The mower in the front quieted. Jim grinned wider, looking down at the boys’ rapt expressions. I doubted they even knew what they looked at. Nana set her rake down and strode toward Jim to peer into the bags.
“James Grayson Cole. That wasn’t your money.” The growled intensity in Nana’s voice surprised me. Even the boys looked up at her.
Though Jim’s grin remained on his face, it started to look a little forced.
“I got what we needed, Nana.” He met her eyes steadily.
I watched the byplay, feeling uncomfortable. There was an obvious silent message there, but I didn’t know what. Would they start arguing?
Emmitt walked around the side of the house just then. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of his damp shirt and glistening skin. His eyes met mine as he closed the distance, and he gave me a wink. My stomach did an extra special twirl. On top of my nervousness, it didn’t feel too good.
He set a hand on Nana’s shoulder. “Let’s save this conversation for another time.”
Nana’s eyes didn’t leave Jim’s, but she did nod in agreement.
Emmitt bent to look in the bag that Liam still held with uncertainty. “Do you think we should light some of these tonight?”
Liam’s eyes darted to me, then between Jim and Nana. I didn’t blame him. It felt like the wrong answer could set off a landmine. Even Aden looked at the group in confusion, his bag hanging loosely from his chubby fingers.
“I think we should go inside,” I said softly, holding my hands out. Liam dropped his bag, and Aden immediately did the same. They ran to me, wrapping their little hands in mine.
The three other adults didn’t move as I led the boys away. I felt Emmitt’s eyes on me and risked a backward glance. Our eyes met, his concerned and sad gaze followed my progress. I quickly looked away.
Both boys remained quiet as we walked to the house, as did the group behind us. I wondered what lecture waited for Jim.
We spent the rest of the evening in Emmitt’s apartment. I discovered paper in one of the kitchen drawers and played tic-tac-toe with them. When we grew bored with that, I found a movie we could all watch while lounging on the lumpy couch. We remained quiet just like we used to do when David grew angry. If we were quiet, he eventually calmed down; and we avoided being locked back in our rooms.
Dinnertime approached, and the annoying ache officially upgraded to a headache. Since coming inside, I hadn’t heard anything from below. Back home, a quiet house after Richard returned home from work meant trouble. Neither boy mentioned anything about dinner so I ignored it, too.
Eventually Aden started to yawn, and I suggested we all get ready for bed. Thanks to Nana, we changed into pajamas and snuggled in for the night.
Despite the pain in my head, I slept hard.
Chapter 5
“But I’m hungry...”
The faint whisper penetrated my foggy mind. Pain throbbed in my skull, steady and insistent. I wanted to drift to sleep again, but I heard Liam’s solemn answer.
“Mimi’s head hurts.”
At five, Liam knew the power of my pain. In the past, Blake had used it to gain my obedience. It worked just as effectively as threatening the boys.
“It’s okay, buddy,” I mumbled lifting my head. I pretended it didn’t feel like it would fall off. “I’m hungry, too.” I blinked, and it took a moment to focus.
They stood beside the bed already dressed in swim trunks. I wondered if we would still go to the lake after yesterday’s discord.
I pulled back the covers and stumbled from the bed. Aden backed up, giving me space, and held up my swimsuit. I smiled shakily and took it from him, unable to disappoint him.
“I’ll change after we eat, okay?” He nodded and led the way to the kitchen. When he turned the corner, I tossed the suit over my shoulder, not caring where it landed as long as he didn’t notice.
In the kitchen, I opened cupboards only to stare at their empty cavities. The refrigerator equally disappointed me. I looked at the boys. We would need to beg from our neighbors again. I hoped that Nana and Jim had worked out their differences yesterday and there wouldn’t be any lingering tension.
Forgetting about personal hygiene, I shuffled to the door. The boys followed. I heard Aden’s stomach growl.
“We’ll see if Emmitt has some food. ‘K?” He had been the coolheaded one of the bunch yesterday.
The stairs challenged me, and I needed to grip the railing to keep my balance. I rolled my shoulders, subconsciously trying to ease the pain. Liam moved beside me and held my other hand. I tried smiling again and gave his hand a light squeeze.
Before the end of the day, I would be babbling and crying. I needed to get rid of the information.
Emmitt stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting for us. He tilted his head slightly as he monitored our slow progress. The concern from yesterday crept back into his eyes.
When we reached the bottom, he stepped forward and gently touched my forehead. He pulled his hand back before I could lean into the comfort of it. His light touch, though brief, lingered on my skin.
“What’s wrong?”