Page 37 of Love's Cure

“No matter what I think about him, it will come to nothing. His father is Senator Chamberlain, and his mother hated me before she even met me.”

“Wow! I’ll do anything to help you. I owe you big time. And I don’t mean just for this,” said Misty.

“We’re sisters. We take care of one another. Like always.” Crystal reached over and squeezed Misty’s hand.

Misty nodded and gave her a shaky smile. “Like always.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Crystal pulled intoher parking spot behind the Café and indicated the outside door to her apartment. “If you need some time to yourself, feel free to go upstairs and get settled in my guest room, which is always reserved for you anytime you want .”

“Thanks. I think I will,” said Misty. “I don’t feel like facing anyone right now.”

“I’ll bring up a nice hot breakfast for you whenever you call,” said Crystal. “But it’s important for you to get some rest after two hard days of driving and everything else that’s happened.”

“Yes, I think I’ll grab some orange juice and take a nap. I’m too upset to eat.”

Crystal waited until her sister had climbed the stairs and walked inside her apartment before she went downstairs and entered the chaos of a busy kitchen. As soon as she could, she went into the dining room and sat at a small table opposite Emmett.

He was eating scrambled eggs and toast and regarded her with a smile. “How’s Misty?”

“She’s going to try to sleep for a while. Again, I thank you for seeing us and being very sensitive and kind to her. I had no idea that her new boyfriend was abusive.”

“She was in Florida, and you were here,” said Emmett, giving her a sympathetic look. “You can’t keep her safe from everything. She’s smart. She proved it by coming home to you. Some women would have tried to hide it. But Misty knew enough to end a bad situation right away.”

“Growing up, we certainly had a good example of what not to do,” said Crystal, making a face.

“I imagine you had to protect your sister from prejudice too.”

“At times,” said Crystal. “But Misty was as accepted as I, probably because living in a small town like this where everyone knows your business, means more acceptance. At least, that’s been my experience. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t embarrassed by my mother and her problems. Sometimes, the kindness of strangers can make it seem even worse.”

“How old were you when your mother died?” Emmett studied her.

“I was eighteen, thank God. That meant I was an adult who could take care of my sister. She was ten.”

“And you got her through those rough teen years by yourself?” Emmett’s eyes rounded with surprise.

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