AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fortunately, he didn’t have a lot of debt and, for the time being, could almost get by on what she’d been paying Ben. So even if she could only give him that much, he figured he should be okay. With that, and what little savings he had, he believed he could survive until Lynn and Stuart softened.
And if they didn’t? Maybe he’d become Ellen’s full-time business partner and see what they could build together. If not for all the equity he’d lose, which he felt he’d helped build, that sounded like more fun than continuing with Fetterman Well Services, anyway.
As he pulled to a stop in his own drive, Ellen pointed to several papers taped to his front door, fluttering slightly in the afternoon breeze. “What are those?”
He knew the second he saw them. “Presents from Leo. He draws me pictures all the time.”
She released her seat belt with a click. “Poor guy. He must be so upset. How do you think they got here?”
“Stuart probably delivered them for him,” he said as he cut the engine. “I can’t imagine my aunt would come over.”
She reached for the door handle. “Do you think Stuart’s using Leo to make you feel guilty so you’ll apologize and things can go back to normal?”
“Who knows?” Hendrix shook his head as he climbed out, waited for Ellen to come around the truck and started toward the landing. “Leo shouldn’t have to go through this. None of us should have to go through this. It’s so unnecessary.”
“Do you want me to try to talk to them?” Ellen asked, slipping her hand inside his. “I could take the blame for what’s happened so far. They already don’t like me.”
“No.” He kissed her knuckles. “Nothing’s been your fault. They either forgive and accept, or we figure out a way to go on without them.”
“You really feel that way?” she asked uncertainly. “I hate what having me in your life is costing you.”
“They’re the problem, not you.” He let go of her so he could get his key ready, but as soon as they reached the landing, a dog barked and jumped against the door. Instinctively, Hendrix put his arm out to protect Ellen from whatever was coming. Then the door flew wide, Zeus ran out and began to run in circles around them, wagging his tail and barking, and his cousin stood in the opening.
“Hendrix!” Leo threw his arms around Hendrix so exuberantly it nearly knocked him down. “There you are. I thought you were gone. I thought you were never coming back.”
“I live here, bud,” Hendrix told him. “I’m not going anywhere. How’d you get inside the house?”
“I used the key in the little box under the rock,” he responded as if it should’ve been obvious.
Leo had seen Hendrix use his spare key once or twice, but Hendrix was shocked he’d been able to find it and use it himself. “And how did you get over here in the first place?”
Catching sight of Ellen, Leo let him go so he could grab her. “I was afraid I’d never see you again, Ellen. I want to come over to your house, okay? I want to play with my chalk.”
“Leo, listen to me,” Hendrix said. “How’d you get over here? Do your mom and dad know where you’re at?”
Before Leo could answer, Hendrix spotted a rolling suitcase on the floor behind him. It wasn’t fastened correctly and some of Leo’s clothes were coming out of it. “What’s that?” he asked, gesturing toward it.
Leo glanced behind him. “My suitcase.”
“Why do you have a suitcase?”
“I ran away,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I’m not going home.”
Hendrix felt his jaw drop. “What? Why?” he asked, but he already knew the answer to that question. The fighting had upset Leo and made him sympathetic to Hendrix. “Never mind. When did you leave home?”
Leo screwed up his face as he tried to puzzle out the answer to that question. “I don’t know. Yesterday?”
“You’ve been here overnight?”
“No...” he said, immediately shaking his head.
He had to have left this morning, not yesterday. That was the only thing that made sense. Otherwise, Stuart and Lynn would’ve turned the town upside down looking for him. “You still haven’t told me how you got here,” Hendrix said.
Leo scratched his head. “I walked.”
Hendrix was impressed that he knew the way—and that he could make it six miles. “Then you’ve definitely been holding out on me when we go to the track,” he said jokingly.
Leo seemed confused. “What, Hendrix? What’d you say?”
