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  Instead of answering, Dr. Drew stood abruptly and walked to the door, opening it. “Thank you. That’ll be all. I’ll let you know if there’s anything else.”

  Damn. Struggling to contain his disappointment, Jack pushed to his feet and left. He hunted down Sophia. Pushing away the instant pang of attraction that made him want to linger in her proximity, he kept his demeanor professional and asked her what she needed him to do.

  Her smile turned his insides to mush, but he thought he managed to keep his expression blank. He didn’t react, even when their fingers brushed as she handed him a list of chores, which sent a jolt straight to his groin.

  The rest of the day passed with busywork. He hardly saw Sophia at all, which was probably a good thing considering the strength of his attraction to her. She and the doctor appeared to stay busy with patients, although it had been quiet when Jack had returned.

  He completed everything on the list and found himself searching for more work.

  At last, Dr. Drew came through, clearly on his way out. Noticing him straightening up the reception area, he grunted. “You can go now,” he said.

  Jack nodded. He almost said he’d be staying, longing for one last glimpse of Sophia, but in the end, decided to head on home. He needed to stop thinking about a woman he couldn’t have and do some more scouting around the compound to see if he could find out where they were keeping the children.

  Since he knew Phillip—and his former construction crew coworkers—would still be hard at work and he didn’t want to fend off their questions, he headed in the opposite direction. By his calculations, he had another hour before most of the adults finished their workday and headed home. In the outside world, the kids would already be out of school and running around, but as usual, he didn’t see a single youngster. He couldn’t help but wonder why no one else seemed to find this odd.

  He walked in a direction he hadn’t previously gone, wanting to check out the perimeter. Since apparently no one ever left, he had to wonder if COE had installed some sort of electric fence as a deterrent.

  When he reached a wooden pole fence that he thought must be the extreme edge of the compound, he stopped. On the other side, the clearing continued for maybe ten or fifteen feet before the forest had been allowed to grow wild again. He inspected the fence, finding no electrical wires. As far as he could see, there was nothing to keep anyone from climbing over or going under and disappearing into the woods.

  After a quick glance around to make sure he hadn’t been observed, he decided to try. Bracing himself for the unexpected, he climbed the first pole and swung his leg over the second.

  Nothing happened.

  Mildly disappointed, he let himself drop to the ground on the other side and began walking toward the forest.

  Once he’d gotten deep enough inside the undergrowth that the fence was no longer visible, he stopped. As far as he could tell, he could continue hiking in any direction, even though he had no idea which way the road might be.

  Good to know. Which also must mean that the members of COE didn’t want to go anywhere. Were they truly that brainwashed or was it possible they were simply happy?

  Something to ponder. In the meantime, he need to figure out where they hid the children.

  He’d gotten this far. He was here for a reason and he didn’t need to allow philosophical musings or anything else distract him. Especially not a gorgeous young woman who happened to be engaged to the cult’s leader.

  Which was why, as he walked back toward the compound after his brief stint of freedom and caught sight of Sophia Hannah, he told himself not to go after her.

  Of course, he did anyway, feeling the pull of her as if she’d tethered herself to him. Since she was clear on the other side of the communal garden, he jogged in that direction.

  “Mind if I join you?” Though he slowed when he reached her, he made no effort to hide the fact that he’d had to hurry to catch her.

  She started, swinging herself around to face him. She’d clenched her hands into fists and, judging from her tense expression and narrow-eyed glare, she felt combative or defensive.

  “Did I frighten you?” he asked gently, cursing himself and his odd, compelling need to be near her.

  Slowly, she relaxed, shaking her head. “No. Just startled me. When you came running over here, I thought you were about to tell me I was needed back at the infirmary.”

  He felt like a heel. He hadn’t even thought of that.

  Some of his consternation must have showed in his face.

  “It’s okay.” She touched his arm—a quick, light touch—but enough to send a jolt through him. Just like before.

  Staring at her, he wondered if she’d felt it, too.

  “I saw you were out for a walk. Since I am, too, I thought I’d ask you if you minded if I joined you.” He smiled at her, wondering why she didn’t smile back. They’d agreed to be friends, after all.

  “We can’t hold hands,” she blurted, her face turning a becoming shade of pink. “I have to apologize for that before. I don’t know what I was thinking. I never should have—”

  “It’s okay.” Interrupting her before he did something even worse, like kiss her, he hid his smile. “You’re a good person, Sophia Hannah. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  If anything, his praise made her blush even harder.

  She muttered something under her breath that sounded like, “If you only knew.” This intrigued him, but since his goal was to make her feel comfortable, he didn’t pursue it.

  “Are you going to the barn?” he asked, surprising himself with his eagerness to share the experience with her again.

  Instantly she shook her head. “Not today. Right now is about the time when the animals are being fed and I don’t want to interfere with that. I’m just stretching my legs and getting some air.”

  With that, she began walking away. Without asking permission, he fell into place with her.

  “Busy day at work today,” he commented, more to break the silence than anything else.

