Except he was starting with almost nothing. Prisoners only received a small amount of “gate money” when they were released, and he’d probably spent most of that just buying some street clothes, coming to Silver Springs and renting a motel. And she wanted to rest assured that he’d stay away until January, didn’t want to worry that he’d get desperate and come knocking on her door right as she was attempting to enjoy her wedding.
“Times have changed. It takes more to get by these days than it did when you were on the outside.” She reached into her purse for her wallet, planning to give him all the cash she had on hand, and the difference in a check, when he stepped away, shaking his head.
“Actually, no. That’s okay. I don’t want to take any money. I’m hoping to get a job soon. I’ll just...try to get by until I might be able to see him.”
“But you have to leave town. You understand that, right? You have to go to LA or somewhere else,” she reiterated.
“I understand. I was planning to go to LA, anyway—after I saw Dallas. I figure it might be easier to find work there.”
She didn’t think it would be easy for a sixty-three-year-old ex-con to find work anywhere, especially if a potential boss were to Google his name. He’d not only committed murder, he’d killed his own wife and one of his two children. Besides, what was he trained to do? He’d once worked in finance, but she doubted anyone with a felony record could go back to handling big money transactions. He would probably be better off in prison, and she had a feeling he understood that. “I’d rather have the peace of mind of knowing you’ll be able to keep your word,” she said. “It’ll take at least this much to get to the city and rent a room. Even if you find a job in that amount of time, it’ll be a week or more before you get paid.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
She got the money out but didn’t give it to him right away. First, she had to clarify a few things. “Have you told anyone in town who you are? That you’re related to Dallas? That you’re just out of prison? Anything like that?”
“No. The only person I’ve spoken to—at least enough to even mention my name—is the fellow over at the school, when I went there looking for you. I didn’t even know Dallas was in town until then. The PO Box you gave me is in Vegas.”
“You must’ve given the motel clerk your ID.”
“I did, but he didn’t seem to look twice at it.”
After so long, she couldn’t imagine his name would be enough to spark recognition, especially if the clerk he was dealing with was young enough.
“That’s good to know.” She handed him the money and quickly wrote a check for the difference. She guessed he didn’t have a bank account yet, but he could get one in LA.
“Thank you.” He seemed ashamed to accept her help, but she hadn’t done it for him.
“You’re welcome,” she said stiffly and, as she watched him walk away, wondered if he was sincere when he said he wasn’t interested in money. Even if it was true that he just wanted to apologize, he had to be hoping for Dallas’s forgiveness. And she didn’t think Dallas could ever give him that, not after enduring the tragic loss of his mother and sister and being cast adrift at such a young age, at the mercy of the state until he was adopted.
She didn’t think it was fair of Robert to even ask.
17
Cain arrived on time. He was wearing designer jeans with a burgundy V-neck sweater that couldn’t quite hide the thickening of his middle, smelled strongly of cologne and smiled a little too broadly when he saw her—and Emery immediately regretted agreeing to meet him. He’d presented dinner so casually when he bought the cookies. A bite to eat. A chance to catch up as old friends. She hadn’t expected it to be a date. She’d driven to the restaurant herself; in her mind, that was a clear indication. But she could tell by the way he was dressed, and the way he put a hand at the small of her back as they approached the hostess, that he had a different take on the evening. Apparently, what he’d said and done before was merely intended to get her to lower her defenses enough to have dinner with him.
She wasn’t capable of going out with anyone right now, she thought in a moment of panic. She shouldn’t have come.
But then she remembered having sex with Dallas, on two different occasions, and told herself if she could do that, she had to be capable of having dinner.
“I was so surprised when I saw you in the cookie store,” he said after they’d been seated.
“Same here.” It hadn’t only been a surprise when he walked in—it had been a bit of a nightmare, since she’d been afraid of running into someone she knew. People who were familiar with her from before would naturally be interested in the salacious scandal she was currently navigating, and she didn’t care to resurrect old relationships at the moment. She just wanted to hide out, heal and regroup.
“So how long will you be staying in Silver Springs?”
She’d already answered that question at the cookie store, but he was making small talk, trying to ease into the dinner, so she pretended as though this was the first time she’d heard it. “Just until after Christmas.”
“Do you know which day you’ll be going back?”
“That’s a bit loose right now.” The day she had to leave the refuge she’d found wouldn’t be easy. She felt safe at Aiyana’s and at risk almost anywhere else. But she was hoping to be up to the challenge by then. She couldn’t stay with Aiyana forever.
Fortunately, the waitress brought their waters and offered a wine list, which
