“When did he say that?”
“Leave me alone.”
Hell no, that was not going to happen. She was a pain in my backside but we were going to sort this out right now. Guess I was going up the ladder.
“Stay here, Rambo, I’ll be back.”
I received a grunt in return and watched Gunner make himself comfortable on a tree stump. I hoped he got a splinter.
The first few steps were the worst. It got slightly better after I stopped looking down. But hell, who was I kidding, I had to stifle the urge to pee my pants the whole way. I was not made for this. Once on top, I came face to face with an angry Freddie. Her glare was getting lethal. I sat down next to her, my shaky hands gripping on to the railing for dear life.
“I’m not leaving you alone. Now tell me what Rhett said.”
She chewed her lip for a while and watched me sit stiff as a rock next to her. Better not to move on an old dilapidated structure that could collapse at any minute and was condemned for a reason. Just as well she could read my moods like an open book and at the moment I gave out anI’m not leavingvibe. With a sigh, she relented and finally started talking.
“He told me you were going to work for him.”
“That’s true. But I’ll only be gone two nights a week.”
She looked at her lap. “That’s not what he said.”
“Well that’s all he’s gonna get. I don’t really have a choice. But you should know that I would never leave you guys behind. If I was moving to Denver, which I’m definitely not, I would drag you there with me. You are my everything. And I don’t intend to live my life without you. Ever.”
Her shoulders relaxed slightly and she looked at me from under her ridiculously long eyelashes. Just not fair she got the gorgeous-everything gene. Her eyelashes were just the tip of the iceberg. Don’t get me started on her stupidly gorgeous hair despite the crazy locks, or her blemish free skin. She was slender, but still had curves. Not even Oma’s cooking changed her shape.
“When did you even talk to him?” I badly needed to find out. Because he seriously overstepped boundaries. Some that I would hammer back in place as soon as I got my hands on him.
“I was freaked out about Colin. You told me Rhett had lots of money so I called him the other day. And he said he’d help me. That’s why we haven’t heard from Colin. He took care of it for us, Emmi.”
Oh she didn’t. “You what?” I yelled and momentarily let go of the railing. “Not only did you go through my phone for his number, you also asked a stranger for a huge favor. What the hell, Freddie?”
“Stop yelling at me. He doesn’t want anything in return. He told me so when he called this morning to let me know we’re safe.”
My hands went back to the railing, the grip tight from anger this time, my fear of heights forgotten for the moment. “Nothing is ever free. You should know this,” I said to a very contrite-looking Freddie. When she looked down at her lap again and started chewing on her lip, I put an arm around her shoulders. “He’s not the same guy he was before he left, baby girl.” I didn’t think she’d remember him anyway. She was such an introverted child, not talking to anyone outside of her family.
She leaned into me and the tension left my body. We would be okay. Rhett on the other hand wouldn’t. We were none of his business. Not anymore. He should have told me as soon as Freddie called him.
“He was really nice about it. And he called a few times to check up on me. And then this morning he let me know that I didn’t have to be scared anymore. That Colin was taken care of. I even drove past his house to make sure he was gone.”
Her voice sounded hopeful and happier than I’d heard it since the attack. I was grateful Rhett had given that to her. She had hope. Maybe my pride wouldn’t admit to it but I wished it was me who had fixed it for her. I was her big sister. I was supposed to look out for her. Protect her. Always. And I had been powerless to do anything.
I kissed her head and my eyes moved to the tree line in front of us. It just wasn’t natural to be able to see the top of a tree. And with that thought, adrenaline shot back through my body and I went stiff. “So now that you’re not mad at me anymore, you think we could get down from this death trap?”
I felt Freddie chuckle under my arm that was still draped over her shoulders. “Tate’s dad checked the tower last month. He said it was pretty stable, just not stable enough to hold water.”
“You still talking to Tate?” I asked, trying not to sound too curious and scare her off. Her only response was a shrug and a noncommittal sound. Interesting. I guess I had to get out the big guns, aka hot chocolate and marshmallows, and put her into a sugar coma before she’d tell me.
We climbed back down, Freddie with the careless ease of a fifteen-year-old, me with the slow, jerky movements of an eighty-year-old. I stifled the urge to kiss the dirt when my feet touched solid ground again. I’d already lost major cool big sister points when I screeched in a high pitch even I didn’t recognize halfway down the ladder. I thought the damn thing was swaying too much and the screws were coming loose. It wasn’t and they weren’t, and once I’d determined I was still alive and well, I descended the darn thing in record time.
Freddie was laughing so hard I was petrified she’d fall off. Gunner was grinning, but thankfully stuck to his no talking vow. I ignored them both and ushered Freddie into the car.
“It’s not funny.”
“Oh but it was,” she said between more giggling.
“You should respect your elders.”
“I do. I let you go first.”
“Whatever,” I grumbled and ruffled her hair in retribution. She swatted my hand away and grinned at me.
“Let’s never do that again,” I said.
At least the rest of the night was quiet. I managed to get a whole four hours of sleep before Josie decided four thirty was an amazing time to be awake.
