Page 4 of Deceptive Vows
“A girl?” A woman stopped six feet away from me. “Lucas…”
“A man was going to hurt her.”
The woman’s mouth dropped. “What did you do, Lucas?”
“He rescued me,” I squeaked.
Her posture softened. “Oh, darling.” She stepped toward me slowly. “I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you?”
My stomach growled in response. If she asked when I last ate, I wouldn’t have an answer. I didn’t know. I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“How about I get you some clean clothes? You can clean up, and while you’re doing that, I’ll make some moussaka. It’s got potatoes and lamb.” She did a chef’s kiss. “It’s delicious.”
Moose? I was starving. I nodded again.
“Good.” She smiled. “Let me grab you a towel. We’ll have something for you to wear by the time you’re out, okay, my darling?”
A little girl toddled into the room, a dark-haired cherub in a pull-up.
Lucas’s mom stooped and scooped her into her arms. “Say hi…” She looked at me expectantly.
“Abigail.”
“Abigail. What a sweet name.” She bounced the toddler on her hip, keeping her giggling. “Where’s your mom?”
My lips trembled. “She…she died a year ago.”
Her mouth parted in a gasp. “Who’s taking care of you then?”
I bit down on my bottom lip. Foster homes. I’d been in a few. Ran from all of them. They didn’t want me—they wanted the check. What if I answered wrong?
What if she returnedme to foster care?
Her kind smile returned. “Abigail,” she said gently, reaching out a hand, “It’s okay. You can stay here for a bit while you figure things out. Okay? I’m a pretty great cook.”
Lucas chuckled. “You stay here, and you’ll be so big you won’t be able to leave.”
“Oh, you! Hush!” Her eyes twinkled as she teased him.
For the first time I could remember, I felt safe. I took Lucas’s mom’s hand. “Okay.”
“Lucas’s friends call me Ma. You don’t have to?—”
“Ma. I like Ma.”
“Good. Ma it is, my darling.”
The memory faded as I took a deep breath and lifted my head from Lex’s shoulder, forcing myself back into the present.
“Well, we don’t have that luxury, Lex. We know what’s out there. How many little girls have you rescued, huh? I’d rather have a man with a little blood on his hands than a yellow streak down his back.”
“I know,” he said softly, “but Thea, not every woman sees it your way. Doesn’t mean she’s a bad person.”
I hated a lot of things. Cowards topped the list. Pretending evil didn’t exist just so you could sleep better at night? Pathetic.
Lex covered my hand with his. “I cared about her. She was sweet, innocent, fun… smart.”
“Not smart enough to stay with you.” When he grunted, I added, “Fine, maybe she was nice. That just means there’s someone else out there, and you’ll hook the right one when the time’s right.”
