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“She’s raising her two brothers. They’re with us tonight. I don’t know quite what the situation is just yet, but are you still in touch with your social worker friends?”
“Still play bridge with Carol every two weeks,” she answers. I didn’t know that, but I’m not surprised. One of my brothers must take her to those games.
“We might need their help at some point,” I admit. Evie said their mom wasn’t in the picture, and that makes the situation even harder. I plan to help her get legal custody of the boys.
“You let me know when it’s time to reach out,” Mom says. She’s a hell of a gossip, but you can count on her to keep her mouth shut when it matters.
I nod my thanks. “Since the boys are over at my place tonight, I was thinking about how you used to fill those backpacks.”
She beams at me. “Oh, you’re right! Just made up a dozen to donate. Let me go grab those.”
She wheels her motorized wheelchair across the kitchen and toward the storage room.
While she’s gone, Noah says nothing. But he keeps looking at me which means he’s thinking something. He’s not the type to say something unless you nudge him.
I feel my impatience grow the longer he’s quiet. I want him to say it then I want to get out of here so I can get back to my girl. “Spit it out.”
“Just seems she’s been on the run,” Noah answers. I don’t know how he knew that, but I’m not surprised that he did. Noah always knows everything about everyone, just like Mom. The difference is that Noah doesn’t care much for gossip. The guy is like a vault.
“What’s your point?” I don’t bother hiding the irritation from my voice. I have a feeling that I know his point and won’t like it.
“She might bolt again.”
“I'm not letting that happen.”
Noah doesn’t look nearly satisfied with my answer. “Then make sure she knows it's time to confront what she's been running from. Otherwise, you're in for a world of heartache.”
I grunt. My choice was made the moment I saw fear on Chase’s face and again when Parker flinched. “Don't worry. I plan to find the person she's running from. I'll end that sorry son of a bitch.”
Chapter8
Evie
“Thank you for taking care of them,” I say to Greer when he settles on the couch beside me. It’s almost ten, and the boys are finally down for the night. He settled them in his guest bedroom with extra pillows and blankets.
He puts my feet in his lap and massages one.
“That feels amazing,” I purr, relaxing into the sensation of having his hands on me. My head still hurts, but it’s feeling a little better. After Greer and I put the boys to sleep, I took a cool shower and swallowed a headache pill. I’m starting to feel a little more human.
Despite my best efforts, I yawn. It’s been a busy day and that combined with the stress of the earlier attack means I’m extra sleepy.
“Are you tired?” Greer asks. He’s keeping his voice pitched low. Parker has already been up for sips of water three times and once because he insisted there was a funny noise in the closet.
Greer gave him water each time and checked the entire bedroom, turning on all the lights and getting down on his knees to check underneath the bed. It was kind of endearing to watch how patient he was each time.
He'd be an amazing father. I shouldn’t even be thinking about it right now. My life is too complicated to be considering that.
“A little sleepy,” I admit. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to snore on your couch.”
“No, you’re not,” he agrees and stands. He pulls me into his arms and strides into his bedroom.
He sets me on the bed. I wiggle out of my blue jeans until I’m left only in my cotton t-shirt and panties.
He reaches for the blankets, and I frown. “What are you doing?”
“Tucking you in,” he answers as if this is the natural thing he does every night. When was the last time someone took care of me like this? It’s been years, maybe not ever.
I snuggle into the sheets that smell like him, contentment flowing through me. For the first time in a long time, it feels like everything is going to be alright.
