Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
S tewart drank his coffee. Yesterday had been a complete mess. He could have stepped in, but it would have ended with more fighting. McKenna could be stubborn, but refusing to read the statements was foolish and, undeniably, unfair to the rest of the family. They’d never had to wait to be paid, at least not this generation.
Leaning back in his chair, he unfolded the paper and immediately sat up straight. Aurora! Her eyes conveyed both fear and confusion. He scanned the article and put the paper down. He jumped up and grabbed his keys.
“Flora, I’m off to Great Falls. Aurora needs help. Please make sure one of the empty bedrooms is set up for her.”
Flora walked into the room, drying her hands with a towel. “Go, bring her back.”
He stopped for a moment and kissed Flora on the cheek before he lit out for Great Falls.
It wasn’t a long drive, and the traffic was minimal until he reached just outside of the town limits.
He slowed. His GPS said the bus station was on his left. She had gotten here yesterday. Where would she go?
She probably was in a hotel somewhere. Had she sold her car? No, she wouldn’t have taken a bus if she had cash from selling it. According to the article, the FBI declined to comment. He found himself in a rough part of town and studied the first motel he came to. He hoped she wasn’t here.
There weren’t any reporters around, but maybe they just hadn’t caught up with her yet. A sigh escaped his lips. It wouldn’t hurt to check. He parked at the end, so he had to walk by each room. Hopefully, if she was there, she’d spot him. It was a longshot, but if she’d been on foot from the bus station, this was the closest one.
Most of the rooms had the blinds drawn. He kept walking to the office. The clerk sat, using a toothpick in his teeth.
“It’s sixty for the night or seven per hour, plus tax.”
“Sixty? That seems a bit high,” Stewart commented.
“We don’t have many that stay the whole night,” the clerk said as though it was an explanation.
“I’m looking for a woman.”
A smirk stretched across the clerk’s face as he stroked his scraggly beard. “Aren’t we all? I can find one for you, but it’ll cost extra.”
Stewart huffed in frustration at the low-life’s implication. “Did a woman check in yesterday for the whole night?”
The clerk paused for a moment. “Could be I was paid to keep that information a secret.” He stared at Stewart.
“How much?”
“One hundred should do it.” A knowing smirk spread across the clerk’s face.
Stewart wanted to groan, but if the information panned out, it would be well worth it. Reaching into his front jeans pocket, he retrieved his money clip and peeled off five twenty-dollar bills. He glared at the despicable man before surrendering the cash.
“Room seventeen. You’re not a reporter or the police, are ya?”
“A bit late to ask, don’t you think?” Stewart pointed out wryly.
He walked back outside and headed toward room seventeen. Immediately, he saw her rushing to pull her bags through the door to leave the room. The clerk likely had given her a heads up.
He ran up to her, causing her to tense up and walk away at a fast clip, keeping her head down and pointed away from him.
“Aurora! It’s me, Stewart. I’m here to help.”
She stopped and hesitated before turning toward him.
“Oh, Stewart.” Her eyes glistened. “You’re here.” She sounded defeated.
“Not everything going smoothly?”
She nodded.
“I’ve come to take you back to the ranch. I’m in a smaller house, but it’s a sight better than this place.”
“Are you sure? I… my stepfather…”
“He has nothing to do with you.” He picked up her bags. “Let’s get going. Flora is waiting for us.”
She followed him to the truck. He put her bags in the back and then went to help her into the passenger seat. With his hand holding the door open, he regarded her for a long moment.
“Look at you! Jeans look nice on you!” Did he see a semblance of a blush?
He shut the door then rounded the hood to the driver’s side and got in.
“We’re here.”
Exhaustion had hit her before they made it to the highway. Weeks of worry ended as she closed her eyes, finally feeling safe. But now the truck had stopped.
Opening her eyes, she was relieved to see a small log cabin home outside the truck and Stewart studying her with a smile playing around his lips. “I can’t believe you came for me.”
“The fundraiser isn’t going to put itself together, is it?” His smile widened.
Flora bolted from the house, and the moment Aurora’s feet touched the ground, she gave her a big hug.
Aurora desperately craved a hug, it had been an eternity.
“Stewart saw your name in the paper and flew out of here like a shot. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Thank you, Flora.” Words failed her as emotions took over.
Stewart led the way, carrying Aurora’s bags.
“Put the bags in the first bedroom,” Flora called out.
Once inside, she relaxed. She could breathe without feeling panicky. She didn’t need eyes on the back of her head anymore. While the house was small, it wasn’t tiny. The furniture was the same.
“Are all the houses decorated the same?”
“No, I brought what I owned. McKenna was surprised. He assumed he’d get everything in the house, even Flora.”
“Oh, my!” She turned toward Flora.
“I had to call Stewart to come get me. McKenna was determined to keep me there. Stewart put him right,” she said, beaming with pride.
“I can’t deny it. Stewart’s a good one.”
“I knew you liked me,” Stewart replied, smiling.
“Don’t get too cocky, and just so you know, I never said I liked you.” Her face warmed. It was so enjoyable to banter with Stewart.
“So you say. Let’s have a seat.”
She sank into his leather sofa.
“Did you sell your car?” he asked.
“No, I called the FBI and told them to take it. They didn’t want to talk to me about the case at first. I… they told me not to leave town, so I have to call them.” All she was doing was jabbering. Ugh. “Anyway, it’s done now. That’s how I was exposed, I think. Initially, no reporters showed up, so I was surprised when they finally did. I did sell my jewelry, though. I got two thousand for it.”
“The few pieces you wore were worth much more than that,” Stewart commented.
“The man at the pawn shop thought two thousand to be the only price. Take it or leave it. I took my clothes to a consignment store, but I wouldn’t have made enough to buy sensible clothes, so I didn’t do that.” A grin slid over her face. “I did find I like canned O’s with sauce.”
Flora set coffee and muffins on the coffee table. “When Stewart was a kid, he liked those, too. What do you say, Stewart, should I buy them for us?”
“I think maybe the O’s should be served on special occasions—like never.”
Aurora laughed. “You’re probably right. Now don’t laugh, but I found a dollar store. Did you know things aren’t a dollar? They have good prices, I was told.”
“You’ve never been to a dollar store?” Flora asked.
“My mother would never allow me to go. It would have been completely unacceptable. I couldn’t do anything to cause the slightest damage to her social standing. I wasn’t allowed in most places. I wanted to go to a fast-food drive-thru, but I wasn’t sure how,” she confessed.
“It’s a good thing I found you,” Stewart joked, “Your real-world education needs some work.”
“I hope you’re a patient teacher. I’d like to take a shower, if you don’t mind.”
“Follow me,” Flora said.
They went upstairs. The room was decorated in yellow and green. It had a happy vibe to it.
“Here are clean towels.” Flora left them on the bed and closed the door behind her.
The towels were thick and soft, not like what she’d been using. The thought of someone entering her room and going into the bathroom made her uneasy.
The relentless fear ultimately wore her down. But she’d been lucky. She had been able to afford a roof over her head. Knowing she’d soon be out of money had kept her awake at night, though.
After getting under the hot water, tears flowed down her face.
Thank You God. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed on me. Thank You for always being with me.
A sense of peace fell over her. She was determined to make the fundraiser a resounding success.