The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection

Chapter 4-2

The next morning, before Bob left, Emily dropped the little bomb that she’d obtained a job and would be moving. His glowing response, which was not unexpected, was his cheeks flushing a burning crimson color, and his mouth falling open from obvious shock. Oops, guess she’d read that right. He’d expected her to land flat on her face, but to hell with him and his expectation for her to come crawling back. Hell would freeze over before she’d ever consider it. No, she was almost free. And to prove it, Gina arrived, right before Emily left for her first day of work at the ranch, with three pages of directions that were color-coded by priority. What Emily needed to do, along with numbers and contact names, which included the lawyer to handle her legal separation, the gas and electric company, notice to the post office for change of address and one page of sensible questions to ask Brad; which Emily should have thought of, but, in her fog of excitement, hadn’t.

Wow! She scanned the checklist, hugged Gina and then hurried with Katy to the van, in awe of the organizational skills of this woman.

And even though Gina had offered, once again, to keep Katy with her this morning; Emily knew how imperative today was. Today with Katy would be to test the waters, sink or swim, as the old saying goes, and find out just how smoothly, she hoped—no believed, it would go. “It’ll work out.” It had to, since she was uprooting Katy to a home that wasn’t hers. Children needed stability, so as Emily drove through the familiar gates of Echo Springs, past the split rail fence framing each side of the long winding, well-treed entrance, where the dirt and gravel road looked freshly graded; Emily felt a sudden spiral rise from the pit of her stomach and up through her chest, as if she’d been drop-kicked into her future, without having any chance to analyze or question her sanity, and back out.

And it was a good thing too, since Brad was waiting outside his lovely Victorian in the bare front yard. All that pure, masculine power; six feet two inches of ruggedness. How could a man wearing a worn tan barn jacket exude all those damn fine, good-looking vibes? “Oh shit.” Without Katy to keep her distracted from those magnificent, see-right-into-your-soul whiskey-colored, eyes she’d probably trip over both her feet.

Emily parked her van and focused on taking the keys out and zipping up her purse. When she looked up through the window, Brad lifted a little boy bundled in a dark blue hoodie up onto his shoulders. He swaggered toward Emily in a way that said he owned, and was proud of, this land. Emily opened her door and tried to contain the shake in her hand. She slammed her door and hurried around to the passenger side to slide the side door open.

“You made it.” She could smell his earthy fragrance, no sandalwood, as she craned her neck up. His smile was intoxicating, and today he was much more relaxed—nicer. Maybe, if he’d be a jerk again, she could relax.

“We did.” Okay, how stupid was that. Emily turned away before her face grew any redder, and focused on unbuckling Katy from her booster, and lifted her.

“So, who’s this?” His voice was teasing, light and riddled with tenderness. He was a different man from yesterday, and he didn’t ignore Katy; just the opposite, he reached over and tickled her chin. Hooray, another completed checkmark on Gina’s detailed laundry list—the list to reorganize Emily’s life.

“This is my daughter, Katy. Katy, this is Brad, the man I told you about.” She giggled and clammed up that sweet pert little mouth, in a too-shy ploy she always launched upon meeting anyone new. Emily was positive this was just the beginning of the ploys she’d play on many a man to wrap him around her finger. “Sorry, she’s shy, but wait until she warms up to you, then she won’t stop talking.”

He laughed with such genuine warmth, for an instant Emily wondered if he was the same difficult man she’d met yesterday. Trevor bounced on Brad’s shoulders reciting a “Blib, blib...” until Brad put him down. He wandered to the wide rock path that led up to the front steps.

“Is this Trevor?”

“Yes, that’s my boy.” Brad shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched over his son.

“Hi Trevor, I’m Emily…” The little boy never turned toward her, he had no interest in her or Katy.

“How old is Trevor?” The hardness was back in Brad’s face. He didn’t look at her.

“Three.” He cleared his throat roughly.

Trevor stopped in the middle of the rock path and dropped to his knees. He started digging with his tiny little fingers around a rock. “No, Trevor.” Brad lunged and swooped Trevor up.

“No, no, no.” Trevor screamed over and over, flailing at Brad. His tiny-fisted hands smacked Brad on the nose.

“Stop it, Trevor. Emily’s here, remember I told you she’s going to look after you.” But he didn’t stop his screeching. In fact, he changed the words to a, “whee, whee, whee” thing as Brad held his hand. “He must be tired, all this newness, with you here is throwing him off.” Brad shouted over his stiffened shoulder.

