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By the time I get home, the whole damn town will probably know what happened. And they’ll be gossiping to beat the band.
I climb into my truck and turn to Lily who’s pale and wilting in the seat. “Do you want to go get something to eat?”
“No. I just want to go home.”
“You got it.” I put the truck in gear and my hand sneaks across the seat to hold her hand. Until I hear her strangled sob and I pull over and let her cry out her pain and frustration, her tears wetting my work shirt and bruising the hell out of my heart.
I don’t like seeing a woman cry but seeing my Lily cry is breaking me in new ways that I never saw coming. I pull to the side of the road and then run around so that I can pull her out and lift her up like a bride on my chest.
I hold her and let her sob it all out and think stupid dark thoughts about dumping her dad’s body in the woods somewhere. I’m not gonna kill the man. But sometimes it’s fun to dream.
Then when she finally stops, I settle her back on the seat like a fragile piece of porcelain and jump into my side and quickly head home.
When we pull up, I step out and lean in. “Don’t you move.” I jump down and pick her up from her seat when I reach the other side. Then I cradle her gently and carry her over the threshold of our home. Because there’s no way she’s ever leaving here. It’s obvious that her people don’t know how to take care of her, so I will. And I’l do a damn sight better job of it apparently.
CHAPTER8
Lily
Ifeel bruised. Like I can’t breathe. My eyes stay closed and I breathe deeply, slowly, trying to stay calm. My entire body hurts from crying. I just don’t think I have anything else to give. I’m wrung out.
Sam just holds me and reads a magazine that was sitting on the table next to the couch. He absently caresses my hair. Gentle, sweet and more loving than my parents ever were.
“Do you think they really knew that she’d go to foster care if they didn’t take her?”
He nods his head and looks up. “Yeah. I do. I think they made a conscious decision to have that happen. Since she has his name, I assume he’s on her birth certificate. So they would have asked him to take her. And she ended up in foster care. Take from that what you will.”
My eyes close and a solitary tear sneaks out. It’s all I have left.
“Did I tell you that I really wanted a brother or sister when I was growing up? My parents didn’t usually have time for me. So I used to think about having a secret sister somewhere. Someone that I could relax and goof around with. Snowball fights and sledding and all that silly stuff that my parents wouldn’t do. I knew that she would.
“And she’s real. She’s out there. She looks like me. She has his name.”
“And he left her there. Told them he didn’t want her and left her to get shuffled around like a piece of trash. Who does that to their own kid?”
I sigh and he caresses my hair. I lean into his hand, closing my eyes and letting myself go limp.
“Someone who doesn’t really think of kids as a blessing. That thinks you have to keep up appearances with them in order for them to be useful.”
I nod my head. “That sounds right. Did I tell you they wanted me to marry their business partner’s son? My dad’s friend?”
He glares at me and lifts me up to study my face. “Did he ever touch you?”
I giggle. “What are you gonna do? Kill him if he kissed me?”
He tugs me in and I lie across his chest, warmth spreading through me as I listen to his heartbeat under my ear. “Maybe. I’ll have to think about it.”
I laugh. “He never kissed me. He doesn’t even like girls.”
Sam snorts. “Oh jeez. That sounds about right. Your family is really fucked up.”
“I agree. And I want to find my sister. Is that weird?”
Sam shakes his head and cradles me gently. “That is the least weird thing that I’ve seen in your whole family.”
I sigh and my eyes close. It’s been a really long day and I’m exhausted. I look up at Sam. “Can you take me to bed, Sam?”
He nods and lifts me up like a little child, gentle and sure. “Let’s get you in bed and you can close your eyes and not worry about some of this for a little bit.”
