“I…I don’t know.” She shook her head. “You need to get the kids out of the Center. The main building. The nursery’s in there, and if you can get them out, the adults…” She paused, ignoring the stab of pain in her abdomen. “The adults chose this.”
He poured two coffees, stirred in sugar and a splash of cream, and handed one to her. “All right. So we can’t go in with guns blazing. Not as if I have the resources anyway.” He took a sip, eyes on her. “I’ll talk to the Staties and the FBI. Put together a team.” Her face must have reflected how little she liked that idea, because he lifted a hand and went on. “I’ll get those kids out, Abby. You believe that?”
She eyed this harsh-looking man who’d shown nothing but kindness toward her. “I do,” she whispered, ignoring the tears that swamped her, unbidden.
“I’ll need intel from you on how things are laid out. What’s your plan for now?”
“I need a job and a place to live.”
“I’ll ask around,” he offered, to which she nodded. After a bit, he excused himself and headed upstairs for a shower.
He left a bit later, leaving Abby alone with George’s three-legged cat, Leonard.
She must have dozed, despite the mounting anxiety and the knowledge that she’d done the wrong thing.
Lord, she needed to get out of here. She needed a vehicle at the very least. With a vehicle, she could get close enough to the Church to get in and pull Sammy out before everything blew sky-high. Never mind that she didn’t have a proper coat or even the footwear she’d need to get in and out without losing a limb to frostbite. She eyed the telephone, wishing she had Luc’s number. Although the last thing she wanted to do was get him involved.
It was night by the time George got home, and Abby was jumping out of her skin.
“I want to go out,” Abby blurted, nearly attacking the doctor at the door.
George blinked and smiled, slowly. “Okay.” Abby almost sank to the floor in relief. “Let’s go to the Nook.”
“What’s that? I feel like I’ve seen it.”
“It’s Blackwood’s one and only watering hole.” When Abby didn’t respond, George went on. “It’s a bar and restaurant.”
Oh, that would be perfect. A bar. People. Distraction, but also the first step out of here. The thought was unforgivably ungrateful. “Yes, please. I’m… I can’t stay here anymore.” At the look on George’s face, Abby corrected herself. “I mean, stuck and feeling like there’s nothing I can do. I want to pay you back for all you’ve done.”
“Come on. I’ll take you out to dinner.” George eyed her. “Let’s find you something more appropriate to wear.”
“I’ll pay you—”
“You’ll pay me back. I know, I know. But for tonight, let’s just get you out of the house for a few hours, shall we?” She eyed Abby. “We need Jessie, though, because none of my stuff is going to fit you.”
“Jessie?”
“Neighbor. And friend.” George grabbed Abby by the hand and led her to the front door. “Come on. I saw her car. Let’s go.”
* * *
An hour later, George and Abby took off for the Nook with Jessie, the beautiful amazon of a neighbor, driving. Abby wore jeans that looked too tight but were stretchy and as smooth as butter, with a too-low top and a soft sweater. She’d stared at herself so long in the bathroom mirror that George had come to check in on her.I can’t fall to pieces every time I wear something new, Abby’d decided, shoving back the tears and greeting George with a smile.
On the way over, the women buzzed with excitement at the prospect of introducing her to this new experience.
“It’s just dinner,” George insisted for the third time. “I mean, Abby shouldn’t be staying out too late. It might—”
“Hamper your recovery,” Jessie and Abby declaimed in unison before breaking into a fit of giggles. Gracious, it felt good.
She tamped down the nervous excitement as she followed the other two women into the Nook. The big room was dim, which gave her an impression of intimacy and dark corners, with the light focused primarily on a bar.
Jessie hung back, and George took the lead, finding them a booth and grabbing a couple of menus before settling down.
“What would you like?”
Abby picked up the menu, glanced over it, and set it carefully back down, overwhelmed.
“Know already?”
