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“What made you decide to leave?”
She shrugged. “My mother was the only person I ever told about the abuse. Well, I told my Aunt Mary after I left Ben, because I needed a place to stay. My mother used to tell me to suck it up. I had a good-looking husband, a beautiful house, and I didn’t have to worry about money. She constantly reminded me that Benstayed, he didn’t leave me like my father had left us.
“When I found out Mom was sick and only had a little time left, I guess something inside me just snapped. I decided I was leaving. Ben left for work, and I packed a bag, took the money I’d been hiding from him, and left. I went to a lawyer I knew of, showed him the pictures I’d taken over the years of the bruises and marks that I’d gotten from Ben. We got a restraining order against him, I filed for divorce, and moved in with my aunt after my mother died.
“My mother passed away while we were separated. I sold the small house she lived in, which was paid off so I had money from that plus the small amount she left me. About a week before the divorce hearing, Ben came to my aunt’s house and begged me to come back. Put on a nice little show of crying as he swore he was sorry. By the time the police showed up, I’d basically told Ben to take a flying leap.”
I smiled, squeezing Emma’s hand.
“The next time I saw him was in court, on the day of our divorce. I signed away my rights to everything—the house, the rest of my clothes and personal items—and told the judge the only thing I wanted was for the restraining order to stay in place. He granted the divorce. I left the courthouse and went straight to the airport. Flew to Denver, bought an SUV that Ben always said was too big for me to handle…and here I am.”
I lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “Here you are.”
“When I left, I promised myself I wasn’t going to get involved with anyone. Then you walked into that café, and I’m pretty sure I was lost to you that very day.”
With a shake of my head, I tugged her out of her seat and onto my lap. “You’re not lost to me, Emma. You’re not lost at all. You found your way home.”
A single tear slipped free, and I reached up and brushed it away.
“Iamhome. And I am so in love with you and Hadley it sometimes hurts, but in the most amazing kind of way. If that makes sense.”
“It does,” I softly said as I brushed a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. “Emma, thank you for telling me about Ben. And I hope you know that I would never?—”
She pressed a finger to my mouth. “I know. Did you talk to Hadley?”
“I did,” I said with a wide grin.
Emma adjusted on my lap, and I was suddenly second-guessing my decision to put her there as desire stirred.
“What did you say? What didshesay?”
I picked up her hand and intertwined our fingers together. “I told her that we liked each other, and that we were going to start dating.”
“And her reaction?”
“Well, after she screamed and nearly broke my eardrums, she started to cry.”
The color in Emma’s face drained.
“Happy tears, Emma. She was so happy.”
Emma burst into another round of tears as she threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. I held her until her sobs slowed and her breathing evened out.
“Emma?”
“Yes?” she asked, her head still resting on my chest.
“Do you want kids?”
She lifted her head, her blue eyes meeting mine. “Yes. Do you want more kids?”
I ran my finger along her jawline, down her neck, and back up to her chin. “Yes. I want Hadley to have at least one, maybe two siblings.”
She grinned.
“Emma?”
Giggling, she asked, “Yes?”
