Right quick.” Tom closed the door of her room and leaned back against it. Three pairs of eyes watched her, and Lily had never felt the weight of being the oldest as heavily as she did now. The four of them had hidden in the shadows at the top of the stairs, listening while the adults argued for a long time. When the sheriff left with the other man, Uncle Jarrod went out the kitchen door and slammed it, rattling the windows. He was mad as a wet hornet about that man taking them away. It made her feel good inside to know Uncle Jarrod wanted them that much and was dead set against splitting them up. Mama would be sad if they weren’t together. But their other uncle seemed just as bent on taking them away. Now in her room, the other three were looking to her to figure something out. She had no idea what to do. “Should we run away?” Oliver asked, taking his thumb out of his mouth. Tom glared at the younger boy. “That’s a dumb idea.” “We did it before, in the back of Abby’s wagon.”
