Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Violet
The pipes still sputtered and the oven hadn’t been fixed, but I had hot water. I spent Friday night enjoying a warm shower after a week of heating water on the stove like it was 1889 and blizzarding out.
I tried reading a book in the living room, but my thoughts kept dipping to the conversation with Evander last Friday. What did he have to talk to me about? And why did he have a pickup bed full of what must be furniture? I couldn’t think of anything else that came in boxes that size.
He was moving. He had to be. The talk would be about how he was moving.
Was he moving in with someone else? Once he’d put his heart out there and I gave it right back, he decided life was short and met someone else. They moved at warp speed, and how convenient, his lease was almost done .
I prodded at my temples. I would love to take a bath right now.
My hair was still a little damp, but after a week of snow and heating all my water on the stove, fatigue chased me to the bedroom. I put on my cozy pajama bottoms and a loose top with long sleeves. The heat in the house was as weak as everything else, and the temperature was well below zero. Had been since the day after I saw Evander earlier this week.
Under the covers, I sighed and attempted to put out of my mind what Evander needed to tell me.
I had fallen asleep but was woken up again. My bladder protested. Dripping water in my dream made me feel like I had to pee. But I always had to pee, so which had come first? The dream or the baby bouncing on my bladder?
Frowning, I held my breath and listened. No. The dripping was coming from somewhere in the house, and now that I was fully awake, the sound was more like running water.
I swung my legs down. As soon as my bare feet touched the carpet, I yelped. My toes were damp and cold.
“What the…” I went to turn on the lamp and froze. Was the carpet really wet?
I slowly lowered my foot. The temperature grew colder the closer I got to the floor. I slapped the carpet with my toes and was rewarded with a wet, smacking sound.
“Shit.” I reached for the lamp again and clenched my fist. If everything’s wet, then I shouldn’t use the electricity. Right?
Dammit. I was a chemist, not an electrician .
I snagged my phone off the nightstand and scooted farther back on the bed. My little island.
What should I do? How did I fix this while I was almost seven months pregnant? I didn’t know anything about plumbing, and I’d be stupidly optimistic to think I could figure it out in the middle of the night.
Miss Independent couldn’t figure this out. I gripped my phone tighter. I needed help.
Who should I call?
Evander.
No. It wasn’t fair to him that I told him there would be nothing between us, but he was the first one I ran to.
Lily and Eliot?
I let out a frustrated grunt. Everyone would be asleep. Lily and Eliot had kids sleeping. My mess might wake them all up. But I’d need somewhere to go. I drew in a shaky breath. The steady trickle of water taunted me.
The source of the leak had to be the bathroom.
Daisy? I had her number, and she’d come. Maybe her fiancé would help. Still, I didn’t make a move to call them. It felt…intrusive.
I drew in a shaky breath. My heart pounded.
Mom and Dad? Alder? No. They were too far away.
Lily was the best option. Which meant Eliot would have to rescue my ass.
My vision went cloudy, and I blinked to clear it. I swiped at my cheeks. They were wet too.
I had to get out of the house. I had no idea what damage would be done or how bad the leak would get.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then I dialed the first person who came to mind.
Evander
I hip-checked the door and rebounded off the still-closed wooden slab. My jacket crackled like it was made of paper, but it was just that fucking cold out.
“Goddammit.” Why the hell did I fix that dead bolt notch?
Holding the screen door, I stepped back, aimed, and kicked just above the doorknob. One more kick, and the door splintered open.
I entered and aimed the flashlight across the living room. The carpet didn’t look wet, but closer to the hallway, it grew distinctively darker.
“Violet, don’t move. I’m coming to you.” My boots squelched a few steps into the room.
I swept the beam of light through the house as I went. Liquid shimmered on the bathroom’s linoleum floor, and the sound of running water came from inside. Either a pipe had burst from the cold temperatures, which didn’t make sense in a house that was inhabited, or all the futzing around with the knobs when the people were in to replace the water heater and look at the water pressure issue did the old valves in. Could’ve been both. The house was chilly.
Either way, I didn’t fucking care. This house was a piece of shit, and Violet shouldn’t be here.
I swung the flashlight into her room. The carpet was nothing but inky darkness. The house was so small that the water didn’t need to creep far to invade everything.
