“Then marry me.”
The room tilted beneath Elenore’s feet. She staggered back a step. “M-marry you?”
“Is that such a bad thing?” Evan softly replied, hurt and something else she couldn’t name swimming in his eyes.
The last thing Elenore wanted was to hurt Evan, but marriage? That eight-letter word meant more than living together. It meant intimacy and…sex. She inwardly shuddered.
More hurt entered Evan’s eyes. “Do you really think I would force you to sleep in my bed?”
Unable to bear the look on his face, Elenore lowered her gaze.
The next time he spoke, he was standing not two feet in front of her. “Elenore? Look at me.”
She didn’t want to. Her face felt hot and her stomach sick. But she forced her gaze upward.
Evan stood there, his arms hanging in a nonthreatening manner by his sides. His eyes reflected his sincerity, calming some of Elenore’s fears.
He cleared his throat. “I think I know where all this stems from. I believe Linda’s mother wants custody of Sarah. And this is her way of ensuring she gets it.”
Stunned, Elenore asked, “But why would she want custody? She’s disabled. How would she take care of Sarah?”
Elenore had already been told of Winnie Duke’s diabetes and how she’d lost most of the sight in both of her eyes.
Evan ran a hand down his face. “Linda passed away a few days ago, yet Winnie waited seventy-two hours to tell me. My guess is, she knew all along that she would be going after custody of Sarah. Only, she couldn’t do it while Linda was alive.”
“I’m sorry,” Elenore blurted, not knowing what else to say about Linda’s death.
Evan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Thank you.”
An awkward silence fell between them before Evan regained his composure enough to continue. “The courts don’t normally take a child from a parent that loves them and provides for them. But that’s not always a hundred percent. Especially if they feel the living arrangements are not in the best interest of the child.”
“Then there’s a chance they could give Sarah to her grandmother because I live here.”
Evan stared down at Elenore for long moments. “I don’t think they would, Elenore. But I’m not willing to risk it.”
“Then I’ll go back to Wexler,” Elenore whispered, her heart in her throat. She would do anything for Sarah. Anything.
Evan’s jaw tightened. “And do what, live in that shack in the woods and hope you don’t starve to death? I can’t let you do that, Elenore. I won’t. And what about Sarah? What would it do to her if you left? She loves you.”
He opened his mouth to say more but obviously decided against it.
Spinning on his heel, Evan strode to the door, stopping with his hand on the knob. “Please think about it.” He left the room.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Evan took a seat on the concrete bench at the edge of the rose garden. His heart pounded hard enough he swore he could see it thumping through his shirt. He’d proposed to Elenore.
She had rejected him, of course. Not that he blamed her. Elenore Griffin was far too damaged to marry anyone.
Evan wanted to kick himself for his backhanded proposal to her. What he hadn’t mentioned was that he’d lied to the social worker and told her that he and Elenore were engaged and planned on marrying soon.
Of course, Evan didn’t have to marry in order to keep his daughter. He could always take Elenore back to Wexler. But that wasn’t what he wanted. God help him… He wanted Elenore.
“Evan?”
Evan stiffened at the sound of Elenore’s voice. It also wasn’t lost on him that she’d referred to him as Evan and not detective.
She suddenly appeared in his peripheral. “Mind if I sit down?”
Evan slid to the end of the bench to give her plenty of room. The last thing he wanted was to cause her discomfort.
He didn’t speak, simply sat there waiting, his hands clasped between his knees.
“I-I thought about everything you said.” She paused for a brief time and then, “I’ll marry you.”
Evan’s heart stopped. Had Elenore really just agreed to marry him?
He kept his gaze trained on the roses in front of him. “I don’t know what to say. What changed your mind?”
She took so long to answer he was beginning to think she’d reconsidered. And then she simply said, “Sarah.”
Evan swallowed back his disappointment at her words. Not that he didn’t appreciate her sacrifice on Sarah’s behalf, but somewhere deep inside, he’d hoped part of her did it for him as well.
Her next words caught him off guard. “Sarah isn’t the only reason. After everything you’ve done for me…it’s the least I can do.”
He turned his head in her direction only to notice her eyes were red-rimmed. She’d recently been crying. His heart broke all over again. She was marrying him out of obligation.
“You don’t owe me anything, Elenore. You’re here because I want you here. Period.”
She flicked a glance at him but didn’t respond.
Suddenly nervous, Evan rubbed his palms along his jean-clad thighs. “If you’re serious about this, I want you to know that nothing has to change. You keep your bedroom, your own space. I will never pressure you into doing anything you’re not comfortable doing. I promise you that.”
She gave a jerky nod and got to her feet. “Okay then.”
Evan watched her walk away in no small amount of disbelief. Elenore had agreed to be his wife. Maybe not in the conventional sense, but it was a huge step for them both. And he would do everything in his power to make sure she didn’t regret her decision.
He stared out over the rose bushes and thought about everything that had happened leading up to this point. Elenore deserved a good life—a life of security and love. And he would give her that if it killed him.
* * * *
Evan drove back from the courthouse with a quiet Elenore riding in the passenger seat.
