Page 42 of Mine to Hold
“And you’re belittling how I feel right now.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. But not a single person in my family believes you had anything to do with this. However, we do need to figure a few things out. My brothers and I want to get a jump on it because my mom can be intense.”
“You don’t understand how triggering this is for me. What it brings back from when I was taken into foster care.” While she could never tell him about Tony or what had happened, she had to give him something to sink his teeth into. Something that would justify her nerves. Her fear.
Emmerson wiped his hands on a napkin and leaned back. “I will make sure we keep that in mind. But can you tell me a little about that so we can be sensitive to it?”
“I don’t like talking about it.”
He nodded. “Hey, Lucy Ann,” he called. “Do you mind if Rumor clocks out a little early?”
“Nope. She’s all yours, Mr. Saucy.” Lucy Ann stuck her head out of the kitchen.
Emmerson shook his head. “You can’t call me that. Ever.” He reached around the counter and took Rumor’s hand. “Come on. We’ve got a little time before my family gets to my place.”
She snagged her bag and followed him out the door. “Cop car again,” she mumbled.
“Did something happen between you and the police that has left a bad taste in your mouth?” He leaned against the hood, pulling her between his legs and tight against his chest. He kissed her softly. It was sweet. Tender. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but a caring one and it wasn’t something she was used to. Most men she became entangled with only kissed her when they wanted to end up in the sack. The only intent behind this was to show he valued her and that he cared.
“Yes,” she admitted, caving to the sensation that she’d successfully avoided her entire adult life. If she didn’t allow anyone too close, she’d never be hurt again. She’d never feel the pain of abandonment. Of betrayal. She could go through life with a sense of contentment and that was enough. But Emmerson made her want more and she found herself for the first time willing to share things she never had. “I lied about ever being in cop car.” She pressed her hand over his mouth. “It was when I was placed in foster care. I was young and scared. The police were all very kind. It’s not that I’m afraid of cops. But I didn’t want to go with them. I wanted to stay home, where I’d been living on my own for weeks. I knew for sure my parents would be home and I wanted to wait for them. Sometimes, even now, I wonder if they ever returned.”
“How long had you been alone? How old were you?”
“Eleven and I think it had been close to six weeks.”
He cupped her face, kissing her tenderly. “That kind of trauma sticks with you. I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what that was like for you. Have you ever tried to find your parents?”
She shook her head. That would require putting herself out there and that meant it was possible Tony could find her. That, she couldn’t have.
“Why not?”
“Fear, I guess.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“Learning they never came looking for me at all.”
He cupped her face, resting his forehead against hers. “That’s reasonable. I’d probably feel the same way. But if you ever want to, I’d be happy to help you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“However, I can’t leave my work vehicle here. I have to drive it home.”
“I understand. I do. I don’t mind being in it. Or with you. It’s the rest of this that has me unnerved.”
“Trust me. I’m not thrilled with the situation either. I didn’t like having to tell my mother what happened last night. Or anyone else. That’s between us. But I’ve got two murders on my hands. Both women I went to high school with. One I took to a dance and one I dated for over two years and thought I was madly in love with. I tried to speak with Tessa about my concerns for her safety today, but all she cared about was me getting involved in something between her and her ex-husband.”
“Ex-husband?”
“Yeah. The man she cheated on me with, she married. He and I used to be best friends and we’re working our way back into a friendship, especially since Tessa slept with and now is engaged to his stockbroker. It seems to be a pattern with that girl.”
“If she’s with someone else, why is she bothering this man and his new girl?”
“Because she’s an event planner. The best in town and she won’t take on Tessa’s wedding out of principle and now she and Ben feel like they are being harassed, which they kind of are.”
“Jesus. Can I go get some popcorn? This is better thanReal Housewives.”
He chuckled. “My life reduced to reality television.”
