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Her heart raced. This was the kind of stuff she wasn't at all used to. She negotiated situations that weren't quite so contentious. Usually, people grumbled about land or possessions. That’s what she’d been negotiating for years. This was a new one in her line of work, and it was wearing on her. In some ways, she was getting sick and tired of listening to people whine and complain that someone else got Grandma's sewing machine and china collection. Families ruined themselves over stupid, nonsensical stuff. Buy another sewing machine, sew your ass off, and make Grandma proud. Fighting over something that wasn't going to bring her back and destroyed your family in the process was idiotic. People who had family and pushed them away didn't understand the yearning one felt for a close family.
Tears sprang to her eyes. She'd just had an awakening. It just now dawned on her that she longed for a close family. How to get it? That was the question.
Light tapping against Henry's truck caused him to swear. "Dammit. Don't throw rocks at my truck."
"Sorry." A soft voice called out.
"Step into the light,” he boomed.
A frail, pale woman stepped from the trees on Everleigh’s side of the truck. Her eyes darted to and fro, her shoulders slumped slightly, her posture was curved. She wore a brown cloak, older and patched. She had a brown scarf on her head, the hair that could be seen was graying.
Everleigh rolled her window down and Henry reminded her, "Do not step out or open the door."
"I won't."
She called out to the woman, "Can you come any closer?"
The woman's head turned toward the mountain, then she stepped one step closer to the truck.
"I'm Everleigh Hayes. I understand you asked to talk to me."
"Promise you won't tell." Her voice was soft. A tinge of shaking could be heard.
"I promise."
"He's going crazy. He's destroying our homes and things. We don't have much but he's in a rage. They're trying to control him, but he's unhinged. Please get him and put him in jail. Please stop this. Please, I beg you."
"Where is Gerard?"
"Craig beat him pretty bad. Liliana, his wife, is tending to him. Jasiah and some others are out searching for Craig now. He stalked off down the other side of the mountain. I don't trust him. We don't know where he is."
"I'll do what I can. Do you have a place you can go to be safe?"
"I only have here."
Everleigh turned to him and Henry shook his head.
"But..."
"We can't. The only thing I could do is call the sheriff and see if they can take her to the jail for protection."
Everleigh turned to the woman. "Do you want us to do that?"
The woman's eyes watered. Finally, she nodded. "Yes. Please."
Henry dialed the sheriff's department and the deputy on duty said he was on his way. As they waited, Everleigh tried to calm the woman. "You aren't going to jail because you did anything wrong. They'll take you to a safe house where you can stay and be safe for the night. Hopefully, Jasiah will find Craig soon. We won't tell anyone you spoke to us."
The woman nodded but said nothing. Sirens grew closer just as the woman turned to run. Everleigh called out to her. "Wait. Don't go."
The woman crouched down near the road. Everleigh’s heart broke for this woman. Even with her own lack of family, and now knowing she wanted one desperately, she’d never been afraid to go home. She just didn’t have a home.
The sheriff's deputy stopped near Henry's truck and Henry jumped out with a look toward her to stay put. He stood in front of his truck and asked the woman to come out. She glanced at the mountain, then looked to Everleigh. Everleigh swallowed the knot that had formed as she watched this woman process fear, and nodded.
Henry hunched down and softly said, "If you want us to make it look like you're being arrested so if Craig is watching, he'll think we took you instead of you contacting us, we can do that."
The woman swallowed then slowly stood. "No, I can walk myself. My daddy would be so sad if he thought I got arrested."
Henry smiled. "How old is your daddy?"
