Page 29 of Refuge for Cherilyn

“You’re welcome. Always.” Once he was in the bedroom, he grabbed underwear and jeans.It would sure be nice if she was in here waiting for me when I get out. Wait?where the hell did that come from?There were two kids in the house, and the sheriff would be there soon. But that simple thought told him something important.

He wanted Cherilyn. And suddenly, admitting it to himself didn’t seem so hard after all.

* * *

Her eyes followedShaw as he disappeared into the bedroom, and she found herself wishing she could climb into the shower with him. He was so, so kind, and no one had ever been that kind to her before. His parents had to be nice people. Only nice people could raise a man that sweet.

That idea made her snicker. Everybody thought she’d married Frankie because she’d wanted a “bad boy.” Nothing could’ve been farther from the truth. It was pretty simple, actually. He was the only guy who had shown an interest in her. True, it had been for all the wrong reasons, but when he’d asked her to marry him, it was only because she was pregnant with Maya. It had taken a nanosecond for his cheating ways to come out. Even so, he’d never been abusive, and he’d worked hard to keep them sheltered, fed, and clothed. He just had no skills to make a good living, and when Lara was born, he’d pretty much given up and slipped from one low-paying job to another. He hadn’t really wanted to be a husband, and he’d wanted to be a father even less, especially to a child who was different.

But this guy, he was the real deal. No one had ever been that interested in her and her kids, and it didn’t feel like he was doing it out of pity or to prove something. He seemed to genuinely want to help them, and he’d never be able to understand how much she appreciated that.

From somewhere in her subconscious, a voice whispered, “Cherilyn, honey, wake up.”

She struggled to sit upright. “Whaaa… What happened?”

A chuckle sounded from beside her. “You fell asleep.”

“Oh, shit! Has the sheriff been here?”

“No. I would’ve had you awake for that. But she should be here any minute.”

“I thought you wanted the girls to go to your mother’s.”

“Couldn’t. She’s got a doctor’s appointment, but she’s interested in meeting all of you. I think she could be a big help to you. Her name is Leslie. My dad’s name is Johnny.”

“Oh. So is Shaw short for something else?”

“No. My grandpa’s name was Mason Shaw Phillips. They named my two brothers for people on my dad’s side of the family. My mother was a Phillips. That’s where it came from.”

“You’re the youngest?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I’ve been beaten up and kicked around my whole life.”

She let out a little laugh. “Are you close to your brothers?”

“Jimmy and I are pretty close. They live in Richmond near Eastern Kentucky University, so they’re not terribly far away. He’s a professor there. Third lives in Springfield.”

“Third?”

“Yeah. Jonathan Michael Harrison the third. He owns a body shop.”

“Oh!” She laughed again. “Which Springfield?”

“Springfield, Missouri.”

“I think there’s a Springfield in every state.”

He snickered. “If there’s not, I’ll be surprised.”

There was a shriek from the bedroom. “Dear god, I hope that’s not going to go on while the sheriff is here,” Cherilyn mumbled.

“I think that’s going to be taken care of. Don’t worry about it.” There was a knock at the door, and Shaw stood. “I don’t think this is the sheriff.”

He flung the door open and a very cute, dark-haired woman stood there. “Hey, Shaw! How’s it going?”

“It’s going good! Come on in. Want something to drink?”

“Nah, but thanks. Oh, hi! You must be Cherilyn!” The woman stepped inside quickly and extended her hand. “I’m MaiseyFriedman.”

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