All my vulnerable woe flits away into panic as I realize what Jake intends to do. Jake boxes and practices martial arts as a fitness regime, and he used to be a scrapper in his teens, always in trouble. I know he’s a fighter, but I’m still beyond terrified. Ray and Jake are equally matched in body size, similar in height, and definitely in aggression, so there’s no telling what the outcome will be, and I can’t bear it.

Jake can run like the wind. I tear after him screaming his ...