She nodded. “The lawyer got an emergency custody order. After that, it was a slow process, but Ted made it easier. He was so combative with everyone, and even in court. He’d call me horrible names, lose his temper, and when he showed up drunk, everything fell into place after that. The thing is, I know he’s still bitter. He’s not a man who gives up, not when he thinks he’s been cheated. He’s never given me a reason to think he really wants Ryder, but I know he wants me. Not because he cares for me, but because in his mind, I’m his.”
“In this case, he’s bound for disappointment.” Hendrix ran his hand up and down her spine, hoping to soothe her. “Why didn’t you tell anyone about the rape?”
As if she felt a headache coming on, she rubbed her temples. “It’s hard to explain, but at first I was confused about it. Then I was ashamed. By the time I decided I should have said something, too much time had passed and I knew it’d be impossible to prove.”
He could understand all of that. “Will you trust me?”
Her eyes, full of emotion, held his. “Hendrix,” she whispered on a sad note. “I’ve always trusted you.”
Nice, because he trusted her, too. “Then how about you and Ryder stay the night, and tomorrow we’ll move your things in here?”
Joey chewed her lip a moment. “That’s an amazingly generous offer, but there’s something you might not have considered.”
“Like what?” He knew he wanted her safe, and to that end he’d do anything.
“Well...” Wincing dramatically, she reminded him, “Christmas is just around the corner.”
And Ryder was all about Christmas. Shit. How did a grown-ass man completely forget about the most celebrated holiday in the country? Not that it mattered right now.
For Joey, for that little boy she loved and that he cherished, he could tolerate anything. Manning up, Hendrix forced a smile. “No problem.” With any luck, they’d be able to keep the holiday decorations to a minimum, or at least contained in one room.
Even as he thought it, he knew he was fooling himself. Then he considered Ryder’s reaction to moving in. Plus he’d have Joey close. Best of all, they’d be safe.
In the big scheme of things, all the holiday fuss just didn’t matter.
At least not as much as it used to.
The next morning, after early coffee with Hendrix, they’d retrieved even more of their belongings, and Joey felt terrible. His floor space was now overflowing with boxes. “All I’d wanted was to make it on my own. I never expected this.” So many things had already been taken to the upstairs bedroom that she’d shared with Ryder last night, but there was still a lot. “How did I cram so much into that tiny cabin?”
“One of the wonders of the world,” Hendrix murmured as he hefted an overfilled box. “Where does this go?”
Hmm. She half-hated to say. “It’s Christmas stuff. Lights and all that.” When he only stared at her, she admitted, “Ryder and I were set to decorate the outside of the cabin, but now...”
“Now, he’ll be twice as keen on the idea.” By the minute, Hendrix seemed to get used to the idea.
Ryder, of course, was ecstatic. He’d been beyond thrilled with the sleepover last night, and then when she’d told him they were moving in, he’d started cheering and hadn’t really stopped.
Hendrix carried the box out to the front porch to get it out of the way.
When he returned to the living room, she decided he deserved a hug – and she needed one. As she slipped her arms around his waist, she asked, “Are yousurethis is a good idea?” If not, it’d be better to let Ryder know now.
“Actually, it’s one of my best ideas.” The way he gathered her close, how he smiled at her, never failed to make her feel special. “I’ll make it painless, I promise.”
“That’s not the problem and you know it.”
“You’re worried about me, but I’m a big boy. I can handle it.” His large hand cupped the back of her neck and he pressed his mouth to hers for a brief, stirring taste. “Full truth, I’m excited. Coffee this morning with you was nice. Getting a sleepy hug from Ryder first thing was special. Knowing the two of you were here with me, just upstairs, made it easier to sleep.”
“Well, good for you, because knowing you were just downstairs kept me awake.”
He smiled at her. “Ever since you decided to stay in the park through the holiday, things have felt different.”
“Ouch.”
Laughing, he rocked her side to side. “I mean that I’d stopped looking at this place as peace and quiet, and just kept thinking about the waste of space. Three bedrooms for me? And that awesome view that I rarely enjoyed, because who wants to sit alone staring at a sunset?”
“Plenty of people, I imagine.”
“I’ll enjoy it more with you.”
