AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Maybe I deliver them but it’s you they trust. You who visits the streets to talk to them and hand out your card. You, not me, who cares so much about what becomes of them. You’re their savior. I just deliver. Look… you have everything under control now. I can take the calls direct rather than you passing them on.”
“No. You have too much to do. Cassie can take the calls and give you the messages like I do. She’s offered to handle the phone when I wasn’t available.”
“Okay, good. Think about my words. Think hard. In the big scheme of things, I’m about to give you the same advice you pass onto the girls you save. Those assholes who stole you don’t really matter anymore. Neither do the ones that used you. The only people who really matter are your family. If you feel regret for what happened to you now, I can’t imagine the remorse you’ll feel if you don’t choose to help your people, who really need you.”
Ruby’s soft brown eyes grew large. For the first time, Alia didn’t see the usual shutters closing off her words. Instead, Ruby listened. Her expression became thoughtful and then lightened. “I must go.”
“Yes.”
“How can I leave you and Kean?”
“We’ll be fine. He goes to school all day and I can find a babysitter for afterward. It’s only until you come back. We can manage. We have to.”
Excitement filled Ruby’s face. “I can go home.”
“Yes.” Alia hugged Ruby hard, shaking her so she’d understand the emotion. Then she whispered, “It’s time, Ruby.”
***
Explaining the situation to Kean later didn’t go quite as smoothly as Alia had hoped. “Why can’t Ruby Skype them, talk to them online? Does she have to go all the way to Manila?”
“Her father’s ill, Kean. He needs her. She has to go.”
“We need her, too. We’re family, aren’t we?”
“Yes, but families do what’s best for each other, and right now it’s best for her to go back to the Philippines and make peace with her past. You’ve asked me before why Ruby gets so sad sometimes. Well, it started there. She needs to go back and face it.”
“I guess.”
“We’ll be fine, you and me. I’ll find the best babysitter on the planet and I’ll cut back on my hours at work.”
“O-kay. I’ll miss her so much though, Mom.”
“Me too.”
She kissed him goodnight, something she forced herself to do every night even though showing the affection was so difficult. Her lips lingered on his forehead longer than usual. Then she left his room to go to hers.
The minute the door closed behind her, she sunk to the floor and covered her face with trembling hands.
So where’s your courage now, idiot? You’re sending Ruby away. Now you’ll be alone to deal with everything. Being the mommy. How are you going to survive without her? And what about this new assignment?
An image of Sloan Booker unexpectedly slipped into her head and she felt the fear swell and her muscles clench. Agitated, she forced herself to take a few calming breaths.
Having Hawaiian blood had only added to his rugged handsomeness. Amber brown eyes that didn’t stop probing were going to be hell to live with. And his tall physique and muscular frame wouldn’t bend to any woman’s demands; she knew it. Just like she knew she’d be making them.
Friggin’, shittin’, hell… Why did life have to throw so much crap at a person all at once?
