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“You get out of my house, Jimmy Cornell. And if you ever come near my son again-”
“Helen!” I heard Edith shout, then she was rushing into the fray, her husband at her back. “What are you doing?” she cried as she examined her son’s face. “Are you crazy?”
“You haven’t seen crazy yet, Edith, if you don’t get him out of my house.”
“Nolan tripped, Helen! Jimmy was just minding his own business. It’s not his fault your son is a-”
“Edith, the Good Lord himself won’t be able to help you if you say even one more word about my boy.”
Edith’s mouth snapped shut and she grabbed Jimmy’s arm. “Let’s go,” she bit out.
Helen dropped back down next to me and Nolan. He’d quieted in my arms, but I wasn’t sure if he’d seen the altercation.
“Nolan, honey,” Helen whispered.
Nolan turned his head enough so he could see her. Tears were still streaking down his face. “He’s really gone, Mom.”
“I know he is,” she said as she opened her arms to him. He straightened and then slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. She whispered things to him as he continued to cry.
“Old bastard probably couldn’t wait to get away from this freak show,” Jimmy muttered as he pushed off the wall and began to follow his parents.
He didn’t get two feet before I straightened and then knocked him on his ass with one punch. The room let out a collective gasp and I heard Edith scream, but I didn’t care. As soon as Jimmy got up again, I decked him again. I was going for a third punch when someone got between me and Jimmy.
It was Doc Cleary.
“It’s enough, son,” the man said as he pushed against my chest. Physically, he was no match for me and I could have easily moved past him, but he played on my weakness and said, “Nolan needs you.”
I managed a nod and stepped back, tearing my eyes away from the blood pouring from Jimmy’s nose. Edith was shouting for someone to call the cops, but I didn’t care. I settled my hand on Nolan’s back and rubbed large circles against it as he cried in his mother’s arms. I was dimly aware of Doc Cleary talking to Edith in a low voice, but I had no clue what he said. People began cleaning up the mess around us as I helped Nolan and his mother to their feet. Helen continued to speak softly to Nolan as she led him down the hallway toward his room.
I felt a hand on my back and turned to see Doc Cleary watching me with sympathetic eyes. “Come on, son. Let’s get these folks cleared out of here.”
I nodded because I needed something to do to keep me from going to Nolan.
Because I wasn’t the person he needed right now.
Chapter Seventeen
Nolan
I smiled to myself when Dallas’s arm automatically wrapped more tightly around my waist when I tried to move away from him. Even in sleep, he was reluctant to let me go. It made my stomach do funny things.
I glanced at the clock and decided to give myself a few more minutes to just enjoy the warmth that was permeating my skin wherever Dallas was touching me. It wasn’t that I’d exactly felt cold this past week, it was more like I’d been numb. I honestly didn’t recall much of what I’d said or done after I’d walked into my parents’ bedroom and seen my father’s body. What I did remember included doctors explaining that there was no way to have seen his death coming, people coming by almost nonstop to bring food and extend their sympathies, and the minister and several others standing in front of a packed church telling everyone what a good man my father had been.
I’d wanted to ask them how they knew he was a good man. I wanted to ask them if he was so good, why hadn’t he loved me? I wanted to know why I hadn’t been able to find even one memory of him that I could share.
By the time the service at the house had started, I’d accepted that I’d never have the answers to any of those questions.
Then Jimmy Cornell had tripped me as I’d been bringing a tray of deviled eggs into the living room for guests.
And my world had finally shattered.
There’d been no reason to get up anymore. No reason to show that I hadn’t been broken.
My father was gone, taking my last chance to tell him I was sorry for never being good enough along with him.
Then Dallas had happened.
Dallas and his amazing ability to reach me without words.
I’d clung to him like he’d been my lifeline, because that was exactly what he was. What he’d always be.
I felt Dallas shift behind me and then his lips pressed against the back of my neck. I slowly turned over so I was facing him. As soon as I did, his arms went around me and he tugged me forward until our bodies were touching practically everywhere. I tucked my arms under his and held on for a while, absorbing his strength.