  “It was, after a quiet morning.” The look she directed his way seemed cool. “You certainly made yourself scarce today.”

  He grinned. “Correction. Dr. Drew made me scarce. I had to get everything on that list he gave me.”

  “Did you?”

  “I did.”

  One of her brows rose as if she didn’t believe him. “Is that why you left early? Because you figured if you were finished with Dr. Drew’s list, you didn’t have to do anything else?”

  Maybe that explained her aloofness.

  “Dr. Drew told me to go ahead and leave,” he explained. “He said you all were done for the day.”

  “Oh.” She inhaled sharply. “I didn’t know.”

  “Was that wrong? Should I have stayed?”

  “No, that’s fine. He’s the boss, after all.” She made a dismissive gesture. “I’m sorry. I’m just having a bad day.”

  The urge to take her in his arms and somehow make everything better was way stronger than it should have been. So intense, in fact, he stepped back.

  And stopped, stunned by the quick look of hurt that flashed across her mobile, expressive face.

  “Sorry,” he said quickly. “I’ve had a bad day, too.”

  She accepted his words with a quick jerk of her head. “Walks sometimes make everything better.”

  “Have you ever gone into the woods on the other side of the fence?” he asked. “I went out there earlier today and it really seems peaceful. And beautiful, in a pristine sort of way.”

  When she didn’t immediately respond, he wondered if her next words would be taking him to task for going outside the confines of the compound.

  Instead she stopped and turned to face him. “Yes, I have. I often do. But it’s not something you should s
peak about out loud.”

  “Why not?” This time, he had to push. He truly wanted to understand if she, along with all the others who lived here, truly understood how restrictive the authorities of COE had made their lives.

  “I don’t know. But it’s kind of a guilty pleasure most of us indulge in, especially once we reach adulthood. Until we finish school, our lives are so regulated, going over that fence is a heady breath of freedom. We don’t discuss it, mainly because if the others realize how much it means to us, it can be restricted as a form of punishment.”

  The matter-of-factness in her tone astounded him. “You don’t find that...odd?”

  “It’s just the way it is.” She wrinkled her nose, the gesture so cute he found himself leaning in for a kiss. Of course the instant he realized that, he kept himself still.

  “That doesn’t mean it’s right.” Inwardly he winced, wishing instantly he could call back the words. He wasn’t there to start an insurrection.

  Clearly not caring, she shrugged. “To be honest, I have much worse things to worry about.”

  “Your upcoming marriage?”

  “That, too.” Her deep breath sounded shaky. “I was talking to Rachel and she was telling me about something that’s been happening with some children in her class.”

  “Rachel?”

  “My roommate. She’s one of the teachers here. She was very upset yesterday because a few of her students are having serious issues. Apparently they’re pretty severe.” She looked down. “She’s been a teacher for a long time and says she’s never seen anything like this before. Worse, she doesn’t know why.”

  When she raised her face to his, the hope blazing from her eyes made his heart catch. “Earlier I heard you say something about being a therapist before. Do you think maybe you could help them?”

  Chapter 7

  As Sophia gazed up at Jack, her heart pounding in her ears, she thought for one breathless second he was about to kiss her. But then, just as she’d begun leaning in, he took a step back. Hopefully her expression masked her disappointment.

  “I’ll do the best I can,” he said. “If they’ll let me. Dr. Drew asked about my experience again today, but didn’t ask for my assistance. I get the impression I can’t simply show up at the school and offer to help.”

  He had a point. “True.”

  “I have to say,” he continued. “I feel bad for the children. I wonder if the way they’re kept under such strict control has anything to do with the emotional problems beginning to surface now.”

  Puzzled, she frowned. “I’m not sure I follow. All the children are given appropriate levels of freedom for their age.”

  “Are they?” Voice harsh, he shook his head. “What does that even mean, Sophia? They’re not even allowed to run and play outside.”

  “Of course, they are. Under strict supervision, of course, but they play.”

  “When? Since I’ve been here, I haven’t seen a single kid. Not one. Not playing, not learning, not hanging out with their family, nothing. I’m not super into kids, but even I’ve noticed the complete and utter absence of childish laughter, the shouts of joy they make when running around outside, even their cries when they fall off their bikes.”

  “They have structured playtimes in an enclosed outdoor area inside the school.”

  “That’s recess, not real playtime,” he said.

  Since she wasn’t sure how to respond to that, she stayed silent.

  Which apparently suited him fine, since clearly he wasn’t finished. “Just like pets,” he continued. “You have community dogs and cats. But where are all the hamsters, guinea pigs, birds...hell, even fish? What do you people have against pets?”

  “I took you to the barn,” she pointed out. “There were animals there.”

  “Livestock. There’s a huge difference.”

  Again his words confused her. “Why? What are they good for? Ezekiel always says if an animal serves no practical purpose, it’s unnecessary. We can ride the horses, milk and eat the cows and goats. The chickens provide fresh eggs.”

  “Are you serious? Haven’t you wondered about having a pet? You love that mama cat, don’t you?”