They were officially married.
Neither of them spoke as the proverbial elephant in the car grew bigger.
Evan finally broke the unbearable silence. “Are you okay?”
Elenore gave a jerky nod. “Yes.”
“Nothing will change, Elenore. I gave you my word and I intend to keep it.”
She fidgeted with her hands in her lap. “I trust you.”
Those three words did Evan’s heart a world of good. “What would you like to eat, steak or seafood?”
That brought her head around. “Shouldn’t we get back? Sarah will be worried.”
Evan grinned. “Worried is the last thing that Sarah is right now. She’s at Mrs. Gordon’s, no doubt terrorizing the woman’s poor cats. I can assure you, she’s having the time of her life.”
“I hope you’re right,” Elenore whispered, a small indention resting between her pretty eyes.
Evan took a left at the red light he’d recently come to. “I am. Ida Mae Gordon used to watch me from time to time when I was growing up. Aside from my grandma, Ida Mae cooked the best pies in the entire state of Georgia.”
Elenore gifted him with a small smile. “You must have had a really nice childhood.”
The little bit of euphoria Evan felt over Elenore’s smile was instantly shattered by her comment. He would give anything to offer her a do-over, to have had parents that loved and protected her.
What kind of woman would Elenore be today if she’d been granted that small gift?
Unable to handle the direction of his thoughts, Evan changed the subject. “Okay. We have steak on the left and seafood on the right, Elenore Ramirez. You choose.”
Elenore tilted her head slightly and repeated Evan’s words aloud. “Elenore Ramirez.”
Evan chuckled. “It has a nice ring to it.”
And then she did something completely out of character for her. She laughed. “It does.”
Evan’s emotions closed his throat. He patted arou
nd on his shirt, pretending to search for his wallet and buy himself enough time to find his voice. “Steak or seafood? Better hurry before the light turns green and someone rear-ends us.”
With mirth still shining in her eyes, Elenore replied with, “Steak.”
Evan sent her a wink. “Steak it is.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Elenore had never had anything as delicious as the steak and baked potato she’d just eaten. In fact, she’d never enjoyed herself as much as she had that entire day.
Had life finally cut her a break? She absolutely loved Evan’s house and the beautiful yard with its rose bushes and picket fence. But nothing compared to how she felt about Sarah.
She glanced over the rim of her glass to watch Evan finishing up his dessert. He was a good man—a man that deserved better than to be saddled with someone as messed up as her.
“A penny for your thoughts,” he teased, glancing up to catch her staring at him.
Looking down at her empty plate, Elenore told a partial truth. “I was just thinking how I’d never tasted anything as good as the steak I had.”
“Well, you can have all the steak you want from now on. All you have to do is say the word, and I’ll bring you right back here.”
Elenore wanted to cry, to give in to her tears and release some of the pain occupying her chest. If she lived to be a hundred, she would never be able to repay Evan’s kindness to her.
Instead, she rose to her feet with the excuse of using the restroom.
Once inside a stall, she leaned against the door in an attempt to get herself together. The last thing Evan needed was for her to mess up his evening with tears.
After several minutes of breathing deeply through her nose, Elenore left the stall, washed her hands, and returned to their table.
“I was beginning to worry about you,” Evan confessed, placing a small box on the table.
Elenore eyed the package, unsure of what to do. “What is that?”
“It’s for you.” Evan laughed, pushing it closer to her. “Open it,”
Her heart began to pound, whether from nerves or excitement, she couldn’t be sure. Evan happened to be the only person on the face of the earth to give her presents.
With trembling hands, Elenore opened the box to reveal a cell phone. “I’ve never had a phone before.”
“You missed one,” he softly remarked, nodding toward the box.
Elenore thanked him for the phone and then moved a piece of cloth aside to find an even smaller box.
She lifted it up and removed the lid. Her mouth opened and closed several times without sound. Inside, lay a beautiful diamond ring, the likes of which Elenore had never seen before. “Evan?”
“It was my mother’s engagement ring. Try it on.”
Elenore fought the tears once again. “Try it on? But it was your mother’s.”
“And you’re my wife. I wanted to give it to you at the courthouse, but I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it.”
As if in a dream, Elenore carefully removed the ring from the box and slid the shiny silver band onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
“It’s white gold,” Evan informed her, tugging his wallet free. He extracted a credit card and laid it on top of the bill at the edge of the table. “I hope you like it.”
Elenore lifted her disbelieving gaze to his. “Like it? It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
She held up her hand, watching the lights play across the diamond. “Ever.”
Evan smiled. “I’m glad you like it. As for the phone, I programmed my number in it, as well as the home phone and Ida Mae’s.”
Elenore couldn’t take her gaze from the ring. “Thank you so much, Evan.”
The waitress picked up the tray holding the credit card, returning a couple minutes later with the receipt.
Evan thanked her and got to his feet. “Would you like to go see a movie?”
Elenore stood as well, her eyes huge in her face. “You mean in a movie theater?”
“Yes.” Evan chuckled, a confused look on his face. “Where else would you go see a movie?”
