to fix this,” added Mrs. Henderson, her dark eyes set in determination.
“Fine!” Mr. Henderson threw himself onto the couch, defeated. The stress he’d been through was more than he could bear and had worn him down. “But no boys.”
Tosha nodded solemnly. She looked like she was grateful to get out of there with her cell phone intact.
Seth stood up, and Evie followed quickly. “We’re going to head out. Please call if you need us.” He shook hands all around. Evie hugged both ladies and waved to Jennifer in the corner.
“Thanks for saving me,” Tosha whispered when he said goodbye to her.
Seth grinned. “I’m just the driver.”
She giggled.
He and Evie made their way outside. Mr. Henderson jogged out and stopped them. “I just wanted to ask that we keep this whole thing between us. I’m not the type that wants my family’s issues announced and prayed for over the pulpit, if you know what I mean.”
“Of course.” Seth patted his shoulder.
He and Evie climbed into the car. It was almost midnight. Mr. Henderson went back inside, and the house lights went off at the same time Seth started the engine.
“Looks like they’re headed to bed,” he said.
She nodded. “Good. They need it.” She stretched and yawned. “I need it too. So much for getting my beauty sleep.”
“Like you need beauty sleep,” he replied without thinking.
Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink, and she fiddled with her fingers. “I can’t help but think I’ve failed Tosha.”
“What?” He nearly slammed on the brakes. She’d been a lifesaver for the girl tonight, a place Tosha could go for counsel and comfort. Not to mention the help she’d offered—despite his protests. “How?” he demanded.
She pressed her lips into a thin line. “We talked about a youth group over a month ago, and I haven’t done a thing for it. Maybe if I’d acted when I had the prompting, she wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Seth stared out the windshield. “I don’t think this is your fault in any way.” It was his fault. Maybe he could use this example to show the board how important a tutoring group would be—except he’d promised Mr. Henderson he’d keep this to himself. He wished he hadn’t done that.
Evie yawned. “What are you up to tomorrow … well, later this morning?”
Seth glanced at the clock to find a new day had started while they’d been at the Hendersons’. “I’m visiting Mr. Garrison at the hospital.”
“Right.” She yawned again. “Do you want me to go with you?”
He shook his head. “Sleep in. You earned it.”
She leaned her head back. Her eyes drifted shut, even though she tried to fight them.
Seth took in her profile. She was so beautiful. He wished he had one tenth of her peace. He opened his mouth to tell her about the board and the money and the decisions facing them for the future of the ministry, but she snored softly—a sweet little hum in the back of her throat.
He couldn’t bring himself to wake her.
His mind couldn’t even come up with a good place to start the conversation that needed to happen. He didn’t feel good about her moving forward with the youth group while the board was still considering if there should be one, but what harm could a few tutoring sessions do? And Tosha needed help. The Henderson family was counting on them.
It took over an hour for his mind to settle enough for him to fall asleep. The half-truths and hiding things didn’t sit well with his soul. Being married was hard—harder than he’d thought it would be.
Chapter Twenty
Evie
Evie sat on a plastic chair the color of an aged avocado. The cinderblock wall behind her was painted a light gray color, and the floor was white laminate—the kind that could withstand a bleach bath by a harried janitor. Or an inmate working as a janitor, as the case may be.
She glanced across the room to where Terri talked on the phone to her husband, who sat on the other side of a thick piece of glass. They were leaning into one another; their foreheads would leave marks on the not-so-clean surface.
Scott wore an orange prison jumpsuit. His hair was awry, and his whiskers were longer than they’d been the last time Evie had seen him. But it was his eyes that she couldn’t stop checking. They were defiant, hard, and calculating.
Terri suddenly slammed the phone back into the receiver and bustled across the room toward Evie. Evie stood to greet her, ready