He Bought My Father's Debt, So Now He Owns Me novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: The Aide

We reached Magnolia Haven at midnight.

The night aide met us at the glass door in her scrubs, with her keys in her fist and her hair coming out of its clip.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Reese," she said. "She's been up since ten. She won't take her pill. She keeps saying a name, and I thought, I'd rather call than have her fall."

"You did right," Cal said.

"It's the Guidry girl, she says. 'Bring me the Guidry girl.' I told her I didn't know any Guidrys."

Her eyes went to me, curious and kind.

"I'm Jo," I said. "Jo Guidry."

"Oh," said the aide.

She stood back to let us through.

The hall was dim and smelled of floor wax and warm milk.

A television murmured behind a door.

Cal walked beside me with one hand at the small of my back, an inch off the denim, not touching.

I could feel the heat of his palm through my jacket.

I thought about the cold room and the marks on his wrists he had pulled his sleeves down over.

I thought, I want to take that hand and put it where it was.

Then we reached the door.

Lenore Reese sat bolt upright in the bed with the lamp on and the blue cardigan over her nightgown.

She was bright-eyed and flushed and entirely herself.

I had learned enough in a week to know that was the frightening kind of night.

"There she is," Lenore said.

"Mama, it's midnight," Cal said.

"I know what time it is, Calloway. I'm not a fool."

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