making a gross face.
“All done!” the nurse said cheerfully.
“Great!” Nellie hardly gave her time to wrap her arm before she grabbed the kids by the hands and rushed from the clinic as the nurse unlocked the metal lab container and placed her blood tests in it for later pickup. Luckily, they made it out of the parking lot without seeing Griffith.
Tally was chattering about her last day of school as James sat quietly and listened.
Nellie turned down the street to their house.
They were going to stop and get swimsuits for the kids, but Nellie wanted to roll her eyes.
Her sister’s minivan was still parked in the small driveway.
Sue Ellen couldn’t be on time if her life depended on it.
She should be halfway to the attorney’s office by now.
“Look. There’s Mommy,” James Avery said, pointing to where the front door was now open and a harried-looking Sue Ellen was standing in the open doorway as she dug around in her giant tote-sized purse.
Suddenly, there was a flash from the driveway and the loudest boom Nellie had ever heard. She had been watching Sue Ellen and saw her fly backward, hitting the partially open door, and falling into the house.
The kids screamed and the bumper of the minivan landed on the hood of Nellie’s car. This time it wasn’t only the kids screaming as the minivan was engulfed in flames and debris was falling all around them.
Sue Ellen looked up with wide eyes. Their eyes connected, and their brains linked.
Sue Ellen was pushing herself up as Nellie ignored the screaming kids and sprang from the car to shove the bumper off her hood.
“He tried to kill me!” Sue Ellen yelled as they stared at the burning minivan.
“I was supposed to be driving right now!”
Nellie heard sirens. They couldn’t trust anyone, especially the sheriff. “Grab all the important documents for you and the kids and get your ass in my car!”
Sue Ellen didn’t bother responding. She raced inside and Nellie kept her eyes on the street as she heard the sirens growing louder. “Got them!” Sue Ellen yelled as she ran for the car.
“Mommy!” The children were crying hard, but Nellie couldn’t comfort them right now. She put the car in reverse and turned the wheel hard. Her car spun in a tight circle and then she floored it as soon as she got it in drive.
“It’s okay, babies,” Sue Ellen said gently and with total calm. A total calm Nellie wasn’t feeling right now. “Mommy’s not hurt. Now, let’s sing the car song as Aunt Nell drives us on an adventure. We’re going to have so much fun with this surprise trip!”
The kids began to sniffle as her sister turned back to the front. “I can’t believe he tried to kill me,” she whispered. “Where are we going?”
Nellie didn’t know, but she slowed down and tried to act normal as police and fire trucks flew by them. “I don’t . . . is that Ingram?” Nellie hissed as the kids began to sing some song about trips in the car.
Nellie didn’t slow down as Ingram’s luxury sports car sped by.
It didn’t matter that he was going double the speed limit—time completely stood still as he turned his head and their eyes met.
Then everything sped up. Ingram jerked his wheel and they heard tires squealing, even over the kids singing and the sirens.
“He’s following us,” Nellie hissed just as Sue Ellen’s phone rang.
“It’s him.” Sue Ellen’s voice was flat as she stared at the phone. Her whole body began to shake and Nellie wanted to kill him so badly, but she had to protect her sister, as well as her niece and nephew. So, instead of killing him, she sped up. “What are you doing?”
“Heading to Charleston. Maybe the police can help us there. Or, at least, your attorney.”
However, the more Nellie sped up, the more Ingram sped up. They were flying out of the small town of Holland Springs and driving south on the country road that eventually led to Charleston, sixty miles away.
The road’s traffic thinned out the farther they got from the town. There was nothing but one other small town that made Holland Springs seem big. Then in thirty miles or so was Shadows Landing, before they would reach Charleston.
“Nell!” Sue Ellen screamed a moment before she felt the impact. Ingram was trying to ram them off the road!
Nell tightened her grip on the steering wheel to prevent the car from swerving out of control.
The kids screamed again and Nell cursed as she saw Ingram move to bump her again.
“Hang on!” Nell pushed the gas pedal to the floor.
There was no chance she’d outrun him, but maybe she could outmaneuver him.
There was a slightly curvy section coming up. She just had to make it there.
Nellie glanced at the speedometer and felt as if she were living a different life when she saw she was going 110 mph.
She was a psychologist in a small town. She was not someone who had to race for their lives as if she were a race car driver.
The miles flew by at this speed. Ingram was hanging with her but had fallen back a couple of car lengths.
The road began to curve again. Just a little, but she knew what was ahead, and yet she didn’t slow down. The first curve was a slow and steady one that seemed to go on forever. Her little car hugged the curve like the sports car Ingram actually had.
“He’s dropping back!” Sue Ellen said with excitement and relief. But that only meant Nellie had to keep driving.
She had to slow to 80 mph for the next section. It was ugly and thank goodness there weren’t any cars coming in the opposite direction as she took the curves, often drifting into the oncoming lane.
Nellie risked a glance into her rearview mirror. They were through the curves now, and she’d gained some distance, but Ingram was gaining on her through the straightaway.
Up ahead to the left, she saw a long driveway. A single boat was tied to the dock at the end of the drive. A house was nearby, but it looked empty. Nellie yanked the wheel and they spun down the side street. “What are you doing?” Sue Ellen yelled.
“We’re stealing a boat!” She didn’t stop until her car was at the dock. “Get the kids!”
Nellie grabbed her purse and her keys. She sprinted down the wooden dock, her feet echoing off the worn planks. Soon she heard the kids and Sue Ellen behind her. There was the sound of Ingram’s tires spinning as he turned hard down the drive.