Regret dulled Travis’s eyes. “I liked it here. I had hoped . . .”
“I know,” she whispered. “I’d hoped too. It will be better the next place, Trav.”
It was what she’d said every time they’d picked up and fled, and they both knew it was a lie. It would never be better until Walt was no longer a threat.
Travis pulled out several folded bills and handed them over to Eve. “I hope this will help some.”
Eve took the money and then hugged Travis, pulling his lanky frame into her arms. “Thank you, Trav. You are an amazing guy. Donovan brought groceries when he came today. We’ll pack everything we can carry with us. We can’t afford to just leave it behind.”
Travis hesitated and then pulled away, his eyes troubled. “Evie, do you think we’re doing the right thing by leaving? Maybe . . . Maybe they do just want to help.”
“I want to believe that. But I can’t risk you and Cammie by trusting the wrong people. And while they may not be any danger themselves, we risk a lot by exposing ourselves to even more people here. The fewer people we gain the notice of, the safer we are.”
Travis nodded. “I understand. When do you want to leave?”
Eve glanced again to where Cammie was sleeping on the couch. “After it gets dark, I think.”
“There are some pretty dark clouds in the distance,” Travis said. “It’s completely black to the west. Maybe we should wait until whatever storm passes before we take Cammie out.”
Eve nodded her agreement. “Yes. We’ll pack what we can and let Cammie rest for as long as she’s able. After the storm passes, we’ll head out.”
“Have you given any thought to where?” Travis asked quietly.
Helplessness gripped Eve as she contemplated Travis’s question. “Yes and no,” she said honestly. “I thought perhaps we could head south. Or maybe west toward Jackson. With the money you’ve brought in here, it’s possible we could afford bus tickets to the next state at least, but I’ll need to see a schedule and prices. We could take the bus into Mississippi, to a larger town. I think that was our mistake here. We stopped in too small a town not to gain notice. In a larger city, we’d blend in better and maybe even be able to get a cheap hotel. I can pick up a waitressing job and you can stay at home with Cammie. Hopefully she’ll be better by then.”
“And if she’s not?” Travis asked fearfully.
Eve inhaled sharply. She wouldn’t contemplate that possibility. It did no good to borrow trouble.
“She will be,” Eve said in a determined voice.
“Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll get started,” Travis said.
“Get the two suitcases out of the closet and put in as much food as possible from the pantry, anything that’s nonperishable in one and pack what clothing will fit in the other. Cammie doesn’t need much. Just her nightclothes and a pair of shorts and a top. I’ll get one or two changes of clothing to put with whatever you pack of yours.”
Travis nodded and then walked quietly through the living room toward the bedroom where the suitcases were closeted. Eve followed behind and stopped at the rickety dresser and opened the top drawer to where her mother’s jewelry rested in a torn box.
Regret and sorrow tugged at her chest as she faced the inevitable. She hadn’t wanted to part with the only things she, Travis and Cammie had left of their mother. She’d wanted to keep them for Travis and Cammie to have. But they needed the money more than they needed the reminder. She hadn’t wanted to risk pawning it before now, saving it for a last resort. It was too risky. Pawnshops required ID. But time had run out, and this was her only option now.