Page 75 of Comeback
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It was a long night for everyone. Reavo, Dane, and I did our best to keep Mackenzie entertained while her mom gave her side of the story to the police. Nicole hopped into an ambulance and went with Jeff to the hospital—Jeff was a little banged up and bruised, and he needed quite a few stitches to close the nasty cut across his brow, but otherwise he was fine. Nicole was untouched, just understandably very shaken and upset.
I waited for Emma while she wrapped up her interviews with the police. They climbed into their cars and drove off, and Emma threw her arms around me.
“Thank you,” she whispered, “thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you, Jack. He would’ve taken Mackenzie. He was ready—He was about to—” She choked on her words, and her voice cracked at the thought.
“He’s gone now. And with all the shit he pulled tonight, there’s no way he’ll ever see Mackenzie again. I’ll make sure of it.” I pressed her head against my shoulder and squeezed her tight. “I’m so damned glad I made it back here in time.”
“I was sure no one was coming … I was sure he was going to have his way with me …” She shook her head. “What brought you back here, anyway?”
“I wanted to give you this.” I pulled the envelope from my pocket and handed it over to her.
She opened it, saw the stack of crisp bills, and raised an eyebrow at me. “What’s this for?”
“Mackenzie’s daycare. And whatever else you needed.”
“I can’t take this, Jack.” She tried to hand it back to me, but I wouldn’t take it.
“Yes, you can. And I’m giving it to you no strings attached, alright? You don’t have to repay me, and you don’t have to give me another chance, either. I just hate the thought that you’re struggling. You and Mackenzie deserve better. And I’ve got more than enough money. So just take it—let me help.”
“Well … thank you.” She dropped her head and buried her face against my chest. “I’m such an asshole.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You’re a great guy.” She mashed her face even tighter against my chest. “And yet I thought you weren’t greatenough. What the hell do I know about choosing a good man? Obviously not a lot … just look at Trevor …”
I shook my head. “You were right, though.”
“About what?”
“Everything. Mackenzie needs a good role model for a father—I had no idea Trevor was that fucked in the head.”
“Neither did I, really,” she said.
“You were right about not running away, too,” I said.
She huffed. “Was I? Because right now, running away sounds really goddamn nice.”
I held her tight. “Only because of what you’ve been through.”
“No,” she said. “Because of whatyou’vebeen through, too. I wanna leave it all behind, Jack. We can both start over—start fresh, start new, together. You, me, and Mackenzie.”
I peeked down at her. “What are you saying?”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll go with you—we’llgo with you. I’m ready. Can we go someplace warm and exotic? Some island paradise off the ocean?”
A few short hours ago, those were the words I wanted to hear from her more than anything. But now? I turned back and looked at my car, where my teammates were waiting, and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I can’t,” I said.
“Why not?” Her brow furrowed. “You don’t want me anymore?”
“No. It’s not that.” I paused. “I’m done running, Emma. That’s no way to live—like you said.”
“You mean you’re going to stay in Bayfield?” After what she’d just been through, I could tell she didn’t want to stay here any longer.