“I-I don’t know. I’ve never been to see a movie.”
All humor disappeared from his eyes. “What?”
Elenore didn’t know how to respond. She suddenly felt awkward.
He must have picked up on her feelings. “Well, you’re in for a treat. Come on, let’s hurry before the movie starts.”
“What are we going to see?” she asked, trailing along beside him.
Evan grinned down at her. “Whatever you want. You can pick the movie.”
* * * *
If someone asked Evan to repeat a single line from the movie they were watching, he wouldn’t be able to answer. No, he was far too caught up in Elenore.
She sat next to him, one hand wrapped around her soda, the other shoveling popcorn into her mouth, and her gaze glued to the movie playing in front of her.
Evan couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun.
Elenore’s guilelessness and innocence held him captivated. For someone who’d endured all that she had yet still maintained a level of naivete was a miracle in itself. And he hoped she never changed.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
If Heaven were really a place, Elenore had found it in the form of buttered popcorn and surround sound.
She had passed over the dramatic movies in favor of a comedy. Besides, she’d had enough drama in her own short life to last her an eternity.
It felt good to laugh, to relax without worry of repercussions.
Elenore decided she liked the movie theater and hoped that Evan brought her back soon.
The two of them stood and made their way to the exit while the credits rolled. They walked along the edges of the crowd, Elenore taking in all the excited faces of those just arriving.
Evan stopped at the glass doors and held one open for Elenore to pass through.
He truly is a good man, Elenore thought, following him across the parking lot and watching the lights reflect off the diamond in her ring.
Too soon, the reflective lights began to fade, giving way to the dark edges of the parking lot, where they’d been forced to park upon arrival.
He stopped next to the car and bent to unlock her door.
“Put your hands where I can see them and no sudden movements, or I’ll paint your car with her brains.”
Elenore froze, as did Evan. She could feel her heart slamming against her ribs in a painful rhythm.
She wanted to look behind her so badly she could taste it. But she was too afraid.
“On your knees. Both of you.”
Evan reached for Elenore’s hand and gave her a gentle tug while speaking to the man behind them. “Take whatever you want, Just leave us be.”
Elenore knew without a doubt that Evan wouldn’t beg for his own life. But he would absolutely beg for hers. She wasn’t sure how she knew that; she only knew that she did.
She wanted to look at him, to assure him that no matter what happened, she would never forget his kindness, his loyalty.
But then, the man spoke again. “Put your hands behind your head. Now!”
Doing as the man demanded, Elenore locked her fingers behind her head, praying to a God she wasn’t sure existed to spare Evan’s life. He had a daughter to get back home to.
“Give me your wallet.”
Evan slowly reached inside his back pocket and retrieved his wallet. He lifted it in the air. “That’s all the money I have. Please, take it and go.”
After snatching up the wallet, the man was suddenly behind Elenore. “The ring, take it off.”
Elenore straightened her hand to remove the ring, her fingers trembling so badly she could barely get them to cooperate.
The guy’s hand was suddenly in her hair, yanking her back hard enough she cried out.
“Don’t you touch her!” Evan was on his feet before she could suck in a breath. He charged the guy, his eyes wild and
his teeth bared.
An explosion suddenly rent the air, followed by another and then another, the sound unbelievably deafening.
Elenore couldn’t make sense of anything, her thoughts drowned out by the horrendous scream vibrating through her skull.
It took her a moment to realize the sound came from her, an unearthly scream that seemed to come from the depths of her soul.
She surged to her feet, spinning around in horror, still unable to stop the sounds ripping from her lungs.
A man’s face swum in her vision, distorted by her tears. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered in that moment but Evan’s bloodied, limp form lying next to her.
Shouts could be heard in the distance over the pounding of Elenore’s heart.
Without warning, the assailant spun on his heel and disappeared into the darkness.
“Evannnnn!” Elenore cried, scrambling to his side.
He lay face down, revealing three gaping holes in his back.
Blood, so much blood.
“Oh my God, lady, are you all right?”
Elenore knew someone spoke to her, but she couldn’t seem to comprehend their words.
A wail bubbled up, seemingly more painful than the screams. Her mind wanted to rebel against the scene before her, but she couldn’t block out its reality. Evan had been shot.
A crowd gathered round, their voices mingling together, forcing their way into Elenore’s nightmare.
She covered one of the holes in Evan’s back with her palm, trying with everything she had to stop the flow of blood from pouring from him.
“Evan,” she moaned, his name spilling from her lips again and again. He couldn’t leave her, not today and not like this.
“An ambulance is on the way!” someone shouted from nearby. “I called 911.”
Another pair of hands appeared next to her own, holding a wadded-up piece of cloth against one of Evan’s wounds. And then, more hands became involved as the crowd gathered round in a unity that stole Elenore’s breath.
Elenore wanted to beg them to save Evan—beg God not to take him from her, but the words were trapped inside her, cowering somewhere beneath her anxiety…beneath her terror.
Elle Returns: The Sequel: A Psychological Thriller Page 10
