Her steely gaze met each of ours. “Boys, this is Rumor. She’s gonna be staying with me for a while. I expect her to be treated like family.”

  Everyone nodded and said their, “Yes, ma’am,” but my focus was on Rumor, who looked like her anxiety was on the rise again.

  When her eyes met mine, I gave her a reassuring smile before taking a seat. Maeme had her hands full. I hoped she realized it. The look in those pretty green eyes said she was planning on running. Not that she’d get far, but it was going to be a full-time job, watching her until she calmed her ass down.

  “Storm Kingston,” Maeme called as he reached for the skillet of cornbread. “I know you ain’t reaching for something before the blessing is said.”

  He pulled his hand back. “No, ma’am.”

  She nodded, then gave us all a pointed look that meant we’d better bow our heads while she blessed the food regardless that Thatcher had killed a man today, then shot another; I’d lied my ass off to convince a woman to get in my truck; and Storm had held a knife to a man’s throat to get information from him, then made the man piss himself. Sure, if there was a Lord, he really cared about us thanking him for the food we were about to eat. Made complete sense. Not that anyone would point that out to Maeme.

  When she said, “Amen,” we all fell in line and repeated it before hands shot out and grabbed at the different offerings filling the table.

  Pausing with the pot of dumplings in my hand since I’d been sure to set them directly in front of me, I glanced over at Rumor. She seemed to have paled as she watched us all, wide-eyed. I really fucking hated the bruise on her face. It made me want to hurt someone.

  Standing up, I walked over to her, carrying the dumplings. She followed me with her eyes until I came to stand behind her.

  “You gotta have some of this,” I told her, taking the first spoonful and placing it on her plate. “Eat up.”

  She tilted her head back to look up at me. “Thanks.”

  I smiled and nodded before walking back to my seat. Thatcher was watching me with a smirk. I shot him a scowl, then sat down.

  “You not gonna spoon me out some too?” he asked me.

  “Shut up,” I replied with a warning glance.

  He leaned over and took the collards, still looking amused. Crazy bastard. Most of the time, we allowed his shit because he wasn’t what you would call sane. There was something inside him that didn’t quite work like everyone else. He was detached. A little too much so.

  Looking back down the table at Rumor, I saw her pick up a piece of cornbread and take a bite. She needed to lather that thing up with butter. Maeme was thinking the same thing because she took a pat of butter and reached over to spread it onto Rumor’s cornbread. I couldn’t hear what she said to her since there were three different conversations going on at the moment. But the small smile that touched her lips somehow helped me relax. She was gonna be fine.

  • eight •

  “I bet his dick was small too.”

  Rumor

  The sunlight flooding the room greeted me when I opened my eyes. I lay in the soft bed with lavender-scented sheets, staring out the window overlooking the lines of pecan trees outside. When I had lain down last night, I had thought sleep wouldn’t come. My plan to figure out how I was going to leave today hadn’t happened. Not only had I fallen asleep, but I had done it so quickly that I barely remembered much after getting in bed.

  The throb in my side became a sharp pain with every breath I took. I needed to get up and take an ibuprofen to take the edge off, then get dressed. Tossing the covers back, I sat up slowly, hissing through my teeth. It wasn’t until my feet hit the floor that I realized, today, I wouldn’t have to go make Hill breakfast. There would be no anxiety while I waited to see what his mood was this morning. No chance that I had done something wrong. I wouldn’t have to pretend I was happy to see him or that I cared about his day. There would be no list of things texted to me that he expected me to accomplish. I was free. Perhaps being lost and running from the law wasn’t the ideal situation, but at least I wasn’t controlled. Locked away in a world, alone, with no way out.

  Standing up, I made my way over to the bathroom, taking slow, easy steps. The bottle of ibuprofen that Maeme had left for me in the bathroom last night was my first order of business. I needed to be able to focus and not be so controlled by the pain. Then, I could hatch a plan. What I would say to Maeme to get her to understand. Part of me felt as if I could tell her the truth and she wouldn’t judge me. That she would help me get to the bus station. But there was the other part of me that said there was no way this woman was going to help me stay on the run from a murder I hadn’t even committed. She’d think I should tell the police. Confess as to why I had done this.

  No. I couldn’t tell her. I had to get out of here though. If there was any chance that the police could find me, I was not dragging Maeme and King into this with me when all they had done was try and help a beat-up woman who they assumed was running from her husband or boyfriend.

  There was a bottle of water left for me beside the ibuprofen, and I quickly washed down the pills before brushing my teeth. It took longer than normal to get myself looking presentable. The makeup didn’t cover my face as well today. The swelling on my lip was better, and the ointment that I’d been given for it helped where it was busted.

  I decided wearing a sundress would be easier with my ribs, so I slipped on the only one that I had packed and found a lightweight cardigan to cover my arms until the sun warmed things up outside. Spring in Georgia could be tricky when it came to dressing.

  Once I had all my things packed back in the suitcase and I made up the bed, I opened the bedroom door and stepped into the hallway.

