Michele Dunaway - Emergency Engagement

Nervousness suddenly filled him as he inhaled a deep breath and knocked.

“It’s open, Ida,” he heard Beth call.

Quinton turned the knob and entered.

The sparseness of the place instantly appalled him. She really was moving; she hadn’t been lying or exaggerating when she’d said she was being evicted. Boxes of stuff lined the walls, and faded rectangles of paint showed where pictures had once hung.

The apartment was tiny, probably one of the smaller units in the building. However the main room faced east, giving him a view of the Loop off in the distance.

“Ida, I’ve got most of everything—” Beth wiped her hands on her jeans as she came into the room. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open when she saw him. She froze. “What are you doing here?”

“Auntie Ida?” Running at full speed, Carly almost knocked Beth over.

Carly managed to dodge her mother, and before Quinton could move forward to steady Beth, Carly had tossed her arms around his legs and had given him a huge hug. “Dr. Searle!”

“Are you all right?” Quinton asked Beth as she steadied herself.

“What are you doing here?” she repeated.

“Checking up on me!” Carly blurted. She hadn’t released her hold on his legs and her baby blue eyes gazed lovingly at Quinton. “I haven’t taken any more medicine, and we’re moving.”

“I can see that. Your mommy told me about it.”

“And I was serious,” she said.

“I know that now,” Quinton said. “Will an apology help?” Her expression told him no. “Where are you going?”

“A special place,” Carly interrupted. “It’s a surprise.”

Quinton reached down and gently detached Carly’s arms from his legs. “I bet it is a surprise. Are you all packed?”

“Almost. Everything is going into boxes except for some of my clothes. And my blankie. Those go in a suitcase.”

Quinton straightened and looked at Beth. She was staring at her child, and the pain in her eyes seared his heart. He’d caused this. She hadn’t been lying. He understood, what Carly didn’t—that her mother had no place to stay.

“What number are you?”

“Three at one place, six at another. But…” Beth pointed at Carly.

“I understand.” Little ears did not need to hear. “Is there someplace we can talk?”

“Here I am.” At that moment Ida appeared, and Beth was never so grateful to see her. “You’ve made some good progress. The movers will arrive at seven and I’ll supervise while you’re at work. You’ll be all gone by Mr. Anderson’s deadline.” Ida paused as she saw Quinton.

Beth wanted to groan at the speculation she saw in her elderly neighbor’s eyes.

“This is Dr. Searle,” Beth offered.

“He saved me from dying at the hospital,” Carly added.

“Well, I…” Quinton began.

“We met the other night but weren’t formally introduced. I’m Ida Caruthers.” She extended her hand and Quinton shook it. “It’s nice to meet you. Are you here to help Beth pack?”

“He’s here—he’s…” Beth found herself oddly relieved when Quinton simply took charge and said, “Ida, would you mind giving us a few moments alone?”

“Certainly. Come on, Carly. I have some ice cream in my freezer and I can’t eat it all.”

“Do you have sprinkles?” Carly asked.

“Oh, I’ll have to see what I can muster up. I may not have sprinkles, but I bet I have chocolate sauce.”

“Yum,” Carly said.

Moments later Beth found herself alone with Quinton.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Don’t be.” She was too tired for anger, too tired for anything but bittersweet regret. “I fought the good fight, but no one wins against fate.”

“Maybe you can.”

“No, I can’t. As of noon tomorrow I have to be out of here. I broke down and used the last of my money for movers and a storage facility. How I’ll ever scrape up enough for a security deposit and first month’s rent on a new apartment I don’t know.”

He’d caused this, and his conscience demanded he fix it. “Let me help.”

“You can’t.”

Sure he could. He could solve any problem he set his mind to, except perhaps with his family. “Let me pay your security deposit for a new apartment. I’ll even pay the first month’s rent. You can pay me back whenever.”

“I don’t take charity.”

“It’s not charity. Consider it a loan. A favor. In fact, you can repay me with one.”

Beth shook her head. “I won’t take loans. Not from individuals. They end up being charity. And I dislike favors. They have to be repaid at too high a cost.”

“Yet you’d strip to earn the money.”

“Stripping was work. Not politically correct, but honest. I’m not a hooker and I don’t strip bare. I’ve only done it a few times—a long time ago. It’s quick money. I needed that money. But I waited too long—I didn’t think Mr. Anderson would really evict me, not after the past few years I’ve had.” She swallowed.

She was so tired, so sick of fighting to eke out an existence. Still, she pressed on. “You wouldn’t know what it’s like to be poor, would you? You wouldn’t know how hard it is to put food on the table, to make sure your child doesn’t suffer. You wouldn’t know…” She suddenly saw two of Quinton.

Both Quinton’s spoke. “Beth, you don’t look good. You’re pale and…”

“I’m fine,” Beth said. “I’m just fine.” She was always fine. She couldn’t afford not to be.

And then, as if fate mocked her, the world went black.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.