Page 46 of Day Break

“He’s staying on the island for the summer,” I hissed. I leaned against the counter as she pulled a pan of cinnamon rolls from the oven. “Did you just make those?” I asked. She’d only been inside for a half hour, tops.

“No, well, yes. I mean, I made the dough a while back and had it in the freezer. I thawed it out last night to bake this morning.” She shook her head. “He’s staying?”

I nodded, letting the smell of cinnamon and sugar fill my lungs until I could almost taste the sweets.

I could see the worry almost consume her. “Hey.” I touched her arm. “I’m staying too.”

I didn’t know how I was going to swing it, but there was no way in hell I was going to leave either of them alone with Phil around.

“You are?” I watched her perk up. “For how long?”

I turned and watched Phil’s hands swing around in the air as if he was explaining something to my grandfather. As if he was trying to persuade him of something.

“Shit.” I groaned. “He’s only here to get my grandfather to agree to back his dad.” I closed my eyes.

“For?” Chloe asked as she started mixing frosting for the rolls.

“He’s running for Congress again,” I answered absently.

“Your uncle is a congressman?” Chloe asked.

“Yes.” I turned back to her. “Which is why it’s imperative that I stick around.”

“Why?” she asked me with a slight frown. “Why can’t your grandfather support his son?”

I looked out the windows and thought of all the many reasons it was important for him not to.

“There are too many reasons to go over right now.” I turned back towards her. “After he leaves”—I lowered my voice as my grandfather and Phil headed towards the glass doors— “we have things to discuss.”

While we ate breakfast, Phil rattled on about his father’s campaign. I was thankful that Chloe chose not to sit at the table with us and instead disappeared outside with Byron until my grandfather was finished eating. Then she magically appeared to clear his plates.

It was very obvious to me that she had experience caring for others. I had read what life was like for female members of the FLDS. They were forced into very strict gender roles. From a young age, girls were trained to wait on the men—cooking, cleaning, serving.

In my research, I tried to find more information about her directly. Her divorce certificate lacked an official marriage date. Had Chloe been a young bride?

She was currently twenty-six. Two years younger than I was. From the sound of it, she’d been married for some time.

Whatever the facts said about her in the many articles I’d read, the woman I watched cleaning up after breakfast wasn’t defined by what was written about her by strangers. I couldn’t imagine her being so conniving.

Then I remembered the night before. How she hadn’t even really known how to print the documents she’d needed. If she had taken any part in the cyber scam that the media claimed she had, surely, she’d know how to print out two simple documents.

I had so many questions, but while my cousin was there, consuming all of my grandfather’s time, I wasn’t able to get to the bottom of anything. Shortly after lunch, my grandfather excused himself for his afternoon nap and finally Phil left.

I helped Chloe finish with the dishes then suggested we head into town to open her bank account.

The surprised look that crossed her face told me that she had either forgotten about it or that she’d assumed I had changed my mind about helping her. I had put the two documents in a folder and as I drove us into the small town about a mile away, she held them to her chest.

“Does my grandfather know where you’ve been for the past year?” I asked as I pulled out of the driveway.

She remained silent until I glanced over at her.

“No,” she finally answered softly. “At least I don’t think he does.”

“I’m taking a chance here,” I said, trying to relax my hands on the steering wheel.

“I understand that,” she said. “I… appreciate it.”

“My family may not be so grateful or gracious,” I said. I was trying to warn her, but I realized it came across more as a threat.