  There wasn’t a clock in my room, and without a watch or a phone, I had no idea what time it was. The sun was bright enough that I knew it wasn’t too early. I made my way down the wide staircase and paused to look at the portraits on the wall.

  There was one of a teenage King with a football uniform on, holding a football between his hands. Even then, his smile seemed to say, I know I’m charming and beautiful.

  The next portrait was of an even younger King on a huge black horse. He had a cowboy hat on and was in mid-gallop. It was a stunning photograph.

  “That boy was born loving to ride,” Maeme said from the bottom of the staircase.

  I turned to look at her, and she smiled up at me.

  “If he wasn’t throwing a ball back, then he was on a horse,” she said with a soft laugh. “I miss those days.” Then, she waved a hand at me. “Come on down. Let’s go have some breakfast and talk about what we’re gonna do. I reckon you can think of little else. I’m sure you’ve concocted a story that you think will convince me to let you leave. Might as well save your breath. I’m not hearing it.”

  I walked slowly down the rest of the stairs, stopping at the bottom to meet her eyes. “You’ve been so kind to me. I will forever be grateful, but—”

  “Not listening to it,” she interrupted, holding up her hand. “I said to save your breath. You’re gonna sit and have breakfast, and I’m gonna tell you what’s going to happen.” She started toward the kitchen. “Are you a coffee or tea drinker in the mornings?”

  Unable to think of anything I could possibly say to this woman, I replied, “Coffee, please.”

  She glanced back over her shoulder and gave me an approving nod, as if I had chosen correctly. I hadn’t been aware that was a test, but it felt as if it had been in a way.

  The delicious smell of things I hadn’t eaten in a long time for breakfast met my nose before we even made it into the large, bright kitchen.

  “Bacon, Conecuh sausage, biscuits, tomato gravy, cheese grits, and scrambled eggs,” she said as she walked over to the large island bar in the middle of the room. “It’s not as formal as dinner was last night. Just get yourself a plate and fill it up.”

  Then, she picked up a plate and held it out to me. I reached for it and took in all the food that was sitting out.

  “Eat all you want. King and Storm came in and ate earlier before they headed over to the ranch. Don’t reckon the others are coming, or they’d have already stopped by,” she said, picking up a slice of bacon and taking a bite of it.

  I hadn’t thought I was hungry until now, but everything looked so good and completely off the list of items I was allowed to eat. Taking a slice of bacon and a biscuit, I stopped at what I assumed was the tomato gravy. I’d never heard of it, but it smelled nice.

  “Tomato gravy. My granny’s recipe. It’ll have you getting a second biscuit just to soak it all up.”

  Okay then, why not? I took the ladle and poured some over my biscuit, then took a small spoonful of the grits and some eggs. My breakfast was normally two egg whites, a half cup of blueberries, and one slice of low-carb whole wheat bread, no butter.

  “Sugar and cream in your coffee?” Maeme asked.

  “Uh, do you have any Splenda or Stevia?”

  She grinned. “Can’t say I do. But I have some fresh honey.”

  “Sugar will be fine,” I replied, then added, “And the cream too.” I always used almond milk, but I already knew that wasn’t going to be in her fridge.

  “Have a seat at the bar,” Maeme said as she put a cup of coffee down in front of an empty stool, then went to refresh her cup.

  I took the seat and waited, unsure if we were supposed to pray or not. Last night, it had seemed important, and I didn’t want to insult her after she was so kind to me. She didn’t add anything to her coffee, and it didn’t surprise me that she drank it black. Maeme might look soft and sweet, but the woman was tough. She had controlled a room full of tall, muscular, intimidating men last night with one glance. I had expected boys, but they had all been men and older than me at that.

  “Go ahead and eat up. I’ll do most of the talking,” she said, walking over to stand on the other side of the island from me.

  No praying over breakfast. Got it.

  I picked up my fork and decided I would try the biscuit with tomato gravy first. If it was terrible, I’d get it down, then wash away the taste with the items I knew I would enjoy. Besides, I needed to eat good now because I wasn’t sure when I would get another chance to eat a real meal again.

  “You’ve been abused,” she began. “Your bare ring finger has a tan line. So, the bastard is your husband. I’ve seen this before, and I know it when I see it. No use in lying to me. You’re on the run. You have no family to run to, or you would have called them already. You took off and were so desperate that you went to a service station, looking for a kind soul who could give you a ride.”

  My appetite was gone instantly. I placed my fork beside the plate and put my hands in my lap as I stared at Maeme.

  She used her hand and motioned toward me. “Eat. You need it. You look like a strong wind would blow you away. That’s part of the abuse. The control he craved. I bet his dick was small too. Anyway, I’m not going to let you leave. You need family, and you need protection. I can give you that. I can even give you a step more. There is a small cottage on the back right side of my property that backs up to the Shephards’ ranch. You met their oldest son, Thatcher, last night. Our families go back to the early 1900s. Security is tight, and no one gets back there who isn’t supposed to be.” She paused and took a sip of her coffee, then reached to take a biscuit from the skillet.

