Rubbing a hand across my face, I growled out my frustration.
“Rough night?”
I jerked around to find her standing in the middle of the living room back in her little black dress. Her hands were clenched together in front of her and she looked like a little girl playing dress-up now that she was missing the makeup and shoes. Her lips rolled between her teeth and she raised her dark brows.
She’d asked me a question and there I was ogling her.
“It was okay.”
She inched her way toward the island like she was worried I’d attack.
“Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah. Thank you.”
“Would you like coffee?” I almost shouted for joy when the machine was done with my cup.
“Sure.”
“How do you take it?”
“Umm… I don’t know. I’ve only had it when it was free. I think I added a creamer packet to it and a packet of sugar.”
My hands paused over the buttons taking in her words, cringing at how poor she must be. Most people managed to splurge every now and then, could scrounge up a dollar for gas station coffee, but then I remembered her barren cupboards. “Did you like the flavor of it?”
“It was a little bitter.”
“I’ll come up with something for you.” I pushed the button for the coffee to brew and turned. “Here are some clothes for you to wear today for work. I forgot I had these in a drawer, but you can borrow them until we can get you clothes of your own. Also, the five thousand as promised.”
She grabbed the items I pointed to on the island but didn’t move to go put them away. “I have clothes and you don’t have to take me to work. I can head home now. Besides, I have a shift at the grocery store this evening.”
No. The word rattled through me and I somehow managed to hold back the command. However, I was unable to soften my words, my irritation at even the thought colored my tone. “You’re not going back there.”
Apparently, that hadn’t been any better than the original no I’d wanted to say because her eyes widened and she took a step back.
“What?”
This time I took a deep breath before responding, making an effort to sound calmer than I felt. “If you go back, she will expect more money. Especially since she knows you can get it. Just…stay until we can figure this out.”
“Figure what out?”
“I…I-” I stuttered. I was a man sure of my decisions and yet I was questioning everything I said to her. I was stumbling through this mess I made, desperate to keep her from running back to that site, praying she didn’t bolt with the five thousand I’d already given her. I needed to give her a reason to stay, that was what I needed to figure out.
Then it hit me. She needed money and I needed to keep an eye on her to keep her from making stupid decisions. Pulling my shoulders back, I stood tall and hoped the authoritative stance hid my nerves that she’d turn me down.
“You can’t go back to that trailer, and there’s no easy solution that can keep you from being dragged back to where you were. At least not one you can get without my help.”
“I-I don’t understand.”
“Stay with me for a month and at the end of that time, I will give you ten thousand dollars.” Her jaw dropped and eyes widened, but before she could talk, I had to make my own stipulations. “If you decide you don’t want this offer, you can take your five thousand and leave today. If you stay, you give me the five thousand back in return for the ten at the end of the month. And there are rules. You don’t ever go to that site again. If you’re here, then I don’t want to find out you’re trying to get more money in dangerous ways.” I ticked each rule off on my fingers. “You quit your job at the grocery store. While you’re staying here, there will be no guests and you must check in with me before leaving.”
“You’re making me sound like a prisoner.”
“Are you telling me you have friends and parties to go to?”
She looked away. “No.”
“Then it shouldn’t be an issue.”
She didn’t say anything, but I could see the questions swirling behind her eyes and, as I spent more time with her, I picked up on her tells. Like the way she chewed on the corner of her lip when she was thinking. Or how her hands clasped too tightly in front of her lap when she was anxious. She did both now.
“If you break any of these rules, then you can leave without anything. I’m not going to expect anything except maybe some office work.” I softened my severe tone. “I won’t hurt you.”