My eyes dart to the floor. “I don’t think I’d qualify.”
After a long silence, Evelyn says, “If you don’t mind my asking, are you homeless?”
“No! Well…technically.” My stomach sinks. “I’ll get out of your hair?—”
“Not so fast!” Evelyn says in a scolding way. “I didn’t mean to shame or intimidate you. I was only asking because we have resources available if you are. Also, sorry if I sound snappy. Around here, I’m rarely this useful.”
“You’re fine.”
She grabs one more book. “Follow me.”
We head to a table, and she sets down the books. “These are to help study for the GED, but the dyslexia situation won’t easily be solved with any book.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I grumble.
“The good news is that we have a teacher who comes in on Tuesdays and Thursdays to tutor people within the community, and she has experience in helping people like you.”
“Oh…that sounds wonderful.”
“Great. Her name is Willa, and I’ll arrange for you two to meet up. Will you have trouble getting here, or should I look at securing you a ride?”
“Oh, ah, Kellan should be able to take me.”
“Kellan Blackwood?” A smile curls on her lips. “The veterinarian?”
“It’s not like that,” I say a hair too defensively. “He’s my brother’s friend, and he agreed to take me in while I get my life sorted.”
“Of course. I’ll put in a call to him and we can put the books on his card, so you can take them home.”
“Thanks, that would be amazing.”
KELLAN
As the day comes to a close, I slide into the driver’s seat of my truck and murmur a small thank-you that I haven’t somehow adopted a new orphaned animal.
A small Greer-shaped figure rushes down the sidewalk, arms full of books. I reach over the passenger’s seat and open the door, deciding against exiting the vehicle, because the last time I tried to help, she fell out of the truck.
“Sorry I’m late!” she huffs out, setting a stack of books on the seat before hauling herself inside the cabin.
There’s a tiny spark of home in her eyes that wasn’t there yesterday that hits me harder than it should.
“You’re right on time.”
“How was the clinic today?”
“It was a slow day full of neutering barn cats.”
“And Elliot the Emu?”
“He was getting lonely. I recommended to the owner that they relocate him to a nearby ostrich farm, and he was happy to oblige. So it worked out for everyone.”
“Good for Elliot!”
“And how was your day?” I ask, pulling onto the road that leads up to the mountain.
“I met the local librarians, hung out at the diner, and did a piss-poor job of studying.” She sighs. “In a few weeks, I’ll meet with a tutor, but I don’t expect much.”
Hearing the defeated sound in her voice brings out a protective urge in me. I grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white, trying to quell the inner urge to pull the truck over, drag her into my arms, and tell her I’ll fix everything she thinks is broken.
