Page 13 of Dancin' with Demons

“Chocolate chip pancakes andbacon!” She does another little dance in her seat as she says bacon, and my heart stutters when Raylynn chuckles this time. “Ren-Ren, do you have a big house?”

“Well, the one here belongs to my club, not just me, but yeah, it’s kind of big. My one back home is bigger, but it doesn’t have a beach.”

“What does it have?”

“Miles and miles of forest,” I say with a wink. “And a river not too far off.”

“That sounds pretty,” Savior says before she goes back to colorin’, and a moment later, Edna brings our drinks back.

“Y’all know what you want to eat, or do you need more time?”

“Well, little one requests chocolate chips pancakes, and bacon—”

“All the bacon!” Savior says, puttin’ a little growl on the end of her words, and I can’t help but smile. Raylynn’s daughter is adorable.

“All the bacon,” I repeat, glancin’ at Edna as she smiles just as much as I am. “And I’ll have your buttermilk pancakes with bacon and scrambled eggs. Raylynn?”

She bites her bottom lip when I look up at her, and my brows come together a little in question. “I’m really not hungry, Renegade.” Her voice is low, but I don’t know if it’s shyness or embarrassment.

“Please eat somethin’, hon,” I say just as gently.

“You could do one of the new omelets, Ray,” Edna suggests with a little shrug.

“Okay,” she says with a deep breath. “The veggie one, please.”

“Comin’ right up,” Edna says as she takes the two regular menus from us and heads back to the back of the diner, where they put the orders in for the kitchen.

I glance at Savior to make sure she’s occupied before turnin’ my attention back to her mother. “Raylynn?”

“Hmm?” Her eyes dart up to mine and back to her hands restin’ on the table just as quick.

“When was the last time you all ate without worryin’ about rationin’ shit?” The moment her bottom lip quivers, I reach across the table and take her hands in mine. “Look at me, woman.” I do my best to keep my voice calm. “I’m not tryin’ to upset you, and you have absolutely nothin’ to be embarrassed about. I just want you to be honest with me so I can understand what’s happened since you dipped out of that hospital.”

“It’s been over two years since I’ve done anythin’ without worryin’ about money,” she says as she finally keeps her eyes on mine.

I don’t let go of her hands, and instead, softly rub my thumbs across the backs of her hands. “This is where you’ve been the whole time?”

Raylynn nods. “Yeah. The day I left, there were two buses. One comin’ here, and one gonna Texas. I picked here.”

“How long before you found out?” I nod in Savior’s direction, and Raylynn glances at her daughter with a small smile.

“Two weeks,” she says, takin’ another deep breath. “I was already three months along when I found out, so.”

“She’s adorable,” I say, lookin’ at the little girl again with a smile before brinin’ my eyes back to Raylynn.

“Thank you,” she says, and her cheeks redden just a little. “What are you planning to do with us, Renegade? This is sweet, and I appreciate it, but what’s the plan?”

“We’ll figure that out as we go,” I say, lettin’ go of one of her hands to sip my coffee. “Right now, makin’ sure you and Savior have a place to stay that has electricity and food is the most important thing. And the Geek Squad let me know that until Monday, payment can’t be made on your electric bill because they’re closed, so for now, that means you’re with me.”

“It’s not your job to save us,” she says, her lip quiverin’ again. I swear, every time she gets even the smallest bit emotional, it makes my chest hurt like fuckin’ hell.

“It wasn’t my job to save you the first time,” I say, holdin’ her gaze. “But the moment I did, I knew I’d do everythin’ in my power to take care of you after that.” A tear spills down her cheek, and before she can move to get rid of it, I’m cuppin’ the side of her face and wipin’ it away. “Who usually watches her while you work?”

“Miss Irene,” Raylynn says. “She’s my elderly neighbor, and she’s been a lifesaver for us. Closest thing Savior has to a grandparent.”

“What’s her story?”

“After her husband passed, her kids took all the money and put her in a home. They only paid in advance for so long, and when the funds ran out, Irene was made to leave. Her social security is enough to afford her apartment, amenities, food, and meds. She’s the sweetest woman I think I’ve ever met, though. Edna is a close second. Savior and I would be living under a bridge if it wasn’t for her and Troy giving me this job.”

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