red hill - jamie mcguire

cute little girl there.”
I nodded, holding the door open for Zoe to pass, and then brought her to Ashley’s door and
knocked. Ashley opened it and allowed us inside, even though I could tell she was surprised.
“Zoe,” I said, kneeling in front of her. “First, we don’t know Kevin, yet, so until I say otherwise,
what is he”
“A stranger,” she said confidently.
“And what is the rule about strangers”
“We don’t talk to them.”
I nodded. “Good girl.”
“I told Kevin the rule, but he said he was a nice man, and he had met you, so he wasn’t a stranger.”
This made my stomach turn, although I reasoned that Kevin had a daughter of his own, so maybe he
just knew how to talk to children. “Meeting someone and knowing them are different. Until I say it’s
okay, I don’t want you to be alone with Kevin. Deal”
“Deal,” Zoe said.
Ashley and Cooper were standing next to us in a silent exchange. They would look at each other
after certain points of my and Zoe’s serious talk, never speaking, but having a conversation,
nevertheless.
“Next, I need to tell you that to make room for Kevin and Elleny, you and I are going to move
downstairs.”
Zoe made a face, but I was prepared. “I like our room.”
“I do, too. This is just for a little while, and then we can have our room back.”
The skin between Zoe’s eyebrows creased.
Ashley kneeled beside us. “Zoe, how about you and I bring your things downstairs and I’ll help
you decorate it just the way you want”
Zoe thought about this for a while, and then nodded. She still wasn’t happy with the move, but her
already agreeing, and without a fight, was momentous. I couldn’t hide my appreciation to Ashley, and
when we stood, I reached out with one hand and pulled her against my side, pressing my cheek
against her hair in a half hug.
Ashley took Zoe to gather her things, and Cooper and I went into the living room where Kevin and
Elleny were sharing a sandwich.
“You can make another sandwich,” I said. Kevin was so thin; I couldn’t imagine why he wouldn’t.
Maybe he thought he might overstay his welcome if they ate too much right away.
“We share everything, don’t we” he said, lovingly patting Elleny’s thigh.
Elleny didn’t speak or react. She just sat next to him, chewing the bite he’d just given her. I
wondered if she’d lost her mother or someone else that had made her shut down so completely.
Scarlet had been trying to get through to her since they arrived, but Elleny stayed in her own world,
blocking everything and everyone out.
That, I somewhat understood. What I didn’t understand was Kevin’s dismissal of her behavior.
Elleny stayed quiet through dinner, although she ate more than she had earlier, having her own
plate to herself. She ate slowly, though, making sure to savor every bite. No one discussed anything