Page 114 of Whiskey Wednesdays

Elodie walked into Connor’s office and saw me sitting on his lap. “Are you best friends again?”

“Yes, we are,” Connor answered before I could get a word out. “Come here.”

Elodie walked over and crawled on my lap.

I hugged her to me, then sniffed. “You smell like peanut butter. Did you make yourself a sandwich?”

“Yep. A cracker sandwich. I can make you one.”

“I’m good. Let’s get you ready for bed so we can read.”

Before we could jump off his lap, Connor sniffed us. “You two smell like peanut butter and coconut. I don’t know who to eat first.” He growled and started tickling us.

Elodie squealed and wiggled off. “She’s bigger, eat her!”

Connor grinned and nuzzled my neck. “That’s a good idea. I think I will.”

Chapter 33

Connor and Titus tried to talk me into taking a private jet to Seattle to pick up Abby and Stella, fly us all back, and pay someone to drive her car to Palm Springs. But I knew Abby wouldn’t agree to that. They didn’t seem to understand how regular people lived sometimes.

When Abby picked me up at the SeaTac airport early Friday morning, I noticed fresh bruises on her face. And her black eye.

“Did your father do that to you?” I asked through clenched teeth.

Abby looked thin and beaten down. Her chin wobbled. “Please, just get in the car. I can’t talk about it right now.”

I bit my tongue and hugged her. “Okay. But I’ll drive.” After a moment, she nodded.

Stella sat in her car seat, studying me with sleepy eyes. The last time I’d seen her, she’d been just over two years old. Stella had gone from a toddler to a little person.

“Hi. I’m Isa.” I waved, and she shyly waved back.

There were a few garbage bags of clothes and toys in the trunk and backseat. It looked like Abby planned to stay in Palm Springs for a while. Judging by her bruised face and black eye, the conversation with her parents hadn’t gone well.

Looking at her, I sighed. “You and Stella sleep for a few hours, and I’ll take the first leg.”

Abby nodded, avoiding my gaze. “Okay, thank you. We didn’t get much sleep last night. I ended up staying in an airport motel after I told my parents I was coming to see you.”

I drove and silently stewed for almost five hours while they slept, and finally stopped when Stella woke up and started shifting in her seat. I pulled into a gas station, and while Abby took Stella to the bathroom, I filled her gas tank. Based on the condition of both her and Stella’s coats and shoes, they were destitute.

Her fucking parents. I knew they lived in a decent middle-class house in a Seattle suburb, and they both worked.

We took turns driving. The first night we stayed at a cheap chain motel in Yerka, California just below the Oregon border. The room came to just over sixty dollars, and I saw Abby hold her breath when the hotel clerk swiped her credit card.

“Abby, I can help pay,” I told her quietly. “At least let me pay for half.”

She raised her chin and shook her head. “No, Isa. I need to do this.”

I understood, and I didn’t bring it up again. Luckily, I’d brought along a Ziplock bag full of granola bars and dried fruit, and she had a box of Cheez-Its.

We dragged what we needed for the night into the small motel room, and Stella followed behind us with her little backpack. She seemed so quiet after being around Elodie. I worried about her. After freshening up a little, we went outside to walk around andget some fresh air. It was drizzling, but the motel had a small play area.

I turned to Abby when Stella ran over to the little climbing bars. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Abby sighed. “You know Stella’s father never wanted anything to do with her. And my father’s temper is explosive, but I don’t have anywhere else to go. He’s always been scary, but he’s gotten worse over the past few months.”

“What about your mom?” Her black eye had turned purple. I didn’t know how a mother, or grandmother, could just stand by and let that happen.

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