himself out of bad situations several times before when he thought there was no way out. Yet he always landed on his feet. The last two years had been challenging, but he had managed. He had been casino-hopping all over the country. He didn’t make a killing at any of them. Just enough for them to want him back, but not enough to call too much attention to himself. In spite of his winnings, he still didn’t have an extra $5,000 for the job he needed done.
He checked the time. Should he call Christian or Sheena? Still too early. He decided to go to the bar and kill some time.
Rick walked through the lobby of the small hotel and headed down the street to a local bar. He slapped a twenty on the counter. “Milagro Silver.” It was a moderately priced tequila. He’d save up for the good stuff once he accomplished his plan. He just didn’t know when or how long it would take.
Chapter Twenty-eight
If it hadn’t been for the change in the foliage, with all the new blossoms, it would have been hard to tell what day it was. Most of hers blurred from one to the next, except for Sundays, when she would make her weekly calls. Even Jackson’s visits were regular, except for the previous Saturday, when he had spent the day with his father and grandmother. She suspected it would be like that every Saturday—for the time being, at least until the custody hearing. She had no idea what the outcome of that would be. If Mitchel stayed on his downward spiral, he surely wouldn’t get joint custody. Colleen hadn’t spoken to him directly, so she didn’t know what kind of frame of mind he was in. Ellie felt for her. It’s one thing to know when things are horrible. You can figure out a way to cope. She knew about that all too well. That’s how she had gotten to where she was. But not knowing what is going to happen from one day to the next is terribly unsettling.
Her ruminating was interrupted by the ding-dong of the back gate opening. Ellie could see from the CCTV that it was Hector. First footsteps, then the back-porch door, then the doorbell.
Ellie stood straight and calmly approached the laundry room. From there, she swiftly opened the back door. It was like a Band-Aid. Rip it off fast.
“Hello, Hector.” She gave him a warm smile. She hesitated about a hug, so she put out her hand.
“Hello.” Hector had a shy look on his face. “I am honored to be invited into your home.”
“It’s a pleasure. Truly.” Ellie stepped aside to let him pass. “Do come in.”
“Is now a good time for coffee?” Hector shuffled his feet.
“Yes, of course.”
“I suppose I should have left you a note this morning, but I was running late for school.”
“It’s fine, Hector. I am so glad we can sit and talk. Please come in.” Ellie guided him over to the dining-room table overlooking the porch and the yard beyond.
He tried not to seem nosy, but he looked around to see how she had decorated the room. Hector had worked with the electrician and helped get the place ready, but he had never been inside after Ellie moved in.
“You’ve done a beautiful job.” Hector appreciated the minimalist look, which Ellie had warmed up with large plants, several throws on the sofa, and a few large, framed photos of trees and flowers. One photo was an enlarged pink peony, another an iris. Others were close-ups of different-shaped leaves. They were not exactly like the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, but the similarity was there. “I really like the photographs,” Hector remarked.
“Thank you. Photography used to be a hobby of mine,” Ellie replied.
“Wow.” Hector was doubly impressed.
“We seem to have a few things in common, Hector. Please, sit down.” She motioned to one of the high-backed, natural rattan chairs. “You and I are gamers, and we also like gardens, trees, plants, and flowers.”
“That’s true. I hadn’t thought about it. When you asked me to put in a garden, I figured it was because you wanted a nice yard.”
“I did, and thanks to you, I have one. You did a beautiful job. I enjoy looking at it.”
Hector was a little nervous. Even though he had been Ellie’s personal assistant for two years, he had never had a face-to-face encounter with her. Before she moved here, all communication was over the Internet. When he was helping her find