The One Safe Place Read Online Free

amusing them with stories of how Vanity Gap got its name, and the history of the four “season” houses of Firefly Glen.
    They would be staying in one of those special mansions—the Autumn House. Parker spent a lot of time describing the place, somehow making it sound both cozy and grand. Out of the corner of her eye, Faith could see that Spencer had tilted forward slightly, so that he wouldn’t miss a word.
    Parker was very smooth. By the time they reached the bottom of the mountain, Faith had relaxed considerably, and she could see that even Spencer’s knuckles were no longer clenched white and bloodless.
    â€œThis is Main Street,” Parker said as they turned into a shopping area so quaint it might have been in a picture book of charming European villages.
    Faith’s first impression was of clean, sparklingcolor. It had rained earlier, and gleaming cobblestones wound their way through storefronts decorated with garlands of autumn leaves. Golden chrysanthemums frothed out of pots at every door and late-season daisies flowered in a hundred hanging planters.
    â€œIt’s very pretty,” she said inadequately. Actually, it was far more than that. It was like the schoolbook illustration for Our Happy Hometown.
    Warm and welcoming, a little jeweled paradise where surely everyone was generous and good, and nothing ever went wrong.
    But it was, of course, merely an illusion. No such Eden existed, she knew that. Even a town this beautiful had its secrets, its tears, its cruelties behind closed doors. In spite of the mountains that stood guard on every side, illness and evil and despair had undoubtedly found their way into Firefly Glen, just as they had into every other place on earth.
    But none of that was visible on the surface. And a couple of months ago, before Doug Lambert had come into their lives, she might have believed it.
    Parker seemed to believe it still. He clearly adored his little town. His voice was warm as he pointed out its special features.
    â€œMain Street wraps around the Town Square. See that central area? It stretches from the church at the north end to the hotel at the south. That’s the heart of the town. All the fun stuff happens here. We’ll be having a Halloween party here next month.”
    He glanced in the rearview mirror. “It’s the bestparty in the world. Great rides, great games and enough cotton candy to make you puke pink.”
    Faith thought she heard a noise from the back seat. It might have been a muffled giggle. But when she turned around, Spencer was studying the tag on Tigger’s collar, and he didn’t even seem to have heard.
    â€œSounds delightful,” she said dryly, watching the long, open green square pass by. The streets were lined with maple trees that had already begun to hint at autumn color. It would undoubtedly be gorgeous at the height of the fall. “But we probably won’t be—”
    She stopped herself before she could finish the thought. We won’t be here then, she had been about to say. Halloween was a whole month away, so surely…
    But the truth was, she didn’t really know what the future held. She had no idea when—or if—the police would catch Doug Lambert. She had no idea when she and Spencer could go home.
    And it was extremely important that she never, ever mislead the little boy. She mustn’t ever get his hopes up, only to dash them later. He had suffered so much shock, so much loss that he didn’t trust anything or anyone anymore.
    She was going to have to work very hard to win back even a little of that sweet trust he used to give so freely.
    â€œIt sounds terrific,” she repeated, without the wryness. “Maybe we’ll go, if we’re still here at Halloween.”
    And as soon as she said the words, a voice in the back of her head added another thought…the kind of sickening thought she’d never had before Grace’s death. The kind of