Page 47 of Operation Rescue
“Good idea. And good luck, Erin. I know we’re all watching out for your boy.” She looked at Blaine again. “Nice to meet you finally, Mr. Everett.”
He winced inwardly, although judging from the woman’s seemingly genuine smile he didn’t think the “finally” had been meant to be a jab. He was just a little touchy, that’s all.
“She seems nice,” he said neutrally as they walked on.
“She’s one of the nicer neighbors. I did some work for her husband’s company after we moved here, so we got to know each other a little.”
He seized on the more impersonal topic. “What did you do for them?”
She shrugged. “Redesigned their logo, brochure info and packaging. Worked with their website designer to blend it all together. They were happy with it, and their business picked up shortly thereafter, so I count it a success.”
“How about your business?”
She smiled at that. “It picked up, too. I even had to hire a bookkeeper because I couldn’t keep up with it all.”
She took in an audible breath as they stopped at the next corner. Blaine looked across at the spacious park he’d noticed before, thinking it had several places a kid could hide out, if he wanted to. Places he wanted to check for any sign, even if he couldn’t know if it was Ethan or not.
But Cutter would.
He wasn’t sure why he was so certain of that, other than he knew just how much it would take for Rafe Crawford to trust as much as he clearly trusted this dog.
“I’m glad you brought that up,” Erin said, yanking him back to the moment. “I wanted to tell you…you don’t have to keep sending so much extra money. We’re okay.”
His head snapped around and he stared at her.
“We needed it, at first, and that we have our house is because of you. But I’m doing well enough now that I can manage. You don’t have to…be so generous.”
“I neverhadto be in the first place.”
She winced, but he couldn’t help his sharp tone. “I know. But you were. You have been. And I thank you for it, a thousand times. But you don’t have to do without for our sake anymore.”
He had, in fact, done without a few things, but it had been worth it to him. Sure, sometimes his base housing was cramped; in fact he’d had one where he thought his college dorm room had been bigger. But he hadn’t really cared, because he knew that whatever extra he sent went to Ethan’s care. Not every divorced dad could say that, and he knew a few of them. Too many had exes that blew even child support on themselves, instead of spending it on the child.
But not Erin. She would do without just about anything if it meant Ethan had what he needed. Blaine knew if he sent her money for new clothes or shoes because Ethan was growing so fast, he knew that was what it would go for. Never would Erin be decked out in the latest, trendy attire if Ethan was wearing things that were worn out or too small.
Oddly, he was proud of her, for making a go of what had been the one thing that had always appealed to her.
“I’m glad you made your dream happen,” he said as they started across the street, figuring that was safe enough. When she glanced at him he added hastily, “And I don’t mean because you don’t need as much money now.”
“I never thought you did,” she said, her voice very quiet. “You always encouraged me before…before everything.”
“Before it all fell apart, you mean?” he asked, and he couldn’t help his sour tone or the way his mouth twisted.
She stopped on the opposite corner and looked up at him. He would have sworn he could see her steeling herself before she said, “It—we—didn’t fall apart. I blew us up.”
“Erin—”
He stopped when she shook her head. “I did it, Blaine. And not a day since has gone by that I didn’t hate myself for it. Because I threw away what our son needed most, because I didn’t have the guts to live with a hero.”
Chapter 24
There. She’d said it.
It had been eating away at her for two and a half years, since the day she’d filed the divorce papers. And every day since she’d lived with the vivid, searing image of Blaine’s look of utter and total shock when she’d told him what was in the envelope she’d given him.
You can’t mean this. I thought… I love you. I thought you loved me.
I do. Too much. Don’t you see, that’s why I can’t stay?