Violet huddled in the middle of her bed wearing nothing but pajamas. Her curls went everywhere like she’d been stuffing her hands into them. As much as I wanted to soothe her, I had to get her out of here.
“I-I’m sorry to bother you. I know it’s the middle of the night?—”
“If you keep apologizing, I might actually get upset.” I shrugged out of my winter coat and handed it to her. “Put that on. None of this is your fault, and I’m glad you called me.”
She put my coat on like I asked. “Thank you.” Her voice was small, and it gutted me.
I’d have been beside myself if she’d chosen to call someone else. I’d have been relieved that she hadn’t tried to tackle this mess, but the failure would’ve been personal. If I had ruined things so thoroughly so early on in our nonrelationship, then I would’ve taken that guilt to the grave.
I handed her the flashlight. Then I put a knee on the bed and picked her up like the precious cargo she was. Once her weight was in my arms, the dread inside of me diminished. “Aim the light ahead so I can see.”
“You can’t carry me. Just get me my shoes.”
I ignored her and kept walking. She dutifully wielded the flashlight so I didn’t run us into any doors. When I passed the busted doorframe, she didn’t say anything. She had to have heard me crash my way into the house.
“I’ve got the pickup running, and the heat’s going full blast.” I held her tight. Her feet were bare, but I couldn’t rush across the crunchy sidewalk in case I hit a patch of ice. Instead, I smashed through the same path I took from the road to the house in the snow that had piled up and only half melted before the cold front came through.
Carefully, I opened the door of the pickup and set her inside. I buckled her in, and she let me. The glow of the dashboard made the glassiness in her eyes worse. She was stunned and scared.
“What do you need from the house?”
“Nothing.” She said it as if she didn’t want to be a bother again.
“I’ll be back.” Gently, I took the flashlight from her and ran back inside. First, I went downstairs and found the shut-off valve for water into the house. Then I flipped all the breakers. That was all that would be done with the mess tonight.
For the first trip, I left anything that was in a bottom drawer, unsure of how high the water got or if it’d wicked its way up the particleboard of the dresser. I gathered as much of her clothing and shoes as I could.
On the next trip, I got her toiletries. Cold water flowed over the toe of my boots as I splashed my way in and out. Before I left, I grabbed her crochet basket and the throw she’d made off the back of the couch.
I tossed everything in the back seat and found a strap in the box of my pickup from when I moved furniture. I went to the busted front door and secured it as best I could. I got behind the wheel. My fingers were frigid and losing feeling, but I didn’t care.
Her wide gaze was on me in the dark. Not much of her face stood out, and the rest of her was swamped by my jacket. “You didn’t have to get all that.”
Yes, I did. “Call the landlord on the way home.”
“It’s the middle of the night. ”
“And his shithole of a house just made you homeless. Let him know I shut the main water supply off.”
She nodded, and determination filled her face. She called. “Um, hi. This is Violet Duke. Something…happened…with the plumbing in the house and it’s flooding. It’s flooded. The water supply is shut off. Call me when you get this. I won’t be at the house. Thanks. Bye.”
“You were entirely too polite.” I would’ve started with Listen, fucker .
“I’m tired.”
Guilt wound its way around my temper. “I know. You can take the bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“What about the guest room?”
“It’s…there’s no bed in there.” That was all part of the conversation I’d planned to have with her this weekend. But it’d have to wait. She was tired and majorly stressed.
“Oh.”
The rest of the drive was quiet. I didn’t know what to say. I could tell her it would be all right, but she’d drive herself crazy wondering how.
I pulled up to my house. She unbuckled and moved to open the door.
“Don’t,” I ordered.
She stopped. “Oh, right.” She tried to twist around, but she couldn’t reach the back seat. “You packed my shoes.”
“Nope. I’ll be right there.” I got out and jogged around to the passenger side.
“You can’t keep carrying me,” she said as I did just that.
She sighed and sank against my chest. Her exhale wasn’t frustration with me. Violet was logical. All the issues that the busted plumbing caused were likely streaming through her mind. She was probably worried about missing work. Wondering how to get her car. Thinking about inventorying the belongings I had grabbed and planning how to replace the rest.
