The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection

Chapter 26-3

On her hand, Emily counted the clear facts. Crystal came home. She was Brad’s wife. He’d made his choice and Emily needed to accept it and move on, no matter how much it hurt.

Emily stepped onto the darkened front porch, slipping on her brown wool sweater. Upstairs the kids were asleep and Crystal had retired to Brad’s room.

Emily leaned against the portico and closed her eyes, absorbing the music from a choir of frogs. Emily removed the barrette in her hair and ran her fingers through the long silky strands. She let out a weary sigh and wandered to the wicker chair, flopped down on it, leaned back and allowed the tears to fall. Emily shut her eyes and prayed for help out of this hellish situation. She prayed for guidance, for some answer to pop into her head and tell her what to do.

“I wanted to apologize to you. I know it hasn’t been easy.”

Emily leaped forward and ducked her head, swiping away the tears. She hadn’t heard him creep up. She rummaged in her pocket for a Kleenex and blew her nose.

His face was hidden in the shadows, but his voice didn’t lie, a man of few words. What did she really know about him? His past? Not much, if she were honest with herself. When she looked up, the moon flickered in and out of the scattered clouds.

She couldn’t talk—she didn’t want to make this easy for him. This was his mistake, not hers. So why was she being punished?

“You’ve handled this badly, Brad.” She took a deep breath, to steady her voice. “I can’t stay, I’m sorry, but this isn’t right. You’ve not been fair to me and Katy, to Trevor.”

Even though it was dark, she could almost feel the heat from his flushed face. He lowered his head and looked away. He blew out a hard breath and sank down on the chair beside her. This time he leaned forward and honestly looked at her. He dangled his cowboy hat between his fingers. The sparks—the attraction, would it ever be gone? Even after what he’d done?

“Where will you go?”

This time she didn’t try to hide the tears. She was mad at herself for falling for the first man who’d told her everything she wanted to hear. She realized why it hurt so much, even after these hellish few days. She’d still held out hope that Brad would see the error of his ways; take a stand and tell her he wouldn’t let her go. That he was a fool and she meant something to him; he’d make Crystal leave. But he said none of that. A reality that crumbled the last of the pedestal she’d stuck him on. i***t. The strong, confident, honorable hero she assumed he was—dissolved before her eyes. It would be easier to hate him.

“I’ll call Gina to see if we can stay with her until I find another job, a place to live. I’m sorry for Trevor. I hope…” Emily’s voice shook. Her face was drenched by the tears pouring down her cheeks, a free-fall. Even after what Bob had done to her, abandoning her emotionally, not being there for her, not being the man she wanted, but a little boy. With Brad, this hurt worse. Maybe because of who she thought he was. The first man she’d really looked up to, depended on, in a way she never thought possible. He had strong values and views on the role of a man and woman. The way he loved and cherished his son, a dependable man who could handle any problem, fix anything...or so she’d come to believe. But she’d been fooled. How could she have been so wrong? Not once had he brought up what almost happened between them, their intimacy, what they’d shared. Was it that easy for a man to erase it from his mind?

The simple truth of the matter was he’d allowed a spiteful, mean, hurtful woman to walk back into his house and treat Emily, Katy and Trevor horribly. Could he not see how Crystal was hurting her own son—his son?

“You hope what, Em?” Brad reached out and clasped her hand, squeezing tight. Emily wiped her eyes and noticed the sheen of tears gloss his eyes before he looked away.

“I’ll call Gina in the morning. See if we can’t move tomorrow.”

Brad said nothing. He nodded and appeared very much a lost man struggling to stay afloat. Even with his scruffy hair and what appeared to be two days without shaving, it was just like him to be so unbelievably handsome. And he’d never be hers. Well, damn him to hell.

“I’ll make sure you’re paid up till the end of the month.”

It was that damn pride which almost had her refusing. She bit her tongue. No, he owes me. Brad squeezed her hand when she said nothing, and then pulled away. The chair creaked when he stood. She gazed up. He stared off into the darkness, fingering the brim of his hat. Then he placed it on his head and strode off, down the steps, swallowed by darkness. The sound of gravel crunching beneath his boots, each step, cut open the hole in her heart a little wider.

The painful lump in her throat swelled, breaking apart any hope Emily had of not falling apart. Her body, her chest shook as the noisy sob burst out. Tears flowed; she buried her face, covering her mouth as she wept openly on the porch, no one to comfort her, just the sounds of a broken spirit echoing in the night.