girl. The only difference now was that Faith was old enough to help bail her mother out of trouble instead of clinging to Pressie’s skirts, feeling powerless to make her mama stop crying.
“It’s bad this time, baby,” Pressie said with a sniff. “So bad. Gary left me.”
“I’m sorry.” Faith stopped fighting the eye roll.
Gary, her mom’s latest, was a creep who worked on an oil rig six months out of the year and had rolled into Summerville looking like a mountain man with six types of critters living in his beard. He was gross, and not even that fat wallet full of oil money her mama was so excited about would have made Faith touch him with a ten-foot pole.
“He took my money and he left me.” Pressie sobbed, her voice going high and thin. “And I’ve only got one more night paid up at the hotel. Come tomorrow morning, I’m going to be kicked out on the street. I’m going to be homeless in New Orleans.”
“You’re not going to be homeless in New Orleans, Mama,” Faith said with a sigh. “I’ll wire you some money, and you can—”
“But there’s nothing close to the hotel, and I don’t have my car. It’s still in my garage at home,” Pressie cut in, sounding increasingly hysterical. “And it’s already dark out and this isn’t a good part of town, Faith. There are drug dealers out there, and all these sad little girls selling themselves on the street. Gary said we should stay here because we’d get more vacation for our money, but I was scared, even with him here. Now I’m all alone and I don’t have a dime for a cab or even any supper, and I don’t know how I’m going to—”
“All right, Mama.” Faith cursed beneath her breath, lowering her voice as Mick emerged from the restaurant. “Text me the address of the hotel and your room number. I’ll call you in a pizza delivery and be there to pick you up by tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, thank you, baby,” Pressie said, sounding significantly more relaxed now that she’d gotten the answer she obviously wanted. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” Faith said. “See you soon.”
She hung up with a weary sigh. It looked like she was going to be making an all night drive to New Orleans—just what she needed after working seventy-two hours straight with only a few five hour naps throw in.
“What’s up?” Mick asked, holding out her wallet, which she’d abandoned on the table in her haste to get some privacy for her call.
“It’s my mom.” Faith took the wallet, shoving her phone back inside as the text with the address to the hotel came through. “I’ve got to go pick her up in New Orleans by tomorrow morning.”
Mick’s eyebrows lifted. “Faith, that’s like a nine hour drive.”
“I know, but she’s afraid to leave the hotel so I can’t wire her money for the bus, so…” She shrugged, trying not to let her embarrassment show. “Sorry I ruined the night.”
“You didn’t ruin anything.” Mick put a hand on her back, rubbing the spot in between her shoulders in a way that was unexpectedly soothing. “But I don’t think you should drive all that way by yourself, especially after working three days straight. Why don’t I come with you? Help you drive?”
Faith glanced up at him in surprise. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know,” he said with a smile. “But I don’t have work until Monday, either, and I don’t like the idea of you driving all that way alone in the dark.”
“Really, I’m fine, Mick,” Faith said as she started down the sidewalk. “I’m used to driving alone.”
“Oh, come on,” he said, falling in beside her. “It’ll be fun. We’ll stop at the Quikstop on the way out of town, stock up on candy, and ride the sugar high south.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, torn. She wasn’t sure leaning on Mick was a good idea, but she was a little worn down, and Jamison and Jake would probably appreciate a break from being her go-to-guys for
“It’s bad this time, baby,” Pressie said with a sniff. “So bad. Gary left me.”
“I’m sorry.” Faith stopped fighting the eye roll.
Gary, her mom’s latest, was a creep who worked on an oil rig six months out of the year and had rolled into Summerville looking like a mountain man with six types of critters living in his beard. He was gross, and not even that fat wallet full of oil money her mama was so excited about would have made Faith touch him with a ten-foot pole.
“He took my money and he left me.” Pressie sobbed, her voice going high and thin. “And I’ve only got one more night paid up at the hotel. Come tomorrow morning, I’m going to be kicked out on the street. I’m going to be homeless in New Orleans.”
“You’re not going to be homeless in New Orleans, Mama,” Faith said with a sigh. “I’ll wire you some money, and you can—”
“But there’s nothing close to the hotel, and I don’t have my car. It’s still in my garage at home,” Pressie cut in, sounding increasingly hysterical. “And it’s already dark out and this isn’t a good part of town, Faith. There are drug dealers out there, and all these sad little girls selling themselves on the street. Gary said we should stay here because we’d get more vacation for our money, but I was scared, even with him here. Now I’m all alone and I don’t have a dime for a cab or even any supper, and I don’t know how I’m going to—”
“All right, Mama.” Faith cursed beneath her breath, lowering her voice as Mick emerged from the restaurant. “Text me the address of the hotel and your room number. I’ll call you in a pizza delivery and be there to pick you up by tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, thank you, baby,” Pressie said, sounding significantly more relaxed now that she’d gotten the answer she obviously wanted. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” Faith said. “See you soon.”
She hung up with a weary sigh. It looked like she was going to be making an all night drive to New Orleans—just what she needed after working seventy-two hours straight with only a few five hour naps throw in.
“What’s up?” Mick asked, holding out her wallet, which she’d abandoned on the table in her haste to get some privacy for her call.
“It’s my mom.” Faith took the wallet, shoving her phone back inside as the text with the address to the hotel came through. “I’ve got to go pick her up in New Orleans by tomorrow morning.”
Mick’s eyebrows lifted. “Faith, that’s like a nine hour drive.”
“I know, but she’s afraid to leave the hotel so I can’t wire her money for the bus, so…” She shrugged, trying not to let her embarrassment show. “Sorry I ruined the night.”
“You didn’t ruin anything.” Mick put a hand on her back, rubbing the spot in between her shoulders in a way that was unexpectedly soothing. “But I don’t think you should drive all that way by yourself, especially after working three days straight. Why don’t I come with you? Help you drive?”
Faith glanced up at him in surprise. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know,” he said with a smile. “But I don’t have work until Monday, either, and I don’t like the idea of you driving all that way alone in the dark.”
“Really, I’m fine, Mick,” Faith said as she started down the sidewalk. “I’m used to driving alone.”
“Oh, come on,” he said, falling in beside her. “It’ll be fun. We’ll stop at the Quikstop on the way out of town, stock up on candy, and ride the sugar high south.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, torn. She wasn’t sure leaning on Mick was a good idea, but she was a little worn down, and Jamison and Jake would probably appreciate a break from being her go-to-guys for
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