And then there was finding a new place. While she was in the house she was determined to let go.
I took her inside, flipped on the hallway light by tilting both of us until I could reach the switch, and took her right to my bedroom. “Just rest for now, okay? I know you might not be able to sleep, but get some rest.” I set her down on the edge of the bed.
She nodded. “Evander…”
I tilted her chin up. “Not tonight. Everything can wait until you get some rest. And do not worry about that house. For once, the landlord is going to have to take care of it.”
Some of the stress leaked out of her expression. Her shoulders hung, and she worried her lower lip. “I just need to use the bathroom.”
“While you’re in there, I’ll grab your stuff and put most of it in the corner. Tomorrow, we can find a place for it.”
She nodded again, closed her eyes, and took in a long, shallow breath.
“As long as you need, Violet. You stay as long as you need.”
“My aunt?—”
“Will have to understand. You lost your home. You’re pregnant. She might even know how shitty that landlord is.”
“Chad is kind of shitty.”
Fucking Chad .
“He sells insurance in town, apparently,” she said bitterly.
The asshole would make sure he was covered. “Keep bugging the hell out of him if he doesn’t return your call at the crack of dawn.” Or I’d track him down.
“Okay.” The heaviness surrounding her eased. “Thank you.”
“Nothing to thank me for.” In case she wanted to disagree, I walked out.
When I returned with the first armload, the bathroom door was closed, and a crack of light from underneath speared into the hallway. She was still inside when I carried in the second load. I set her items in a neat pile and left her toiletries on top of her clothing. The crochet basket was holding everything up. If it wouldn’t take so long, I’d hang all her clothes up. I had yanked them out of the closet on hangers. For now, this would have to do. If I did more work, she might think she had to pitch in.
I passed the bathroom door and heard her murmuring inside. As tempted as I was to linger, I kept going. If she wasn’t talking to fucking Chad, I’d be too tempted to find his address and be on his doorstep in a half an hour.
I was making up the couch for whatever sleep I could capture before morning when she came out. Her bare feet stuck out from underneath cozy-looking pale-blue pajama pants.
“Chad said as long as the main valve is shut off, he’ll wait until morning. He thought the temperature should hold to keep everything from freezing too bad, and he wants me to meet him there at nine.”
Nine wasn’t that far away, but it wasn’t like either of us would be getting much sleep. “I’ll go with you, and we can pick up your car.”
She hugged herself.
“Go to bed, Violet.” I stayed right where I was. The temptation to tuck her in was strong, but I wasn’t crossing her limits when she was so emotionally raw.
“Good night, Evander.”
“Night, Violet.”
Violet
“Hey,” a deep, pleasing voice said.
“Mm.” I snuggled farther into the covers that smelled like the best dream ever.
“Hey.” A big hand jostled my back.
“What?” I said on a groan. “I’m sleeping.”
“I know, wildflower, and I let you sleep as long as I could. Chad can suck it and wait a little longer.”
Who was Chad? I blinked my eyes open. Darkness surrounded me with light toward the top of my head.
“We should get going as soon as you’re ready.”
The events of the night rose in my mind. Flooding. Evander. Dependable, handsome, heroic Evander, rushing to my rescue.
In the end, it’d only made sense to call him. The logical choice. I wouldn’t be waking up kids, and he had room for me to stay over, or he’d have made sure I got checked into the motel. I’d needed him, and he’d been there. For once, I didn’t care what his motivations were.
I flung the blanket off my head and sat up. “What time is it?”
“It’s eight thirty.” Evander hovered by the edge of the bed. He wore a tight, long-sleeved gray shirt and dark-gray cargo pants. A ball cap was on his head. He was ready to go.
“Oh shit.” I wiggled to the edge of the bed. My shirt was twisted under my boobs and stretched wide over my belly. He looked like an outdoor activewear model, and I didn’t feel like more than a lump of modeling clay.
“You’re not rushing for that jackass. Take your time, and we’ll get there when we get there.”
He walked out, his ass on display. He hadn’t turned on a light but had raised the blinds.
The man was so considerate I could melt. I scrubbed my face with my hands and blinked as much of the tiredness away that I could.
