Page 65 of Lee

The next day, Charli decided to go with him, Will, and Blake when they took the stuff to Rori’s. Janessa had agreed to babysit, so the kids remained at the house, even though the girls had wanted to tag along.

Will took his car, so they didn’t need to take car seats out of the truck. Lee hitched a ride with him while Blake and Charli went in their truck.

“This isn’t the greatest neighborhood,” Charli remarked as they stood on the sidewalk in front of the apartment building a short time later.

It wasn’t, but he had a feeling that it was what had fallen within Rori’s budget.

“I’ll go let her know we’re here,” Lee said, then headed toward the building. “Be right back.”

He wasn’t thrilled when he discovered he could walk right into the building without Rori having to let him in. Given the neighborhood, the building should have better security.

It was a bit dingy, and the carpet looked worn. The aroma of food hung in the air, but it wasn’t terribly enticing. He jogged down the stairs to the lower level.

When he found the door with the number Rori had given him, he rapped on it. It swung open almost immediately to reveal Rori. She wore a pair of jeans and an oversize T-shirt, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

“Good afternoon.” Lee gave her a quick salute. “Delivery for Miss Rori.”

Rori’s smile grew. “Good afternoon.”

“Are you ready for us?”

“I am.”

“Great. I’ll let the others know.”

Back at the truck, Lee found that Blake and Will had the daybed out of the truck.

“I’ll wait out here,” Charli said. “To make sure no one walks off with the other stuff.”

“We won’t be long,” Blake told her.

While Blake carried the mattress, Lee and Will carried the frame, which was more bulky than heavy.

Rori stood in the hallway, and when she saw them, she stepped back into her apartment, holding the door open.

As soon as Lee stepped in, he glanced around, taking in the small space. She had been right about Carisa’s laundry room being almost as big as her apartment.

“Where do you want the bed?” Lee asked.

“Against this wall, please.” She gestured to the wall on the opposite side of the apartment from the small kitchen.

There was no air mattress in sight, so he assumed she’d taken it down already. He and Will quickly set the frame into position while Blake propped the mattress up against the wall, then returned to the truck.

“I’ll be right back,” Will said.

Lee stayed in the apartment with Rori, and the two of them set the mattress on the frame.

He tried not to look around too obviously, but he could see that the linoleum—there was no carpet—was worn, and the walls didn’t look like they’d been painted before Rori had moved in.

Two windows looked out on the street, but he’d only be able to see someone’s lower half as they walked by on the sidewalk. The windows also didn’t look like they had the best insulation value, so he had a feeling she’d be cold in the winter.

There was nothing else in the apartment. No dresser. No table and no chairs. Nothing.

It didn’t feel like a home, and he really wanted Rori to have a home. It felt wrong that she didn’t. Hopefully, the things Charli was giving her would help right that.

“Thanks so much for bringing this over,” Rori said as she gripped the wrought iron frame of the daybed.

“Well, Charli insisted on throwing in a few more things. Hope that’s okay.”

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