“I can’t answer for Trenda,” Drake said.
“That’s a really dangerous job, isn’t it? How often have you been wounded?” Piper’s voice was trembling.
“Hey there,” Drake crooned. “What makes you think I’ve been wounded. Look at me. I’m big as a house.”
“That just makes you a bigger target.” He heard tears in her voice again.
“Piper, you’re killing me. I’m a mean son of a bitch, and I work with the best team in the world. I’ve been fine. Yeah, I’ve got a few scars, but nothing major. I’m sorry Trenda didn’t tell you, Honey. Now, why don’t you call Evie and find us a place to stay tonight, okay?”
“Okay,” she said in a soft voice. He continued along the highway as she dialed.
“Eva?”
Even from the driver’s seat, Drake could hear his other sister’s loud voice coming through the phone.
“Please don’t yell. I’m sorry I worried y’all. I just didn’t want to put you in danger.” Evie obviously wasn’t pleased with that answer because the yelling continued.
“Give me the phone,” he demanded.
“You shouldn’t drive and talk on the phone,” Piper admonished. “I’ll put it on speaker.”
She held out the phone between them.
“Who’s that man talking?” Evie yelled. “You better not be hitchhiking.”
“It’s too late. She already hitchhiked last night with a trucker,” Drake growled.
“He was nice. He gave me a blanket,” Piper defended herself.
“Who are you?” Evie damn near screeched. “Piper, who is that man?”
“It’s Drake. He came and got me. Now stop yelling, we need a favor.”
“Drake?”
“Evie girl, you still have a witch’s temper, don’t you?” Drake chuckled.
“Don’t you even start talking about a temper, Drake Jefferson Avery. You have me beat every which way. What the fuck is going on? Dad got out of prison yesterday. Mom called me and demanded to know where Piper was, I told her I didn’t know. Dad showed up at Trenda’s and scared the hell out of her. He tore through her house looking for Piper, said she had to come home. Thank God Maddie and the twins are away at college. Drake, you can’t let Piper anywhere near dad, you hear me?”
“Calm down, you hell-cat. I’m not letting her out of my sight. Now we need a place to bed down for the night and rumor has it you might know of a spot.”
“Get over here right now.”
“Eva, Dad might have one of his friends watching your place. I can’t go there.”
“Let him try. I’ve got my shotgun loaded and waitin’, ain’t nobody going to hurt you again Piper.”
“Jesus, Evie, mellow, we are not trying to re-enact Custer’s Last Stand. Piper’s right, we can’t show up at your place. You might be under surveillance. Tell us where we can go get a room.”
“Dammit Drake, you are not the boss, we already have one...Trenda.”
Drake felt his blood beginning to boil.
“Evie-”
“My name is Eva, nobody calls me Evie anymore.”
“Evalyn Lavender Avery, we are fifteen minutes outside of Gatlinburg. Find us a reservation for something that has at least two bedrooms and a kitchen. If you can’t find two bedrooms, then at least a fold out couch. Can you manage that?”
“Yes,” she ground out. “But it’s going to cost you.”
“I’m good for it.” He grabbed the phone out of Piper’s hand and ended the call.
“Not even Trenda argues that much with Eva,” Piper said in an awed voice.
“Yeah, well, not many people argue with me that much,” Drake said wryly. He looked over at Piper and was happy to see that she had pushed off the blanket. She was wearing a thin denim jacket. No wonder she had needed the blanket.
“So, tell me what all I’ve missed since I’ve been gone.”
“In fifteen minutes?”
“What I’d really like to know about is you. Trenda’s sent me pictures, and we’ve talked on SKYPE, but tell me what you’ve been up to. What do you plan to be when you grow up?”
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you just asked me that question. How old do you think I am? Twelve? For God’s sake, I’m graduating this year!”
Way to go, Avery. Pissing off the teenage girl, nothing much has changed.
“What I meant was, what do you want to do after you graduate?”
“I plan to be a teacher,” she said it in such a prim little voice he could just imagine her in front of a classroom.