A pang of guilt twisted her stomach as soon as she stepped into her luxurious room.
I’m so sorry, Rory,she told her brother inwardly as she imagined him in a concrete cell in the city.
I’ll find a way to help you somehow.
There was soap in the shower, but no shampoo, and toothpaste by the sink, but no toothbrush. It was too late to bother Grayson about it, so she just made the best of what she had, and was honestly thankful to have that much after all that had happened today.
As she got ready for bed, Evangeline figured she’d be up for a while since she was in a strange place and had so much on her mind. But the day had really taken a toll on her, and she was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, with thoughts of Grayson and baby Leo dancing around her mind as she drifted off.
7
EVANGELINE
Evangeline awoke with the sunrise, surrounded by physical comfort.
The blankets were soft and warm and smelled like jasmine, and the pillows were just the right balance of firm and fluffy.
She had showered last night and though she’d had to put back on the clothing she’d been wearing all day yesterday, it felt really good to be warm and clean after her long and trying day.
Slipping out of bed, she tried to listen for signs of life in the house. But the place was so big that it was honestly useless.
She slid her jeans on, pausing when she felt her phone in the pocket.
The temptation to turn it on and try to get news of her brother was almost overwhelming, but she reminded herself of her promise and left it alone.
I’ll need a phone if I’m taking care of Leo, though. Grayson will want to be able to reach us.
She could buy a prepaid one in town today. Of course, if Grayson saw that she had a phone already, he would wonder why she was buying another one.
Without overthinking it, she pulled the cell phone from her pocket and tugged at one of the window seats.
Just as she had suspected, the cushion and seat lifted up easily, revealing a completely empty space inside for storage.
Leaning down as far as she could, Evangeline placed her cell phone in the darkest corner. It would probably be a long time before Grayson furnished this house to the point where he needed storage in the guest room window seats.
And by then I’ll be long gone.
The idea made her a little sad, though of course she didn’t want to be away from Rory any longer than necessary and she hardly knew Grayson and Leo.
Slipping into the bathroom, she freshened up, brushing her teeth with a bit of toothpaste on her finger like she had last night.
She was going to have to buy so many things today.
Thank goodness she still had her debit card and the bit of cash in her wallet. She hadn’t even discussed salary with Grayson, but if he was giving her a place to live then she could get by on almost nothing, if necessary.
A guy with a big house like this will surely be able to pay me a fair wage.
It hit her again that Rory could be in jail right now. She might need every penny she could raise to get him representation.
Panic slid icy fingers through her gut and she had toforce herself to stop thinking about it. She promised herself that she’d get to the library today so that she could email the Andersons and check in with Rooster. For now, there wasn’t much more she could do.
Evangeline opened the bedroom door as quietly as she could and slipped into the hallway. Immediately, she heard Grayson’s deep voice speaking in soft tones, which had to mean that Leo was awake.
She felt bad that she hadn’t been up earlier to help out. But it was only a few minutes past dawn, and he hadn’t exactly let her know what time Leo’s day started.
Well, I can’t go back,she told herself firmly.So I’ll just be as helpful as possible starting now.
“Good morning,” she said softly when she reached the kitchen doorway.
