Page 10 of The Redemption of Remy St. Claire

“How did it go at work?”

“We kept him in jail. He’s a sick bast—” She caught herself. “A sick man. He beat and raped his ex-wife who was pregnant by her new husband. She lost the baby.”

“Oh my God.”

“Yeah.” Remy saw plenty of violence every day, but this one had been particularly vicious.

“You do this every day?”

“I love my work. I’d love to live in a world without sick and depraved people, but it’s not so. My job is to make sure they stay in jail as long as possible.” Pride enveloped her each and every time she talked about her work.

“You have a stronger constitution than I do.”

She shrugged. “Each to their own. As much as I love Calleigh…”

“You need to go to work.”

His words were a balm. He understood. Her need. Her drive. Her obsession. She’d only been in the prosecutor’s office for a few years, but she volunteered for the toughest cases. The most traumatized victims. Those whose lives had been violently disrupted.

“You need a good night’s sleep.”

Weariness overwhelmed. “I do, but I still have work to do.”

“What can I do to help?”

“That you ask is enough.”

“I feel powerless.” He gently tucked a lock of Calleigh’s hair behind her ear.

Her sister clung fiercely but seemed accepting of the gesture.

“At least let me help you tomorrow. I can watch Calleigh again.”

She didn’t want to say yes. She didn’t want to have to rely on this stranger. She wanted to be strong enough to handle everything, but she wasn’t. “I’ll take you up on that offer. My place or yours?”

“Might as well bring her here. The girls can play here while I tackle packing.”

Packing. A stark reminder, in case she needed one, the headcount in her home was doubling.

The truth was, she hadn’t known what state she’d find Calleigh in tonight. She thought maybe tears. Maybe distress. Despite the weight, the little girl felt good in her arms. Reassuring. Comforting. She owed him for that. Instead of needing to give comfort, she was receiving it.

“Packing sounds challenging. Look, I hired my movers for all day on Saturday, but I suspect I won’t need them for that long. Why don’t I have them come here after that?”

“Sure, that’d be great. We can trade off watching the girls.”

Calleigh started squirming, so she set her down.

The preschooler made her way back to the couch and rejoined Mira.

Remy nodded, offering reassurance when she felt incapable of words. Handle both girls at once? She could barely manage with Calleigh. How would she cope with Mira in the mix?

“You’ll be fine.” He winked. “Just don’t leave them unattended for too long.”

“Unattended? You leave your daughter unattended?” Her stomach dropped.

“I’m kidding, Remy.” His grin held a touch of mischievousness. “You need to learn to relax.”

“My parents were just killed in a car accident, and I’m suddenly responsible for another human being. I don’t think I’ll ever relax again.” She uttered the words with more bitterness than intended, but exhaustion had set in, and she was incapable of verbal sparring.

---