“Come on, take my arm again.”
They were very nonchalant as they went against the crowd—and man, he really would have preferred to throw her into a fireman’s hold and defensive lineman his way out of there. And then halfway to the door, he had to stop to talk to Qwentin and D’Shawne—along with seventeen other members of Miss Aurora’s family. Ordinarily, he would have loved the conversation … not today. He didn’t want to be rude, but he was very aware of how much Miss Aurora was leaning on his arm.
When they finally got out of the church, he said, “You wait here. I’ll bring the car around. And no, I’m not arguing about it, so just stop.”
He almost hoped she put up a fight, and when she didn’t, he fell into a jog, heading for the very far reaches of the parking lot.
Coming back with the Porsche, he nearly expected to find her passed out cold.
Nope. She was talking with a very regal, slender woman, who had a face like Nefertiti, a modest suit that was black, and a set of rim-less glasses over her sharp eyes.
Oh … wow, he thought. Talk about a blast from the past.
Lane got out. “Tanesha?”
“Lane, how are you.” Tanesha Nyce was the reverend’s oldest daughter. “It’s good to see you.”
They embraced and he nodded. “Good to see you, too. You a doctor yet?”
“In residency here at U of C.”
“What are you going into?”
“Oncology.”
“She’s doing the work of the Lord,” Miss Aurora said.
“How’s Max?” Tanesha asked.
Lane cleared his throat. “Damned if I know. I haven’t spoken to him since he went out west. You know him, always a wild card.”
“Yes, he was.”
Awkward. Moment.
“Well, I’m going to get Miss Aurora back home,” he said. “Nice to see you.”
“You, too.”
The two women spoke in hushed voices for a moment, and then Miss Aurora allowed him to escort her down the steps and to the car.
“What was that all about?” he asked as he drove them off.
“Choir practice next week.”
“You’re not in the choir.” He glanced over when she didn’t say anything. “Miss Aurora? Do you need to tell me something?”
“Yes.”
Oh, God. “What.”
She took his hand and didn’t look at him. “I want you to remember what I said to you before.”
“What’s that?”
“I got God.” She squeezed hard. “And I got you. I am rich beyond means.”
She held his hand all the way back to Easterly, and he knew … he knew … she was trying to get him ready for what was coming. Realized, too, that that was why he had insisted on Edward seeing her yesterday when his brother had been at the house.
If only there were a way to get ahold of Max.
“I don’t want you to go,” Lane said roughly. “It’s too damn much.”
Miss Aurora stayed silent until they got to the base of Easterly’s hill. “Speaking of leaving,” she said, “I heard that Chantal moved out.”
“Yes, I’m ending all that.”
“Good. Maybe you and Lizzie will finally get on track. She’s the one for you.”
“You know, Miss Aurora, I agree. Now I just have to convince her.”
“I’ll help.”
“I’ll take it.” He glanced over. “She said to tell you hello, by the way.”
Miss Aurora smiled. “Was that when you left her this morning?”
As Lane sputtered and turned red as that Mercedes he’d bought her, Miss Aurora laughed at him in a kind way.
“You’re a bad boy, Lane.”
“I know, ma’am. That’s why you have to stay here and keep me straight. I keep tellin’ you that.”
Instead of stopping in front, he went around to the back, because it was closer to her quarters. Pulling up to the rear door, he hit the brakes, cut the engine … and didn’t get out.
Looking over at her, he whispered, “I’m serious. I need you to help me here, on earth—in this house, in my life.”
God, it was impossible to ignore the fact that three days ago she had been barking at him that she wasn’t going anywhere, but now, something had changed. Something was different.
Before she could say anything, the garage door went up and the chauffeur came out with the Phantom, that five-hundred-thousand-dollar car proceeding by them as it headed around to the front of the house.
“He is evil,” Lane said. “That father of mine …”
Miss Aurora lifted her palms. “Amen.”
“Where the hell is he going this morning?”
“Not to church.”
“Maybe he’s going after Chantal.”
The instant he spoke the words, he cursed.
“What are you talking about?”
Lane shook his head and got out. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”
Not the way it went. When he went over and opened her door, she just sat there with her purse in her lap, and her gloved hands folded one over the other. “Tell me.”
“Miss Aurora—”
“What did he do to you?”
“This is not about me.”