took all three of them to chase him down. They cussed and ranted about it the whole time they were in the shower. Ashlyn says that it’s a good thing she didn’t have a gun, or he would be coyote food tonight. They were all so tired that they didn’t even argue with me about the bedtime curfew.”
“And the hair story?”
Jayden told him about Ashlyn whacking off her pink streak. “Ashlyn was told she had to cut the pink or dye it. She had been tucking it up under her cap, but tonight she sawed it off with her razor and gave it to me. I’m tellin’ you, I’ve got some tough girls.”
“From what I can see, they’ve got a tough counselor,” Elijah told her.
“Thank you for that,” she said. “Now tell me about your day.”
“Well, it sure wasn’t as exciting as yours. I didn’t play dodge the horse apples or horseflies, either, but I . . .” He paused and took a deep breath.
She laid a hand on his arm. “Are you all right?”
Her gentle touch made him think of all the times Mary had patted him on the back. He probably shouldn’t say a thing, since it might spook Jayden, but he needed to talk to someone. “It’s about Mary and Henry. I’m worried about them both, but more about her. They’ve looked forward to retiring all year, and it seems like Mary is going downhill lately. I’ve noticed her grabbing her chest a few times, and I’m scared that she’s got heart trouble.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t know what he’d do without her. They’ve only had each other all these years and Henry wouldn’t last six months if he lost Mary. She works too hard during the sessions . . .”
“Have you talked to Henry about it, or suggested she see a doctor?” Jayden asked.
“I have, but Henry is in denial, and Mary won’t do anything to jeopardize this retirement trip they’ve planned. It starts with a European cruise and ends with them settling into a pretty little village down on the coast near Beaumont.” Elijah covered her hand with his and squeezed gently, and then quickly moved his hand away when he realized what he’d done. “After all the girls they’ve helped, they deserve a few years together. I want them to have nothing to do but enjoy time together and play dominoes with their new neighbors.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Jayden asked, concern in her voice.
“Just listening to me put it all into words helps,” he said.
She moved her hand away, stood up, and began to pace back and forth across the floor. “Starting tomorrow morning, instead of exercising with you and the girls, I’ll go help make breakfast. The girls don’t need supervising on their jobs, so I can be there for the other two meals, too. I like to cook.”
Elijah shook his head. “I can’t ask you to take on all that, plus take care of your girls.”
“You’re not asking.” She sat back down. “I’m volunteering.”
A picture of Skyler flashed through his mind. She would never offer to do so much work—not without getting paid double, and probably not even then.
“Then I’ll pay you more money,” he said.
“Nope,” Jayden told him. “I’m not doing it for money.”
Elijah wanted to hug her, as a friend, to show his gratitude, but he thought of the implications of such a thing and just nodded. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Mary reminds me of my granny. I’d do this for her in a heartbeat,” Jayden told him.
He got to his feet and picked up both empty bottles. “You’ll let me know if you think she needs a doctor. We may have to take her to the emergency room kicking and screaming, but it would be worth being on her bad side if it means keeping her with us.”
“Of course. I will, and I’ll be honest.” She smiled up at him. “Good night, Elijah.”
“Sleep tight, and don’t let the horseflies bite,” he said.
“That’s funny,” she said.
The last person who had said Elijah was funny was Matty, the morning that they all went out on the mission. Elijah had told them a joke about a couple of country boys and a mule, and Matty said that he’d be laughing about that all day. “You’re funny,” he’d said as he grabbed up his gear and walked out the door.
Elijah still wasn’t sleepy, so he sat down on the porch of his