Page 17 of Peach

He had no clue about what type of doctor she needed or how often she would have to go. If Haisley came with him, he would need help. Maybe he was biting off more than he could chew, but he felt the need to do this for her. Not only because his mother thought helping her was necessary, but it was the right thing to do.

Another thirty minutes passed before he was allowed to go back and see Haisley. He said goodbye to Senator Unger and Ginger, promising to keep in touch with both of them. She was hooked up to an IV, and worry blasted through him.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yes. They just wanted to give me liquids because they do that for everyone who comes in pregnant. The ultrasound showed that the baby is fine. Nothing is wrong so as soon as they think I’ve had enough of this bag, I’m free to go.”

“I don’t think you can stay in Georgia.” Peach decided to rip the bandage off, so to speak, and just tell her he wanted her to come to California.

Worry crossed her face. “I don’t know how I can go anywhere else.”

“This place isn’t safe for you. We saw that tonight. Sheriff Eason isn’t going to stop. You didn’t have to say it exactly, but I’m good at putting things together. He will keep attacking until the problem is gone, and that means you would be gone. I know I only came out here to close up my parents’ house, but I can’t leave without you.”

Her lips pressed together, and her eyes narrowed. “Men only do favors for sexual stuff.”

Peach raised his hands. “Like I said before, I don’t do that. I only sleep with women who want to sleep with me. I know the difference between manipulated consent and real consent. My mother wanted you taken care of, and I’ll help you.”

“But California is so much more expensive than Georgia. How will I afford it?”

"I have a small house. It's not much. I bought the smallest place I could find near my buddies. They are great friends, and their women are amazing, but that's another topic for another time. The house has two bedrooms. One is mine, of course, but the other has nothing in it so far, so you could sleep there."

She bit her lower lip, and honestly, she looked so cute he wanted to reach out and run his fingers over her cheek.He kept his hands to himself. She didn't need some idiot lusting over her.

“What about work?”

“I’m sure you could find a job. What were you doing here?”

The pink in her cheeks grew darker. “I was just working at the local general store. Nothing special.”

“Hey, don’t discount what you were doing. Working at a store is valuable work. There are a few shops close to my place.”

“I feel like I’d be taking advantage of you.”

He shook his head. “No, you won’t. And when the baby comes, you can take some time off to take care of it. There are programs in California to help moms get back to work, but there is no reason for you to rush back. I know the first year is important. And if you come out there, Mel will have just had her baby.”

“Who is Mel?”

“My buddy Andy, his wife. She’s having a baby soon. So you’ll both have babies.”

Worry washed over Haisley's face. Meeting new people could be stressful for some. The women were all good people. But sometimes good people didn’t get along with each other. Hopefully, it wouldn't happen with Haisley and the rest of the women.

“It will be good for you. You’ll get away from here and can start a life in a new place without people knowing what happened.”

“I don’t want you to get sick of me.”

“Trust me, I’ve lived in terrible conditions. It will be fine. You kept my parents’ house clean?—“

“Except for the lawn, and that was because I didn’t have a car to go get gas for the mower.”

“I’m sure we’ll get along fine. Everything will be okay.”

Haisley closed her eyes, and at first, he thought she was going to say no, but then she nodded. "Okay. It sounds good. I have a little money for the ticket."

“No, I’ll pay for that. I’m going to get it right now. Let me open the application and see what I can do.”

He found the app and started the process of buying another ticket on the same flight. Luckily, the price wasn't too bad, and he was able to get her a seat next to his. They had a few days for him to arrange for a realtor to take care of his parents' house and set up an estate sale. He didn't care how much money he made off the stuff inside. Whatever he got for the house, he would use to support Haisley. His mother would want that. He was sure his parents wanted him to keep taking care of this woman.

Their death weighed heavily on his conscience. Why had they really gone to Colombia? He still needed to talk to Diane and find out what was going on. Tomorrow, he would find out where Diane lived and figure out what had happened to Audrey.

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