  “No.” She lifted her chin, finding his vehemence intriguing. “Maybe a little. But I don’t understand what you mean about pets. Why don’t you tell me?”

  “Challenge accepted.” His grin made her knees go weak. “I’ll do my best but it would be so much easier if I could just show you.”

  Her breath caught when he leaned in close. “Show me?” she managed to whisper. This sparring... The jittery yet amazing way he made her feel. Was this flirting? For a second she closed her eyes. How could she not even know?

  Again, the fleeting thought of how much her life was about to change brought her back to earth. She knew once she was married to Ezekiel, she’d never get to experience whatever this was right now with Jack. She took so much pleasure in this simple give-and-take. Honestly, Jack made her feel things she’d never imagined possible for her. The swooping tug of attraction racing through her veins when their eyes met. The way her insides tumbled when she got too close to him.

  And more. So much more. This, finally, must be what it felt like to be falling in love.

  Ever since she’d become an adult, she’d listened while her friends had discussed exactly this. She’d watched as, one by one, they were claimed then married. Slightly envious, she’d waited, just knowing that someday her time would come.

  And now it had. Unfortunately, far too late.

  “Yes, show you.” Jack’s breath tickled her skin. “Because, quite honestly, there’s no way to simply describe the silky feel of your own kitten’s fur or the unbelievable sweet smell of a puppy wiggling in your arms.”

  Enthralled, she swayed toward him, aching with a fierce, savage longing that he’d take her in his arms.

  His gaze felt like a caress.

  Behind them, someone coughed. Sophia jumped, a little cry escaping her.

  “Hey, you two.” A tall, beefy young man she recognized as Jack’s roommate Phillip sauntered up. “What are you doing roaming around? Shouldn’t you be home, getting ready?”

  “I could ask you the same question,” Jack countered. “And getting ready for what?”

  Phillip’s easy grin faded as he turned his gaze on Sophia. “Aren’t you going to the cookout tonight? Your fiancé will be there.”

  Her heart fell. Once a month Ezekiel and his family hosted a huge barbecue in the center of the compound. They grilled steaks and chicken and all kinds of vegetables. In the past, she’d always looked forward to attending. This time, she’d managed to completely forget about it.

  “Cookout?” Jack asked. “I love a good grilled steak. When and where?”

  “I’ll show you,” Phillip said before turning his attention back on Sophia. “Girl, you’d better go get cleaned up. You know Ezekiel’s going to do some kind of declaration in front of everyone tonight.”

  She struggled not to let her shoulders sag. “No, I didn’t know. But you’re right, I need to rush home and get ready. Thanks for the reminder.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Unable to resist glancing once more at Jack, she thought of something else. “Jack, about your earlier question. Tonight, everyone will be in the town square. Young and old. You were wondering when the children go outside to play. Tonight you’ll get to see that in person.”

  He nodded. “Great.”

  Sickened by the sense of loss weighing her down, she nodded and spun around to head home. Even if the event tonight turned into a fiasco, she had to try to do her best, including making herself appear as pretty as possible.

  When Sophia arrived at her little house, Rachel greeted her with a shriek. “You’re running late,” she admonished. “I laid out your prettiest dre
ss. Jump in the shower and I’ll help you with your hair after.”

  Too numb to do anything but as she was told, Sophia stepped into the bathroom, undressed and got into the shower.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about the comment Jack had made earlier. Asking her why no one found their lack of freedom odd. Maybe because this life, with all the rules and routine, was all any of them had ever known. They’d been born here, grown up here and raised their own families inside the compound. She supposed the one thing that might be most instrumental in pushing away any kind of doubt was the unshakable knowledge that they were Chosen. Children of Eternity, guaranteed a spot when the Others were not.

  Since they weren’t required to attend any kind of religious services unless they wanted to—aware being Chosen lived inside them and didn’t need reinforcing—Sophia hadn’t thought about the Others since learning this doctrine in school as a child.

  Technically, Jack was Other. He’d come from outside. She wasn’t sure exactly what he’d had to do to become Chosen.

  This made her wonder how many Others had come into COE’s fold. Was Jack the first or were there more? If there were, she hadn’t ever heard of any.

  Jack might very well be the first. She didn’t understand why Thomas had brought him here, actually. Jack didn’t seem to be actively searching for any sort of redemption and, as far as she knew, had never mentioned a desire to become Chosen.

  As true to her status as Chosen, she should be worried for him. But she couldn’t seem to summon up anything other than curiosity rather than concern. From what she knew of him, Jack was good and had a kind heart, not to mention ruggedly handsome.

  And sexy, a little voice whispered inside her head. Ignoring it, she hurried through her shower so she could rush through the rest of her preparations for the evening ahead.

  Ninety minutes later, wearing a flattering, long cotton dress that hugged her curves, Sophia surveyed herself as best she could in Rachel’s hand mirror and nodded. “I guess it’ll have to do,” she said.

  Rachel, wearing a similar dress in a darker color, sighed. “Soph, if you could only see yourself right now. I’d give anything to look as good as you do.”