His anxiety was back, but of course, what an awkward moment. Was the kid always like this?

“Come inside Emily, I’ll get Trevor some crackers, and then you can get started.”

Katy remained quiet and still in Emily’s arms, as they both watched Trevor at a safe distance. Emily shifted Katy in her arms, and followed a tense and ill at ease Brad into the house.

What a difference the house was today. The neat and tidy living room with upscale leather furniture and hardwood flooring that would showcase in any home and garden magazine was a complete mess today. Emily stepped over plastic toys, puzzle boxes and pieces scattered from one end of the room to the far wall by the kitchen. There were wool blankets and two afghans hanging over the sofa and scattered on the floor—a rough night or morning, or something. The kitchen wasn’t much better. Brad yanked open the lovely white cupboard door, the one with the tempered glass center, and grabbed a box of cheese crackers with a cartoon character on the bright red box. Katy tightened her hold around Emily’s neck, as the kid screeched louder.

But Emily couldn’t get past the dirty dishes, cereal boxes, and discarded food packaging filling the sink and covering every bit of counter space. And the odor, what was that smell?

She turned in a circle and had to lift her foot off the sticky floor. Even though it appeared this kitchen had been recently remodeled with upscale appliances, cupboards and maybe a really nice teal green slate countertop, she wouldn’t swear to it, considering the state it was in.

His eyes were on her, watching her, as a frown deepened those tired lines around his eyes. She sensed him pulling back, the way men do when they think you’re judging them, which she wasn’t, or maybe he half expected her to turn and run out the door. “Well, I better get started; if anyone’s planning on having lunch, it’s going to take me a good hour or two, with the kids to look after, to clean this mess up.”

Brad flushed. “Look, I’m sorry about this...” He gestured with a hand that held the boxed crackers. “If this is too much for you to do and look after both kids…” He didn’t finish the sentence as gravel spewed from the sound of a heavy truck pulling in followed by a short blast of a horn. Emily faced the narrow hallway that led out of the kitchen, and to a back door. What sounded like a large man stomped up, what she presumed were, the back steps, the hinges squealed on the screen door right before the inside door, with the curtained tiny glass window, was pushed opened. “Hey Brad, Dudley’s here with the feed for the cattle, we need you out here.” The big man hovering in the doorway, who must have been six feet tall, was wearing a plaid wool shirt with an orange baseball cap. It looked like it had been several days since he’d last shaved.

Emily turned to look at Brad who closed his eyes and shook his head. “s**t. Sorry, Emily—you’re on your own. I’ve got to take care of this.” He held Trevor out to her as he shoved a handful of crackers in his mouth. Emily put Katy down beside her and Katy, being unsure, promptly gripped her mother’s black jeans just below the knee.

“Okay, I’m not really...” Brad paid no attention at all, as he hurriedly passed Trevor to her, along with the cracker box. He didn’t spare her a passing glance.

“See you at lunch.” And then he was gone out the back, past the whitewashed, dated paneling that filled the narrow hall, pulling the back door closed behind him. Emily couldn’t believe it. She stood there holding a quiet child who had no interest in her. He should have been big eyed, maybe even scared of the stranger holding him. The only interest he had was the box of crackers.

“Mama.” Katy tugged on her jeans then shoved her thumb in her mouth and reached her arms up. “Oh, Katy bug, I can’t hold you both.” Emily squatted down and sat Trevor on the floor. When she tried to stand with the cracker box, Trevor screeched, “na, na, na.” Holy crap, was he loud.

“Here you go, no need to act like that. Use your words.” Emily handed him the box of crackers. Again, he wouldn’t look at her. For a minute, she worried he’d choke, he was cramming them in his mouth so fast. Katy tapped her leg and pointed to the box. Of course, she wanted some. “Katy, how about a banana instead?” She dropped her bag on the sticky cluttered table, and pulled out a banana leaving Katy’s box of organic rice crackers out of sight. She slid a wooden chair out and sat Katy down. “I should have brought your booster seat. I knew I forgot something.” Emily slipped her coat off and rolled up her sleeves, scanning the rectangular, neglected, kitchen filled with unfinished food, a sink overflowing with cups, and dishes with slimy, dirty dishwater. The large white propane stove was grease covered and littered with dirty pots. She shot a harried glance at the back door, where Brad had escaped. So he’s not infallible; that thought put them on even ground.