Page 3 (1/2)

Author: Robyn Carr

Two

Rawley drove Devon to the Wal lot and looked at her "Your people ever go to the Walmart?" he asked

"Not that I know of," she said "And I never did while I was there But I have some clothes" The clothes were in the backpack left outside the fence for her She hadn’t looked at them closely and didn’t know if they’d fit, but the backpack was stuffed with things for her escape

He reached up to the sun visor overhead and pulled out a ball cap "Tuck that braid up in this," he said "Get yourself a few things, grab soht need Things no sixty-three-year-old bachelor would ever have laying around I’ll get us soroceries We’ll try to be quick and not ive yourself away Can we do that?"

She nodded, tucking up her braid "I have forty dollars," she said

"Look," Rawley said "I know you’re worried I know you’re suspicious of htly so But you’re not a prisoner, and even if you decide you can’t stick around you’ll want to stay clear of that camp You shouldn’t look like you caht, all you have to do is say you need a ride so on to your forty dollars You’ll need it, I figure"

"I was there by choice," she revealed Until she wasn’t

"Well, it’s your choice not to be there now Let’s just get ’er done Then you can relax and get a little rest"

As for nota stir, the second they walked in the door, little Mercy used her loudest voice to look around and say, "Mama! What is this place?"

It took Devon a second to recover, but recover she did She pulled Mercy’s little hand and said, "Just a very big store, honey Now please use your very quiet voice and come with me" At least Mercy hadn’t called her Sister Devon That was the way Jacob liked it; no one was a mother or a father, a husband or a wife--they were all brothers and sisters Which made his behavior seem pretty da a Walotten her life before the fahter’s hand and a cart and sped through the women’s and children’s clothes Two pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, two shirts, socks, underwear, tennis shoes She bought the exact same items for Mercy She added two hoodies, in case they had to flee in the night, and then a few incidentals including brushes, coht a pair of scissors She had to stop looking like one of the So, here she ith a scruffy old guy who had given her a ride and noanted to help her even more and just by the look of him alone she should be worried But the tall, handso smile, who had so much to offer when she was in need, had never worried her for a moment And he was the one she should have been worried about!

In his cart Rawley had groceries and She looked closely He had a safety seat for Mercy for the truck It was an old truck and the cab was small, but it had seat belts She was touched beyond words That safety seat meant so much more to her than all Jacob’s promises

The new seat had to be strapped in by the door and there were no seat belts for the middle seat She had to sit next to Raithout belts while Mercy rode in the passenger seat Still, it was better than walking or hitching

Had it been possible, she would have held her breath all the way to Rawley Goode’s house She kept telling herself she was safer in this old man’s truck, or in his home, than she would’ve been had she stayed with the fa herself this was safer than hitching rides Despite her racing i she had not been prepared for When they pulled into the driveway of a shborhood, she felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her It was like the house she’d grown up in When they went inside, she stopped right inside the door, right in the little living room, and almost collapsed in relief and emotion This could be Aunt Mary’s place! The furniture was different but probably just as old, complete with those familiar doilies on the tabletops and ar over the hardwood floor threadbare, the wood furniture distressed but polished "Oh, my God," she whispered "Oh, my God"

She put Mercy on her feet "Maot down on one knee She put the bags she carried along with her backpack against the wall "We’re having a vacation And I think you need a nap"

"I don’t want a bacation," Mercy whined

"We don’t have a choice We have to"

"I don’t want to has to!"

"Stop," Devon said fired her close

Rawley took the groceries straight to the kitchen and began putting things away Devon just waited by the door, holding Mercy’s hand, afraid to invade the house Mo her a slip of paper "There’s two bedrooms upstairs and you’ll knohich one is hty lived in There’s food in the kitchen and I ain’t savin’ nothing for later--it’s all open season for you and Mercy I eat at the bar and clean up dishes before coht or so This here’s a nurinned "You’re the first person to get it I ht ot tired of , or if soes with you, or if I don’t expect anyone will bother you here"

"You’re leaving?" she asked

He gave a shrug "I could stay, Cooper wouldn’t one will give you a chance to think Check over the place Rest Eat Get cos off your clothes Nap Whatever you need to do" He opened the door "There’s another room up there It’s where I keep the TV Extra blankets in the hall closet Towels and that stuff, too"

"I guess we should wash off the road," she said

He looked at his watch "You got hours to do whatever you want"

"Thank you, Mr Goode"