The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection

Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Trevor and Katy whined through dinner, they didn’t like the stew. They banged their spoons, Katy played with hers, Trevor screeched “no, no, no, stuff, ick,” flinging bits of celery and carrots onto the table.

Katy held out her arms to Emily. “Mama, up.” Emily scooped her onto her lap and attempted to feed her off her own plate, but she tightened her lips, nothing was getting in. She couldn’t blame her, Emily couldn’t swallow a single bite either. For some reason, tonight it tasted like sawdust, sticking in her throat and rumbling her queasy stomach.

Trevor started to make the “whop, whop” noise again, swaying in his chair. He held his gravy-filled spoon up and flung it back and forth, the splatters landing on Crystal’s perfectly tailored white blouse. Stress thickened the air. Awkward glances, angry glares. No wonder the kids were off, they were intuitive by nature. They may not know all the gritty details, but they knew their secure stable environment had been threatened.

Crystal dropped her fork with a clatter, “Get him out of here.” The abrupt dismissal was cruel. She had no compassion for her child. She wouldn’t even look at him; in fact, she leaned away, as if whatever he had, she might somehow catch.

The nasty woman pursed her full lips, which Emily was sure were botoxed, reached for a paper napkin and wiped at the splatter of gravy on her lacy shirtfront. How screwed-up were this woman’s priorities? Emily stared at Brad, positive he’d throw Crystal out now. Brad dropped his fork and wiped his gritty hands over his face. He pushed his plate away and leaned his forearms on the table. He ground his teeth. All feeling appeared to seep out of his hard brown eyes when he nodded toward Emily and flicked his hand for her to leave. Her heart sank down through her toes, burning as if the rug had been ripped from under her. And those dreaded tears burned out the corner of her eyes. Blinking ferociously, Emily picked up Katy and held Trevor’s hand. She took them both upstairs, into the bathroom and ran them a warm bath. After she cuddled with Katy and Trevor in his bed, she read to them; several stories to help them all unwind. She’d just started on Scaredy Squirrel, when she heard the quick light footsteps bounce up the stairs, and then the rustle of Brad’s door as it latched closed. Katy grabbed Emily’s shirt and popped her thumb in her mouth. Emily closed the book and let out a heavy sigh. “I think that’s enough for tonight.” She scooted Trevor under his covers took Katy to her room and tucked her in her bed.

Emily paused for a moment at the top of the stairs before swallowing her pride, and slipping downstairs; tension building in the pit of her stomach with each step. What was she walking into? This unknown freaked her out, and what she saw had her stumbling a few steps in the archway. The table had been cleared and Brad was putting the last remnants of dinner in the fridge.

He glanced over his shoulder, and gestured awkwardly to her full plate on the counter. “You didn’t get to eat. So, I left your plate out.”

Emily gazed at the plate and wanted to scream at Brad. But nothing would come out of her mouth. So she dropped her eyes to the floor.

“Sorry, Em, today… I know this has to be hard for you.” He took a couple awkward steps toward her, before shoving both hands in his front pockets. Aww, here we go, the cowardly retreat. Her nose was running again and tears blurred her eyes, but she forced a smile to her shaky lips and used the back of her hand to wipe her nose.

Brad frowned.

“Thanks, I’m not really hungry.” Her voice caught, and if she didn’t do something to busy her hands, her mind; she was going to lose it. So she pulled out the plastic wrap from the middle drawer and neatly covered her plate. She walked around Brad, keeping her eyes down, and set the plate in the fridge. Then, in an afterthought, she reminded herself that no matter what, she wasn’t rude or vindictive. She let out a soft sigh and forced herself to lookup. “Thanks for cleaning up. I know it’s my job.”

Brad ran his hand down her arm. “Goodnight, Em, I’ll be bunking in the spare room in the back of the barn. So you know where I am—if you need anything.”

She leaned against the counter and just stared. She wanted to say something intelligent. Just what the hell was going on? But he looked away, and the stone wall she’d seen the first day slammed down around him. She wasn’t going to get anything out of him. This wasn’t fair to her or the kids. He had to know this. And maybe he did; he looked away and left without another word.

The floor creaked. Emily jumped. Crystal was just outside the kitchen, her icy blue eyes filled with a meanness Emily couldn’t ever remember experiencing before. The woman was quite beautiful, except coldness tarnished this beauty queen to something of a cold b***h. What did Brad ever see in her? Had she been lurking in the shadows, spying?

Crystal crossed her arms over her full perky breasts. “We need to establish some ground rules. You, your kid and Trevor can start taking your meals earlier. And make sure the kids stay out of my way. I don’t know why Brad would have hired someone with a kid. And just so we’re clear, Trevor’s my child. I’ll decide what’s best for him. You’ll clear everything you do with Trevor through me first. Are we clear?” She made no attempt to soften her voice, dictating with a heavy hand.

Emily had finally had enough. “Now you just wait; I don’t work for you. I was hired by Brad. So until Brad tells me otherwise—I work for him, not you.”

Crystal took a cocky step forward, as she flicked her sleek blonde hair over her shoulder. She was taller than Emily by a few inches. She used her height to look down on her with a wicked smile that spiked a chill up Emily’s spine.

“Let me make myself clear. Brad’s my husband and you’ll stay away from him. As for this therapy you started; it stops right now. You can look after Trevor and keep him comfortable, but you’ll no longer expose him to that kind of cruelty. I’ve heard about people like you. People who are so obsessive, they don’t see the long-term damage you’re doing emotionally. And you’re not doing that to my kid.”

Emily’s jaw dropped. Why hadn’t Brad talked to her? Instead he’d run out the door like a coward. “Crystal, I don’t know where you heard that. But that’s not true. Trevor has so much potential—how can you give up on him? I’ve researched this therapy, and he’s done so well since he started.” Crystal leaned in and bared her teeth. “I don’t give a s**t what you’ve researched or brainwashed Brad with. Trevor’s my kid, not yours!”

The woman was a hyena and Emily wasn’t going to win. Crystal started to leave, but then swung back and stepped toward Emily. “Oh, and one more thing. Just so we’re clear. This is my home, and I’m here to stay. So you are very wrong in your assumption that you answer only to Brad. You work for me and you answer to me. If I have any issues with you, I’ll make sure you’re bounced out of here so fast you won’t have time to pack your things.” The floor softened beneath her feet, and her heart squeezed so tight she thought it’d explode right out of her chest. The woman climbed the stairs and slammed Brad’s door. What followed was Katy’s pitiful wail, and Trevor’s shriek.