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Garrett could hardly believe he was walking up the driveway to Elise’s house again, even though he’d thought about it for two days now. When Sawyer said he needed someone to make a run to the Feed and Seed, Garrett volunteered a little faster than he should have.
“You have a hot date at the store or something?” Colton teased.
“No, just happy to help out.” It wasn’t untrue. He was committed to the ranch and his family and always happy to do something that would be helpful. But he had other motives too.
His heart beat at a rhythm he hadn’t known before as he knocked on the door, remembering that the doorbell was broken. How many other things in the house needed to be tended to?
It wasn’t long before the door opened and Elise appeared. When she saw him her mouth fell slightly open. She snapped it closed, and he thought he saw her wipe at her eyes in a fast motion. “Hey,” she said, “Come on in.”
When she stepped back to allow him inside, the house looked like a different place than it had the last time he was there. There were still a few toys on the floor, but no laundry, and the carpet looked freshly vacuumed. The scent of cleaner hung in the air too. He hoped she hadn’t cleaned because she was embarrassed the other day, but he felt a little better about her situation.
“Can I get you something to drink? We have lemonade and sweet tea.”
Garrett started to decline, but he thought it might help to have something to do with his hands while he asked her his questions. “Sure, lemonade sounds great.”
She nodded and turned. He followed her into the kitchen where she indicated he could sit at the table.
Again, he took in the room that looked totally different than two days ago. The sink was clean, and the counters were free of dishes and clutter.
Elise filled a glass with ice and lemonade and handed it to him before she sat down opposite him at the table. “So what brings you here again so soon?”
Garrett didn’t want to beat around the bush. “Well, I’ll be honest. I’ve been thinking about you and the boys since I left the other day. I know it must be hard on you, and I wanted to see what I can do to help.” He expected her to decline like she had before.
Instead, she pressed her lips together, and he saw tears welling up in her eyes. She looked like she desperately wanted to speak but couldn’t get the words out.
He scooted his chair closer to hers. “Elise, we’ve been friends a long time. My parents knew your parents before either of us were even born. I’m so sorry that we haven’t done more before now. I know you could use some help, and I’m here to tell you we will do anything you need. You just have to tell me what it is.”
Elise blinked rapidly and cleared her throat enough to speak. “I guess you could tell from the house the other day that I don’t have a grip on things.”
“I wouldn’t say that. Trust me, our house was crazy when we were kids. Piles of laundry don’t scare me.”
“And I’m guessing you also saw the pile of bills on the counter?”
Garrett lowered his gaze to the table. “I wasn’t trying to snoop. They were just there.”
“I know. It’s not your fault.”
“How bad is it?” He looked her in the eye.
“Worse than I wanted to admit to myself. I guess when they died, I came home, and we were just surviving for a while. The church brought meals and came by to check on us. But I don’t know how to run a house or take care of the finances. My parents did all that. There is some money in my parents’ bank account, but I couldn’t even remember to brush my teeth some days, let alone pay a mortgage I didn’t know anything about.”
“Did they have life insurance?”
Elise squeezed her eyes closed. “Only enough for the funeral. So we’ve been living off of what they gave me in my account and trying to figure out all of the details since they didn’t have a will.
“What would it take to get you caught up?” Garrett asked.
Elise held her hands up in the air. “I don’t know. I guess I need someone who understands these things to sit down and go through it with me.”
“I’m sure we could figure that out.”
She sniffed and brushed at her eyes. “But there’s more. And now all the months of falling behind are going to come back and ruin everything for me.”
“What do you mean?” Garrett's stomach twisted at the idea that things could get worse.
“My aunt in Georgia is trying to get the boys.”
“Your aunt?”