I couldn’t believe I had fallen asleep, but exhaustion had overtaken me. Fatigue and Evander’s fresh linen smell surrounded me. Last night, when panic would rise, I’d take a deep inhale of that scent. It was the only way I’d fallen asleep.
I could’ve gotten a lot worse of a baby daddy. I reaped the benefits of Evander trying to make sure his kid was cared for.
My gaze landed on a pile of my things. Oh, my toothbrush. I stood and flexed to each side, stiff and sore from huddling while waiting to be rescued. Relief flooded me when I saw all the main clothing I wore was in the bedroom. He’d really cleaned out my closet. A suitcase that I had kept at the top of the closet was next to his dresser. Curious, I opened it. Underwear and bras filled the inside.
He was so damn thorough.
I selected an outfit and took everything to the bathroom. I didn’t see him on my trek between rooms, but I spotted the closed guest room door.
What was he doing with that room? Why was the bed gone? Was he moving out? Moving someone in?
I dropped my items on the bathroom counter and stared at my pale complexion in the mirror. Not today, Violet. Table all those concerns until you figure out your own living situation.
I didn’t have the energy to figure out my near future. I knew what I wanted. I just didn’t know if I could have it.
After I cleaned up and dressed, I found Evander in the kitchen. He was at the stove. “Want some eggs?” he asked, looking over his shoulder. His gaze dropped down my body and back up. There was no smolder, just concern.
Lily might’ve been right. He had looked at me differently. But now he was back to having his emotions locked up around me. I had deliberated too long.
I tugged at the hem of my long shirt that mimicked a soft green empire skirt. The top was long-sleeved and comfy. A pair of leggings in the same material completed the look. Dressy but practical. I would wear something like this every day if I could; I just couldn’t wear it in the lab. Might as well wear it to see and hear how my home was destroyed.
“Eggs sound good.” We had only ten minutes before we were supposed to meet Chad.
I sat at the spot at the table I had usually sat in. A plate was already there with toast. Evander turned the stove off and scooped some eggs onto my plate.
We ate quickly—he was done first, as always.
I put my plate by the sink. He beat me to the door and had my winter coat ready. My shoes were on the black mat, and my purse was on the little table next to it.
He’d really thought of everything.
“Thank you again. For grabbing all this.” I held a hand up when he opened his mouth and shook his head. “Thanks are deserved. It was the dead of night and fifteen below zero.”
He just shrugged. “It’s supposed to warm up a lot today. We’ll get back to more seasonal temps.”
Outside, clouds covered the sky, but the snow on the ground reflected the light and made the day brighter. A fluffy kitten was curled on the step.
“Flo,” I cooed and bent to pet her. “You’ve gotten so big.”
She mewed and bumped her head against my hand. My heart twisted a little at missing months of her growth. Poly bounded up the porch and greeted me.
I laughed, and wasn’t that the last thing I thought I’d feel like doing today?
Evander didn’t rush me, but I pulled myself away from the kittens. “Okay. I’m ready to face my landlord.”
On the drive, I ran through scenarios. I could find another place. I had saved some money, and Chad should give me back my deposit. He should also let me out of the lease. He’d have to.
Then there was work. I had already rearranged and shifted as much as I could. I had another doctor’s appointment in two weeks too. What about a nursery?
Panic shot through my veins. My chest constricted. “ Oh, god. The nursery. I don’t have anywhere for Bud.” The furniture was the type to soak up water, not repel it. I didn’t want to flirt with mold around a baby.
Evander didn’t flinch at my outburst. “One thing at a time, Violet. Seeing how Chad deals with this is our first priority now that you and Bud are safe.”
I took a calming breath. He was right. Chad first. Housing second. Nursery third.
But time was running out. I had a little over two months to get everything ready. Each day my mobility was affected a little more. I’d quit untying my shoes. They’d turned into slip-ons.
A gleaming red pickup was in front of the house when we pulled up. Evander didn’t park in the driveway, probably so I could leave with my car.
The door was hanging open. Chad peered out. He was closer to Evander’s age and wearing fishing waders over a heavy cream sweater. His blond hair was combed to the side, and disapproval lined his face.
“Who broke the door?” he asked without greeting either one of us.
Evander drew himself to his full height. “That was me.”
Chad frowned as he sized up Evander from inside the door. “You should’ve waited for me to come with the spare key.”
