After the Storm (KGI #8)(32)

But now? That Eve no longer existed. Maybe one day she’d get her back. But for now, dating and relationships were at the very bottom of Eve’s priorities. She had a family to protect and raise. She had to stay one step ahead of Walt. Maybe she’d never have a normal life again, but if by not having one she ensured that Travis and Cammie had a quality life, free of Walt’s abuse, then she’d gladly give up any hopes she had of a future of her own.

Besides, what man would be willing to take on a ready-made family like hers? No way she’d ever give Travis or Cammie up. So even if she were in a position to have a normal relationship with a man, it was doubtful that many guys would sign up to raise a teenage boy and a four-year-old girl.

Shaking herself from her ridiculous thoughts—what a monumental waste of time it was to even consider her future when it was absolutely uncertain and changed from day to day—she grabbed the backpack and then pushed the two suitcases to the door so they’d be ready to go when Travis returned with Cammie.

A moment later, Travis came back with Cammie dressed and in her shoes. Eve bent to make sure the laces were secure and that she would be comfortable for the long walk ahead. When Cammie grew tired or didn’t feel well enough to walk, Eve and Travis would take turns carrying her on their backs.

Though they were certainly used to walking great distances and to carrying Cammie, the thought still made Eve grimace. But it had to be done, and the longer they stood here delaying the inevitable, the longer it would take to get to that bus station. And maybe they wouldn’t need to go all the way to Jackson. Clarksville was closer. The army base was there, so there would certainly be a bus depot.

She sighed, racked by indecision. How was she to know what the right choice was? She hadn’t had time to plan this out. Donovan’s visit and his proposed return with a doctor had panicked her. Maybe she should have let the doctor come, find out how serious Cammie’s illness was and then cut and run.

She raised a trembling hand to her temple and massaged as she tried to sort her scattered thoughts.

“Evie?”

Travis’s worried voice broke through her frustration.

“Are you all right?”

Eve nodded and attempted a reassuring smile for him and Cammie both. “I was just thinking. Jackson is so far away. Maybe it would be better if we went to Clarksville and got a bus from there. It puts us farther away from Memphis, but it would cut our walking time down considerably.”

She glanced down at Cammie as she spoke, realizing that it was the right thing to do. Cammie didn’t need to be out in God only knew what kind of weather, in the heat and exposed, for any longer than absolutely necessary.

“I was looking on the map at work earlier,” Travis said. “If we go to Clarksville, then maybe we should consider going north into Kentucky instead of south to Mississippi. And you could pawn the jewelry in Clarksville instead of waiting. They probably have several pawnshops since it’s a military base town, right?”

Here they stood, poised to leave in the dead of night, and didn’t even have a solid plan of attack. Weariness blew over Eve, despite the fact she’d just slept for a few hours.

“I think you’re right, Trav. What you say makes sense. And the farther north we go, the cooler it will be at least. Mississippi in the dead of summer can’t be all that wonderful.”

They weren’t used to the heat and humidity in the South. They were accustomed to a much cooler climate with far less humidity than here. Cammie had suffered even before falling ill.

“Maybe I can even find work in Clarksville just for a day or two before we move on,” Travis suggested. “It couldn’t hurt to pad our cash a little.”

“We’ll see,” Eve said. “For now, let’s just head that way and we’ll cross the other bridges when we get there.”

Cammie slipped her hand into Eve’s and squeezed. Tears burned Eve’s eyelids as she gazed down at the sweet little girl who was offering Eve reassurance. It should be Eve comforting her siblings, and instead they were trying to reassure her.

Eve squeezed back and smiled. “Shall we start our next big adventure?”

Travis took the backpack from Eve and curled his hand around the handle of one of the suitcases. Eve lifted Cammie’s hand and then reached for the other suitcase as they opened the door and stepped into the night.

A stiff breeze immediately blew over Eve’s face, startling her with its ferocity. There were bites of rain mixed in the wind, and it pelted her skin, eliciting a shiver. Damn it. She’d thought the rain was over.

“Should we wait it out?” Travis asked in a concerned voice.

Eve stepped farther out into the yard, turning her face up to look at the sky. There was an eerie howl that unsettled her. The quiet that had bothered her earlier was reinforced.

“No, let’s go now,” Eve said. “It will be morning soon, and I want to be off the main roadways before it gets light.”

Travis nodded and shut the door behind him.

“Ready?” Eve asked Cammie in a light tone.

“Ready,” Cammie said resolutely.

They started across the yard toward the road. The deep ditch in front of the trailer gurgled with runoff. Water ran through the big culvert that served as their driveway and swirled its way farther downstream.

They were to the road when the wind suddenly picked up and nearly blew Eve over. Her grip tightened around Cammie’s hand just as a roar sounded.