Coming Home for Christmas by Max Hudson

Author:Max Hudson [Hudson, Max]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-09T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

The police had come and gone hours ago. At least they had been reasonable. Stewart had been impressed at how respectful they were toward Megan as she told them the reasons why she had left. Both officers looked sympathetic the more she talked. Considering the shouts from the Rodney house had been heard by pretty much everyone in the street, Stewart could only imagine what their own opinions on Miles Rodney would be right now.

The good news was that they weren’t going to force her to go home. Megan was free to stay where she was if she wished, which Megan was very eager to do. The bad news was Miles would know where she was, and he would make sure everyone knew he was intending on getting her back. Rumors coming from him spread around the area very quickly; while people knew of his temper, somehow, he kept a level of respectability and they believed him when one of his children became wayward.

From Stewart’s perspective, that’s what it always felt like.

Shortly after the cops left, Megan headed out the back door. She wanted to go and see her friend Stacey but was too nervous to go out the front way, so Stewart pointed her to the back streets where she could come out into a cul-de-sac where she could meet her friend. Better than going out the front door and having her parents follow her and drag her back.

This was a mess. So much for a quiet, happy Christmas. The Rodney family’s Christmas had been full of drama and just in twenty-four hours.

Shortly after Megan left, there was a knock at the door. Stewart took a deep breath and headed into the hall. If it was Miles and Lynn, he wasn’t letting them in. He would happily call the cops back if they tried to force their way in. Stewart may have been smaller than Miles Rodney, but he wasn’t about to lie down and roll over for him.

But it wasn’t Miles. Jonathan stood on the porch, hands shoved in his pockets, shoulders hunched over in the cold, his jacket collar turned up. The snow had turned to mush again around his feet, clinging to his boots. He gave Stewart a lopsided smile.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Stewart didn’t need to wait. He beckoned Jonathan inside. Jonathan stepped into his house with a heavy sigh, stomping the mush off his boots. Then he shrugged out of his jacket, which Stewart took from him.

“Would you mind taking your boots off? I don’t want wet footprints everywhere.”

“Sure.” Jonathan knelt down and started to untie the laces. “Where’s Megan?”

“She went out to see her friend Stacey a few moments ago.”

“How was she with the cops?”

“Fine.” Stewart hung up Jonathan’s jacket, resisting the urge to stroke the soft fabric. “They seemed very happy about her version of things, and Officer Price said they wouldn’t force her back, only to let her parents know that she was safe for peace of mind.”

Jonathan snorted.

“That’s not going to go down well.

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