Page 10 of A Way Out
“I’ll get it. I don’t need it all. I just have to dig out our suits.”
“Okay, well, make yourselves at home. When you’re ready, come on down to the kitchen for lunch.”
He slipped out the door, and Maria resisted the urge to sink onto the floor and maybe have herself a nice, solid cry. She hated not having a plan, and in all honesty, she hadn’t had one in almost a year.
When she and Riley made it down to the kitchen a short time later, the older three kids were already seated on stools at the island. A platter piled with quartered sandwiches sat in front of them, along with another that was loaded with baby carrots and celery. There was also a bowl of tortilla chips and a smaller one loaded with salsa.
“I saved you a seat, Riley,” Izzie announced, patting the stool next to her.
Maria lifted Riley onto the stool and then stood behind her to make sure she didn’t tumble off. She had Riley’s portable high chair but hadn’t thought to bring it inside.
Oz slid a plate of sandwiches in front of Maria and began devouring chips and salsa.
“Sorry, we started before you,” he said in between bites.
“It’s fine.” She was hungry, although she didn’t have much of an appetite, which didn’t make any sense at all. She forced herself to pick up a quartered sandwich and take a bite. “Thank you for this.”
“It’s no problem, really. Did you call Holly back?”
“Oh shoot, I forgot.”
“You’ll have to wait now. They’re in the air, on their way to Missouri.”
Darn it.
“So what’s your plan?” Oz asked.
She winced. “That’s my problem. I don’t have one at the moment. I was hoping to talk to Holly, see if she could help me formulate one. I function so much better when I know my next steps.”
“I’m happy to help. If you want.”
The only other person in her life who had ever offered to help her was Holly.
“If nothing else, I make a great sounding board,” he added.
She was tempted. And honestly, why not confide in him? What was the harm?
Chapter Four
Holly’s sister was clearly distressed. Was she running from an abusive situation, like Oz wished his sister had done?
In the months following Raquel’s death, during the innumerable conversations with police personnel, Oz had learned one fact that was sticking with him now: marital abuse was not contained to lower-income couples. In fact, according to one of the detectives, upper-income women were less likely to leave an abusive situation, due to the stigmas.
He wanted to help Maria. Yes, because she was Holly’s sister and Holly was his friend, and yes, because he was just that guy, but it was more than that.
As crazy as it sounded, there was some sort of pull between him and Maria, and he thought maybe she felt it too.
And it really was crazy. They were from entirely opposite lifestyles. They likely had nothing in common, except an understanding of abusive situations, maybe.
Which wasn’t exactly a firm basis for any sort of relationship.
“Why don’t we let the kids finish their lunch, and then we can go back outside?” Maria suggested. Ah, code for "I don’t want to talk in front of the children.”
Fair enough. He was perfectly fine standing here next to her, admiring the shine in her smooth, dark hair. And he was definitely okay with sneaking glances at her shapely, lean legs, which were now exposed courtesy of the swimsuit and cover-up that just skimmed her thighs.
She polished off half a sandwich and nibbled on a couple of carrot sticks. He nudged the salsa and chips toward her. “Try some.”
She did, daintily dipping a chip and holding her napkin underneath as she brought it to her lips, like a proper woman would do. When he served salsa and chips to the kids, there were always splats of salsa all over the table when they were done. His mom had a no-salsa-in-the-living room rule for that very reason.