“When would that have been?” Evander asked, his tone deceptively even. “Besides, I was the one who fixed it last time when Violet had to body-slam it to lock it.” He smiled tightly. “I guess either way, you were meant to repair the frame yourself.”
Chad’s frown lines deepened, but he moved out of the way so we could enter. The cold kept the smell down. Still, the mustiness was cloying. The carpet might be new, but the smell of wet fabric was ripe in the air.
Chad propped his hands on his hips. “So, I had a look around. The bathroom and the spare room got the worst?—”
“That’s the nursery.” My heart thudded. Evander might’ve said not to worry yet, but I did. The nursery was even worse than my bedroom.
“That sucks,” Chad said as if he didn’t care how high the suckage rated. “But, uh, it’s clean water. A good shop vac and some fans will do wonders. I think if you get started today, you can probably be back in by?—”
“Whoa.” Evander put his palm up. “What are you talking about? You expect her to do the cleanup?”
Was Chad for real? Even if I wasn’t seven months pregnant, his attitude would be insane.
Chad shrugged, his expression affable like he was going above and beyond. “I can take some off the rent, of course, and then there’s the door?—”
“That you never fixed.” I planted my hands on my hips, mirroring his power move. This guy had a tone like Willis’s, and I was not having it. “Along with the garage door opener, all the cabinets, half the lights—need I mention the plumbing?—and the oven!”
Evander snapped his head toward me, shock in his eyes.
Chad recoiled. “I had all those arranged to get repaired. All I asked for was patience.”
“Patience?” I snapped. “All I asked for was a safe house to rent!”
Chad put his hands up. “Now, listen?—”
“Shut up.” Evander didn’t raise his voice, but he edged over until he was between me and Chad. “You screwed her over because you thought you could. Guess what? You can’t. This place is your problem. You get the goddamn shop vac. You run the fans. You give her the deposit back and all her rent for the month. You are going to pay for the damages to her items?—”
“If she had rental insurance?—”
“Don’t fuck around, Chad, or you’re going to find out.”
Chad’s mouth dropped open. He stepped back. “Are you threatening me?”
“No,” Evander said, still not raising his voice. “I’m telling you what you’re going to do. Just like I’m going to tell you that if you don’t, I’ve got the time and money for a lawyer. I’ve got all the days in the world to tell everyone about how a local boy took advantage of a single pregnant woman. I’ve got plenty of family who can tell the stories far and wide. Rentals aren’t your only business, are they, Chad? I mean, the Barrons have made a lot of enemies in this county, but I think people will empathize with a soon-to-be mom who moved to town to give herself and her baby a better life. Can your businesses withstand that?”
If I thought Evander couldn’t get hotter, I’d been wrong.
Chad’s eyes flared when Evander revealed his last name. “I see,” he said tightly. “I didn’t recognize you at first, Evander.”
“Shouldn’t have made a goddamn difference. If the money isn’t in her account by the end of the week, you’ll be hearing from me.” Evander took a step forward. “How long was she without a water heater?”
Chad’s gaze lifted to me. I stared at him square on, challenging him to answer honestly or I would. “About a week,” he finally said.
“It wasn’t working well for two weeks before that,” I added to be petty.
“And the motherfucking oven?” Evander stabbed his finger toward the kitchen wall, not waiting for a response. “Do you realize what a goddamn safety hazard that garage door is? And you expected to stand by while she struggled to not have it fall on her? All while cashing her checks? You know what? That money better be in her account fucking Monday, or I’ll have a nice long talk with Cameron and Naomi about what our options are. I’m sure they have a good lawyer for me to contact.”
Blood leached from Chad’s expression.
“Now I’m taking Violet somewhere warm and safe,” Evander continued. “You can reach her by phone, but you shouldn’t have to. She’s done with this place. Right?”
Chad’s jaw worked, but he didn’t say anything. He nodded.
“And you’re going to pack up all her shit and take it to my dad’s place. He can store it in his shop. I’ll text you the directions.”
Chad’s jaw flexed harder. “I know where Bruce lives.”
“By the end of tomorrow. Money by Monday.” Evander turned. His demeanor immediately softened when his gaze landed on me. He steered me around and out the door.