I looked down at my daughter. “Nothing, sweet pea,” I told her as Ruby spoke at the same time.
“Lake needs help,” she blurted out.
My gaze snapped back up and I saw Bronson’s eyes zero in on mine.
“What kind of help?” he asked, his tone a bit harsh, but filled with concern.
My feet automatically started to retreat and I took a step away from him, Stormi’s hand still clutched in mine.
One of the other guys spoke up asking ifNo Surrender, a business Ruby had told me about that did many things, one including security, could help me somehow. I felt overwhelmed and tears began to pool in my eyes as I shook my head.
“Someone is threatening her and she thinks they’ve been around her home,” Ruby added.
I was second guessing confiding in the woman now. She’d been so kind one day at the hospital and I’d been shaken up a bit after finding footprints around my house that morning so as soon as she asked if I was okay, I assume based on my facial expression, I started blurting out all my problems.
As much as a part of me wanted help, I couldn’t get that from the man from my past. Putting my faith in him and getting let down would break me all over again. Besides, he didn’t deserve to know anything about me. I also knew if his friends were involved, then that meant he would be too.
A menacing growl erupted around us and I sucked in big breath when I realized it came from Bronson.
I couldn’t do this. The concern on Bronson's face was throwing me and I needed to get out of there.
“This was a mistake but thank you for inviting us.” I swooped Stormi up into my arms and took off toward our car.
“Mommy, what happened?”
I knew she was concerned when she called me Mommy. It came out more when she was worried or hurt. Being that she’d said it multiple times since we arrived told me that I should have listened to my gut and never gone.
We were almost to the car when I heard, “Lake, please wait.”
Doing my best to ignore the request, I kept going but Bronson made his way to us just as we reached our vehicle.
“Lake, just talk to me.”
I whipped around, my daughter in my arms. “You want to talk to menow?” My blood began to boil. “Nowafter all these years?” I fired at him. My body shook with pent-up emotions. Feelings that had plagued me for years were bubbling to the surface and about to explode.
He started to reach his hand out to touch my arm but when I glanced down, he yanked it back and blew out a huge breath.
“I know it’s a lot to ask but I want to make sure you two are okay. Even if it’s not my place. I can’t just ignore what I heard and turn my back on you and pretend everything is okay.”
A hysterical laugh burst from my mouth. “Turn your back? You had no trouble doing that before,” I scoffed.
This was not the time or place for years of hurt to free itself. Not in front of my daughter. But I was seriously struggling to contain it now that the can of worms had been opened.
He swiped his palms down his face. “I’m sorry. I thought when I left I was doing the right thing so you could live your life and not worry about me.”
Stunned at what he had divulged, my mouth dropped open like a fish out of water struggling to take in oxygen.
Some of the anger deflated when I saw the look of regret shining in his eyes.
Stormi placed her hands on my cheeks and turned my face so I was looking at her. “He said he’s sorry, mom, so you should forgive him, right?” She scrunched her cute button-like nose, leaned in, and rubbed it against mine, then giggled. “That’s what you always tell me to do. Forgive people when they say they are sorry.”
Well shit. She got me there.
Stormi knew about the boy, my best friend, who I grew up with at the lake. I talked about him often. What she didn’t know was it was the man standing in front of us that had ripped my heart out. But I wasn’t going to tell her that right then.
“Thatiswhat I said.”
She smiled at me in triumph and then squirmed to get down. I stood her onto her feet and the next thing I knew she grabbed not only my hand but Bronson’s too.
