“I will.”
Thirty minutes after they left, he’d finished his drink, used the toilet, brushed his teeth, and lay down. He was out a moment later and didn’t wake up until an hour before Anna came through the door the next morning.
Chapter Seven
Thirty minutes after leaving the hospital, Kane pulled up around the circle drive and to the massive doors. “Thank you, Kane.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be here to pick you up at nine, all right?”
“That’s fine. Be safe.” She waved at him one more time before walking in the front door.
“Miss Anna, do you need anything from me tonight?”
She smiled. “No, Jessup. But thank you. Is my mother home?”
“Not yet.”
“Okay, thank you.” She turned at the stairs. “I should tell you that I’ll be moving out tomorrow. I’ll be a live-in nurse for a man who was hurt badly and has been in a coma.”
“We’ll be sorry to see you go.”
She smiled. “I’ll miss you guys. My mother doesn’t know yet.”
“I’ll leave that up to you to tell her. What should I say if she tries to find you?” Jessup asked.
“Have her call my phone.”
“I will do that, miss. I hope we get to see you again soon.”
“The house is mine, so I won’t be gone forever. I’m just not sure I can live here with my mother.” She hoped her mother would get over trying to run her life, but she’d been doing it for so long that Anna didn’t think it would happen.
“I hope everything works out. Good night.”
“Good night, Jessup.”
Anna turned on the lights in her room and closed the door. She took out three large suitcases from the back of her closet and set to work on packing the things she wanted to take—all the pictures of her father and her went in first. She picked out the shoes she knew she would wear. The high-heeled ones had never been comfortable, and she was always afraid she’d trip.
All her underwear and nightgowns were next before she started to fold and put in the jeans and t-shirts her mother hated and then some of the sundresses she liked wearing. The bathroom things, she set on the counter to be packed into a smaller case in the morning.
Lastly, she packed a few stuffed animals her father had gotten her that she’d had to hide because they drove her mother nuts, and she wanted to throw them away. Her suitcases were set next to the door to take down the next day.
She showered, put on a gown, and turned off the lights before falling into bed. She was so tired she thought she’d fall asleep instantly, but her mind wouldn’t shut down. Pictures of Zachary kept running through her head.
She questioned if this was the right decision for a brief moment, but she knew she had to take a chance because she wanted to be with Zachary so badly.
When the sun came through the drapes the next morning, she was dressed and ready to go. She remembered Kane saying he’d be there at nine, so she still had half an hour to kill before he got there.
She went through every drawer and closet because she didn’t want to forget anything and have to come back to the house and run into her mother.
“Miss, a Mr. Kane is here for you.”
She raced to the intercom. “I’m coming.” She grabbed the smallest suitcase and hurried to the stairs.
“Slow down,” Kane said. “We don’t want you to break your neck, honey.”
Her footsteps slowed, and she walked over to him. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just don’t do it again.”