  I was speechless. All I could do was sit there and stare at her. Unable to believe what she was saying. The temptation to let her tell me what I was going to do and forget the reality of my actions yesterday was there, but I couldn’t. I knew that. I couldn’t help wanting to though.

  “The house is furnished. It’s not much, but it is clean, safe, and so far away from the road that it is basically hidden. No one has lived there in a few years, but I keep it cleaned regularly for when it might be needed. I’m going to have King come by later and move your things out there. You make a list of groceries you would like, and he will bring those too. You need to hide, and I’m going to hide you.”

  This was when I should tell her that I was hiding, but not from my husband. I was hiding from the police. She didn’t want to harbor a fugitive—or whatever I’d made myself look like. As wonderful as this house in the woods away from the world sounded, it wouldn’t be right for me to take it.

  “Yes, my husband hurt me. But it’s not necessarily him I am running from. It’s complicated.”

  “I don’t want to know. Your secrets are your own. I am telling you that you are a woman without a family who needs a safe place to hide. That’s all I need to know. Now, eat and relax. No one is going to find you. But if I let you leave here and go to a bus station or some other crazy idea you have come up with, they’d find you. Whoever is looking. You stand out, honey. You would be back in the shit you’re running from before the day was done.”

  I dropped my gaze to my uneaten breakfast. She was right. I would need my identification to get on a bus. My cash would run out soon. I was hurt and would be an easy target to anyone. If she was so sure she could hide me, how long would that last? I couldn’t stay hidden forever, but while I was healing, I could use the time to think of a more permanent solution. Would that be so bad? No one knew I had gotten in King’s truck. Or who I was. How would I be traced here? I doubted there was any connection to lead the police to this place. At least not right away. They’d need a lead, and that would take time.

  “Okay,” I replied, looking back up at her. The words tumbling out before I could stop them.

  This was wrong, but she wasn’t really leaving me any choice. I would just get myself in better shape, then leave. They’d be safe here. I wouldn’t let them take the fall for my actions. I’d get out before it happened.

  “Thank you. I don’t know why you want to help me, but I am forever in your debt,” I told her.

  She walked around the island and placed her hand over mine. “God didn’t bless me with a daughter. But if he had, I’d like to believe that if she was in trouble, someone would step in and help her. You need family, and that I can provide.”

  I felt a lump of emotion form in my throat. I’d lived my life looking for someone to give me what this woman was having to force me to accept. I nodded, unable to say anything just yet.

  “Good. That’s settled. You have all you want to eat. I’ll get you a pen and paper so you can make a grocery list. There’s not a washer and dryer at the house, but you can do all your laundry right here.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered, feeling as if I would never be able to say those words enough.

  She smiled, then took another drink from her cup.

  Voices suddenly broke the silence, and she set her cup down. “Reckon Thatcher and Wells are coming to eat after all.”

  As she walked over to take down more plates, King walked in the room, followed by Thatcher and Wells, just as she had predicted. King’s eyes met mine, and he smiled. When he entered a place, it was as if he had this magnetic pull that came with him. The mood lightened, and everything seemed to revolve around him.

  “Good morning,” he said, making his way over to me. “Maeme talked you into staying yet?” he asked, then picked up my untouched bacon from my plate and took a bite.

  “If you take one more thing off her plate, I’ll toss your cocky butt out of my kitchen,” Maeme scolded him.

  He winked at me, then took another bite.

  • nine •

  “How the fuck do you milk an almond anyway?”

  Rumor

  Hidden back in the thick of pecan trees sat a white clapboard house with a front porch. Maeme’s house couldn’t even be seen from back here. Maeme had told me its floor plan was a shotgun house, and I had no idea what that meant, but I was looking forward to finding out. The front porch was tiny with enough room for the single rocking chair and a little side table that had a lantern on it.

  “Here it is,” King said. “What do you think? I know it’s small—”

  “It is perfect,” I breathed, reaching for the door handle as his truck came to a stop.

  “I wouldn’t go that far. She did tell you it doesn’t have a dishwasher.”

  I laughed then, and the sound was foreign to my own ears. “I don’t care. I will happily wash the dishes.”

  I pushed open the truck door, ready to jump down and go look inside. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been excited about anything. But this…this was almost as if Maeme had plucked the image out of my dreams and placed it here. I just needed a dog now. Not that I would get one. I couldn’t stay forever.

  “Whoa, wait a second. Let me help you down. Broken rib, remember?” King said as he got out of the truck, then made his way around to my door.

  He held out a hand, and I noticed a black leather bracelet on his wrist as I slipped my hand into his for the extra support stepping down. I let go of him the moment I was on the ground. His grip wasn’t painful, but it was strong. He was twice the size of Hill. Taller, broader, more in shape. He had to work out. Lift weights.

  “I’ll grab your suitcase. You can go on ahead and check it out. It’s unlocked.”

  I didn’t hesitate as I made my way along the pea gravel drive to the paver stones that led to the porch steps. There were four of them. My lips ached from the smile I couldn’t keep from spreading across my face. Reaching for the outer screen door, I opened it before taking the doorknob of the heavy wooden door. I fought back a giddy laugh as I went inside.