Read Online Here And Now (American Valor 2) by Cheryl Etchison - Free Book Online Page B

hold. She could do this. She could leave him. She just needed a little boost of confidence, a little extra push to find her inner strength. After a few deep breaths, Rachel straightened her spine, the threat of tears now passed.
    “Let’s just get you out of here. Okay?”
    She nodded in agreement, ready to get to work.
    With the apartment having only one bed and one bath, it didn’t look like she’d underestimated things. Now he just needed to figure out what she was leaving behind and what she wanted to take with. In the living room, there was a small sectional sofa, a rickety old coffee table, and a flat-screen television on top of a glass stand. “Which big items are yours?”
    “The television I bought for his birthday, so I’ll leave it. Especially since he hates that I didn’t buy him the one he wanted. And since he ruined the sofa, there’s no point in taking it.”
    He headed for the bedroom next. “What about in here?” he asked.
    “Just the dresser, nightstand, the floor mirror, and lamp. Then all of my clothes and stuff.”
    “What about the bed?”
    “The mattresses, sheets, pillows, all of it he can keep.”
    Surprised, Lucky turned to face her. “Are you sure about that?”
    “Absolutely. I don’t want to sleep in that . . . that . . .” Rachel waved her hand in the bed’s general direction. “Cesspool.”
    He chuckled at that. Couldn’t help himself. Then he saw the mischievous twinkle in her eye.
    Seeing a lighter on the nightstand, she picked it up and flicked it, a four-inch blue flame shooting up from between her fingers. “Maybe I should burn them?”
    He shrugged. “If you don’t mind going to prison for arson, sure thing. Let’s fire it up.”
    “On second thought.” She dropped the lighter on the floor.
    “Probably the smart decision,” he said, following her into the kitchen. “But what are you going to do about a bed in the meantime?”
    “Rough it, I guess. I can sleep on the floor.”
    “You could, but I don’t recommend it.”
    She folded her arms across her chest and cocked one hip. “Because I’m a girl?”
    “No.” He laughed. “Because it sucks.”
    They made quick work of the kitchen, packing things haphazardly in a short-ride-across-town fashion as opposed to the professional-move-cross-country style. A dozen black garbage bags were filled with clothes and shoes. Her bathroom items were tossed into a large box and quickly taped shut. Thankfully, she wanted to keep her womanly secrets secret and packed that box herself.
    Within a matter of hours, they’d packed, loaded, and hauled her things across town. Getting her dresser up the steep steps and through her front door was a bit of a challenge, but they got it done. Of course, he practically carried it on his back up the stairs all by himself, but he wasn’t keeping score. If it hadn’t been for her repeated cheers of “You can do it! Almost there!” he’d likely never have reached the top step.
    By late afternoon, they were starving, so she ran to pick up a pizza while he finished unloading.
    Lucky was standing in the bed of the truck unloading the last two boxes when an older gentleman walking down the lane called out to him.
    “Hello, there!”
    Lucky waved in return and jumped down from the tailgate, dust pluming around his feet when they hit the ground. “Lucky James,” he said, extending his hand.
    “Walter Culpepper.” For an older man, he had a firm grip and shook his hand vigorously. “Are you related to Ms. Dellinger?”
    “No, sir. We work together at the hospital. I’m just helping her move.”
    “How many more trips do you have? I only saw you come past the house once.”
    That made him feel a bit better, knowing that Rachel’s landlord paid attention and knew who was coming and going from his property.
    “That’s it. She doesn’t have much stuff. Left most of it behind, if you know what I mean.”
    Walter nodded. “I was afraid of that. She seemed like she was in a