You Can't Hide by Theresa Sneed (uplifting novels TXT) 📕

be included in that part of Sally’s and Nancy’s lives. She joined them in their warm hug. She looped her arm through Nancy’s and led her to the door where Sam, Karen and Todd waited.

Nancy’s eyes widened when she saw Sam. “Oh, my. I thought . . . I heard . . .” Realization struck her. “You’re alive,” she breathed out softly, as if in a trance.

Sudden tears rimmed Nancy’s eyes, and Elle understood why. Sam had been the one to rescue her from Merrick’s underground prison.

Nancy looked awestruck. “This is what it’ll be like when they see us again . . . amazement beyond description.”

“Yep. I had a little of that myself,” Sam said, embracing Nancy.

“I’ll bet you did,” Nancy said, pulling Sally near.

Elle gestured toward Karen and Todd standing at the door. “These are our friends—”

Nancy drew in a breath. “Oh, yes! The FBI told me all about them.” She gave them a wave. Sally took her hand and led her to the cottage door.

Karen cleared her throat. “I’ve, uh, we’ve heard so much about you.”

Nancy took her hands. “What you’ve been through, is horrendous—and I’m just grateful that you were there for each other.” She glanced at Todd and smiled.

Inside the cottage, Nancy took a look around. “It’s lovely, and the gardens—” She parted the curtains and looked out at the veranda, alive with spring blossoms set in large, clay pots. Past the porch, the yard stretched out deep and wide, edged with trees, sloping down a long, gentle hill. At the base of the hill, green pastures laced together, dotting the countryside like a patchwork quilt in varying shades of green.

Nancy looked back over her shoulder. “No neighbors?”

Sam shook his head. “Not for miles. Todd and Karen’s place is about two miles down the street across from us.”

Nancy drew in a long breath. “It’s perfect.” She pointed far away. “And you have a castle.” Past the meadows and trees, another hill ascended in the distance. Atop that hill, a quaint castle rose to the sky, the setting sun casting shimmering rays of light against its stone walls.

Sally puffed up. “Yep. Our very own castle.”

Nancy reached inside her purse. “Oh. That reminds me. I’ve kept these,” she said softly. “And now I can return them to their rightful owner.” She pulled two fairies out of her purse.

She must have gotten them from Grammie Gwen, thought Elle. The thought of Grammie saddened her, but Sally’s excitement quickly wiped that away.

“My fairies! My fairies!” Sally pulled them near, but then she frowned. “I wish I hadn’t lost my other one.”

Karen knelt down beside her. “You lost the blue fairy?”

Sally sighed. “Yes. Back at that bad cabin, when we were running away from the fire.”

Nancy’s smile faded. “Oh. Oh, dear,” she said. “Well, we’ll have to buy you another one.”

Sally threw her arms around Nancy’s neck. “Thanks, Mother.” She grabbed her hand. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Karen patted Sally on the head. “She just got here, Sweetheart.” But Sally was not to be stopped, and finally they all left to look for another fairy, hopefully, just like the one she’d lost.

Though they left the cottage together, Sam and Todd bowed out of the fairy-hunt, saying they had man-shopping to do.

Elle didn’t mind, in fact, she welcomed the girl-time with Nancy, Karen, and Sally, but when the boys didn’t return until the evening, she was a little perturbed.

It was going on 7:00 pm, when their car pulled into the drive and Sam and Todd got out. Sally ran up to them and jumped into Sam’s arms. “Look!” She thrust her new fairy toward him. He swung her around and then sat her down, a mischievous look on his face. He was so easy to read. Elle smirked. “Okay, Sam, what’s up?”

He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Todd grinned from ear-to-ear.

Karen put her hands on her hips. “Where have you two been?”

Todd glanced over at Sam. “Should we tell them?”

Karen grimaced. “Uh, yeah.”

Sam shook his head. “Nah, I think we should show them.” Sam took Sally by the hand. “Bring your fairy, she’s going to like this.” He looked over at Nancy, who was reading a book on the couch. “You have to come, too.”

They didn’t go very far, and soon, Elle knew where they were headed—the castle. She had to admit that taking Sally with her new fairy to a castle was a sweet surprise. They’d been in Ireland for several months, and had only seen it from a distance, as it was an occupied castle passed down through an old family line.

Elle looked up at the castle’s glistening towers. “Oh, it’s so beautiful.”

Sally grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him forward. “I love it! It’s a real fairy castle.”

Elle grinned. “All castles are.” Still, she felt a little uncomfortable, like they were trespassing. The castle wasn’t open to tourism. A prominent family lived there. The little she knew about the elderly couple that lived there, was that they didn’t have any children, which seemed terribly sad to Elle.

Most of the cottages in the village were owned by the couple. They had an agreeable reputation as being warm and kind. That’s why it didn’t surprise Elle when the owners met them in the driveway. What did surprise her was that they seemed to be expecting them.

The woman extended her hand. “Hello. I’m Mimi, and this is my husband, Jacques. We welcome you to our home.” Her eyes fell upon Sally, and she bent down. “You must be Sally.”

Elle was miffed. How did Mimi know Sally’s name?

Mimi touched the fairy’s wings. “She’s beautiful.” She gestured toward the large double doors. “Won’t you please come in? I try to welcome all of my tenants into the castle, when they first arrive.”

Elle’s shoulders relaxed. Mimi would obviously know who lived in her cottages.

Jacques’ eyes twinkled. “Let me show you around.” He walked from room to room, explaining some of the elaborate architecture. “Mimi grew up here,” he said, in a thick French