Page 51 of Recklessly Rogue

“I have to ask,” I tell him. “This is April and Elliot’s safety. So humor me. You’ve all lived here a long time, but most of you are retired now. You hang out here together, away from town, in your little bubble. And I don’t blame you. But other people in town might feel they know Chris and his allies better.”

“Just because they go to that cult church?” Charles asks with a scowl.

I lift a shoulder, squeezing Ruby’s hand. “Maybe for some people. But for some it might not be the church specifically, so much as it is that they’re just out in the community, patronizing the businesses, being around. They can’t really know there’s another side if that side is invisible.”

“They know we’re here,” Ben says, grumpily.

“And I’ll bet they’re intimidated as hell coming in here,” I say with a laugh.

“Intimidated?” Maggie asks. “Of us? A bunch of people drinking smoothies and watching game shows and coloring with little kids?”

“They don’t know that’s what’s going on,” I tell them. “All they know is it’s a bar and you don’t really want them here. You’ve basically built yourselves a clubhouse and put up a sign that says membership is closed.”

No one says anything immediately. But they all look grumpy or surprised, or both.

“I’m just telling you how it looks from the outside,” I finally say. “And that might not help April.”

“Well, if they’re intimidated, then maybe that will keep Christopher away from her,” Wendy says.

Yeah, maybe.

“You could also consider going to stay with your sister,” I tell April, finally finding a chance to tell themmyidea.

She frowns. “My sister lives in Cincinnati.”

“I know.” I’ve done my research. Of course.

“That’s…” April looks around. “So far.”

“That’s the point,” I tell her. “It would be much harder for Christopher to just show up there. He’d risk issues with work, at least, if he did that.” It’s a little over a hundred miles between here and Cincinnati. It would be drivable, but more difficult than her just being a couple of blocks away.

“But I don’t want to leave Emerald,” April says. “My friends are here. My job.”

“I’ll help you with money,” I say. “We’ll get you another job.” She works in a bar. It can’t be that difficult to find her another job.

But even as that thought goes through my mind, I realize that’s not entirely accurate.

It would be difficult to find her another situation like she has here. Or maybe impossible.

Not that she couldn’t build a new community and find more people to care for. God knows the world is full of people who need cared for.

I glance at Ruby as my chest tightens.

That’s exactly what Ruby will do in New Orleans. She’ll find people who need her. People who need a community. She’ll build that up for them the way she has here.

Sure, these people have known each other, have been friends, have had this connection, but I guarantee she’s nurtured all of this, and encouraged Dan to keep this going. She might have even pushed him to add rolls and coffee and game shows in the first place. Though it’s more likely Mandy and Ada volunteered the rolls to keep their guys here and happy.

I have to fight a smile.

Maybe Ruby learned some of her nurturing from those women. Either way, I’m sure Ruby has continued working thenight shift so April could have these early hours because Ruby knew that April needed all of this as much as these older people did.

April is shaking her head. “I don’t want to leave, Emerald, Henry.”

“You want to live with Mandy and Will?”

She looks at Will. “I do. I can be a lot of help to them and they’ll be so good to Elliot.”

“Better than your sister? His aunt?” I press.

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