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“No.” I drop my bag on the couch. My ass follows, feeling the sting Cole put there as well. “I was here last night. I just stopped by Cole’s this morning.”
Aunt Willa lowers her book, inspecting me. I smile. Heat flaring in my cheeks. Can she tell I just got my ass spanked for being a bad girl? Damn. It was exhilarating and hot. Cole can put me in place whenever he wants. He’s the only one with the power to do so.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Cole?”
I shrug, leaning back into the cushion.
“You like him?”
“I do.” I nod, not afraid to confess it.
“Good. I like him as well.” She closes her book. “And now that I’m back on call for the escort service, you can concentrate on your future.” She runs her hand over the book. “Any idea what that might be looking like?”
I pick at my shirt, reminiscing how Cole looked at me when I took it off at his apartment. “I’m thinking of staying.” I peek up at her. “Of course, I’ll have to live here until I get my feet on the ground if I do.”
I made my decision already. This is where I belong. Aunt Willa is the only family I have left. I love her. She’s been there for me. And then there’s Cole…
“You’re more than welcome to live here as long as you need,” she says, eyes wrinkling in the corners. “I love having you here, and this is your home.”
“Thank you.”
“But we need to talk about something first.”
“I don’t want to talk about Tyler,” I say on defense, noting the familiar crease in her forehead whenever she talks about Tyler.
“Neither do I. It’s been five years, Harper. I understand it may still be painful, but you’ve had time to heal.”
“Yes. I have,” I agree. “It’s time for me to move on.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” She grips the book with both hands. “But what I need to talk to you about…” Her eyes rest on me for a few awkward seconds. “I just need you to listen and hear me out. Okay?”
“Sure,” I say, recognizing the swift change of the mood in the room.
“I mean it, Harper. No running. I need you to stay right here until I’m done.”
I sit up straight, fold my hands together and nod, noting the seriousness in her tone and the severity in her expression.
“Now, I told you the story of how I got here? About Ava?”
“Yes.” Guilt fills me for telling my aunt’s story to Cole. I had no right to do it.
“Well, what I didn’t tell you was a month after I got here to care for Ava, I found out” —she draws in a sharp breath— “I was pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” Yes. That repeat was for processing. Aunt Willa was pregnant? Did she lose the baby? What happened?
“Yes. It was a surprise to me as well. I was concentrating so much on taking care of Ava, building a relationship with her, and constantly worrying my husband would find me that I didn’t pay attention to what was going on with my body. When I found out” — she curls the book in her hands— “I was terrified that if my husband found me, he’d take my child from me. I told you he worked in law enforcement, but I didn’t tell you that after I left, he rose in ranks. He became the chief of police. If he found me...” Her head shakes. “I’d stand no chance of winning against him. I left him, moved out of the state, and took his child. If we went to court, there was a good chance he’d win custody.”
“I’m sorry, Aunt Willa.” I press my lips together as a sick, sinking feeling tears my insides apart on its way down to the pit of my stomach. “What did you do?”
She takes another long-winded, shaky breath. “I protected my child.” Her eyes lower to the twisted book. “I gave her to the only person I trusted.” She lifts her chin and looks me dead in the eyes. “My brother.”
A wave of fear flows through me, and goose bumps ripple over my flesh. A rush of cold and hot join their journey. My eyes blur. My mouth turns dry.
Wait!
Does that mean? Is Aunt Willa my…? I jump to my feet. “No!”
“I’m sorry.” Her eyes mist over. “I didn’t want to let you go, Harper. I didn’t. It killed me. But I couldn’t let him…there was no way he was ever getting his hands on you. The thought of what he would do to you. It was too dangerous for me to keep you. If he found me, I couldn’t do it. It was the safest thing for you.”
