“Sorry.” He attempted to adjust the cover and finally gave up. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’m fine, thanks to you.” She snagged his hand and held it.
“Wish I had arrived a bit sooner. I hate that he roughed you up.”
Jennie lowered her gaze. “I’m used to it,” she mumbled.
The handsome detective tilted his head and studied her.
Why had she said that? She didn’t want his pity. In fact, she’d rather not need him at all. Look where her desperation and dependence on a man got her last time. No, she appreciated David’s help, but that’s where it would end.
His mouth opened as if he planned to say something, then closed again.
Regretting her question before she asked, she continued anyway. “What’s wrong? You look like a four-year-old that had his cookie stolen.”
He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Why didn’t you tell me about what Kenny did to you?”
A whimper escaped her lips. “Who told you?”
“Brandon.”
“How did he find out? No one around here knows except Aunt Emily and she wouldn’t tell.”
David paced the living room. “After we found the photos on your porch, he did a background check.”
She struggled to sit up. “You had no right.”
“I’m sorry, Jennie. I truly am. But if it helps us find who’s doing this to you, it’ll be worth it.”
Her voice quivered. “I didn’t want you to know.”
Two strides and he knelt in front of her. “Why? I can’t help you if I don’t understand who might want to hurt you.”
Her throat tightened. How would she face him now? “What did Brandon tell you?”
He shook his head. “No way. I want to hear it from you.”
“You’ll think I’m stupid.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I promise you. I see you as smart, brave, and a survivor. Anything but stupid.”
She stared into his eyes looking for honesty. She almost laughed. Being a good judge of character wasn’t in her wheelhouse. She patted the cushion beside her.
David lowered himself next to her and took her hand in his. He didn’t rush her. He just waited.
Taking a deep breath, she told him her pathetic story. “You know about my husband.”
David nodded.
“Yes, Brad was an alcoholic, but for the record, he was a good husband. He loved me in his own way and helped me get mynursing degree. He just couldn’t stay away from the bars.” She picked at the edge of her blanket. “His friend, Kenny, had been hurt in the accident, so I stayed in his guest room and helped him while he healed. He was really nice to me at first. Even after I had Zoey, he was super patient with her.” She smiled. “Infants aren’t always easy to be around.”
He returned her smile and squeezed her hand.
“One thing led to another, and he offered the comfort and love that I desperately needed at the time.” A tear trickled down her cheek and she wiped it away. “I knew better than to live with a man I didn’t love. Aunt Emily had brought me up right, but I was a new mother, alone in this world. I made choices that I regret to this day.”
“Jennie. We all make choices we regret.”
“Well, I made a doozy. You would think after Brad, I’d have been more careful.” She kept her gaze on the coffee table. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye. “Anyway, it didn’t take love for Kenny to entice me into his bedroom. I was desperate for a man to notice me—to take care of me.”
