The police officer shook his head. “Your lawyer said to sit tight at this place.” The man handed Emily a piece of paper. On it was written the address of a local chain hotel. “There’s a diner in the hotel. She said she’s already setup a charge account. All you have to do is wait for her phone call. I still can’t believe a lawyer, no matter how good they are, is capable of all of that. But I guess she’s rich and to me money makes the world go around, not love.”
“You’re wrong.” Emily stood so quickly that the chair she had been sitting on tipped over. She didn’t make a move any further, yet the police officer reached for his gun. Emily forced herself to relax before she continued. “I’m not exactly a love expert or anything, but I do know that before I met my soulmate, everything was simply going through the motions. Life didn’t make as much sense as it does now. Even with us having complications in our relationship. Partly that’s us being separated by thousands of miles.”
Emily held up her hands. She sighed heavily. “I’m sorry for the outburst. I won’t go into detail, but I’ve been through a lot emotionally. You see, I was rich growing up. Never feeling loved or accepted, I turned my back on it. Now I have family and friends who will do anything for me. While some do have money which is nice, mostly we are just your average working class people. We support one another through anything. So to me, money is nothing. Love is everything.”
Instead of responding, the police officer merely shook his head. He had seen too much. He had done too much and it was enough to inform him this lady was crazy. It was, in some ways, charming to know there were those that still believed in soulmates. That still believed in love. If only he had found his soulmate, perhaps his outlook on life would be different as well. “Just take care of yourself and those you care about.”
It didn’t take Emily long to make her way to the door where the police officer was standing. “And you take care to remember that love is everything. Not to give up on finding that special person.” Emily brushed the man’s arm and winked. It was the flirt inside her coming out. She had to watch that. And yet, it was such a part of her. “They are out there. Never give up. They will enter your life when you least expect it. In the least expected way. Happened for my best friend. Happened for me. Have a great day, Officer Limpton.”
There was no need to look at the man’s face. Something inside of Emily changed in that moment. There had been quite a few of those moments as of late. With her mother. With her father. With her brother. Most importantly with her soulmate. She only hoped that she would have one with little Nicky. For now, she could only continue to try and make the world better for him to live in. Even if that meant making a stranger see that there was love in the world. It just had to be scooped up.
Leon stared after the young woman. He couldn’t help but smile. Not that he had any right to be, but he was proud of Emily. He was proud of how she was handling everything. “I think you just got told by an expert on love. Even if she claims not to be.” Officer Limpton shook his head. “Sometimes, believing is the only thing that makes life worth living.” Leon’s expression sobered. “Even if the love of your life slips away.”
Hastily, Leon made his way past the police officer, who’s mouth was still hanging open. Emily was already standing by the dark car. She was staring off into space. Leon didn’t have to be told what or who she was thinking of. “So, shall I escort you to the place you will be granted your freedom from me?” It was painful to think. He’d only been in her life briefly, but she had already made it into his heart.
“Thanks, Leon.” Emily turned to look at the older man. She studied him for a moment. There was something in the pale grey eyes staring back at her. “I know this is going to sound odd and all, but do you think we can stay in touch? I’d like to properly thank you. Most people would have driven by and left me to fend for myself. And not to sound ungrateful, but why did you stop? Why did you take a chance on a stranger?”
It was too soon to reveal the real reason Leon just happened to be where he was needed the most. Partly it was because he knew Mitch. He had an agreement with his old buddy. If Emily ever returned to California, he would be the one to watch over her, when Mitch could not. It was something he would have done, without the understanding between him and his former underling.
“Darlin, we can most definitely stay in touch.” Leon opened the door for Emily. The therapist hesitated for a moment. Leon knew it was because she wanted answers now. He would be able to supply her with some. But he would not reveal everything. At least not until later would he reveal everything that he needed to. “As for why, let’s get a cup of coffee and maybe breakfast. I was bad and skipped, wanting to get an early start to Alton’s.”
“I could definitely use some coffee.” Emily’s stomach chose that moment to grumble. “And I guess that means I could eat. I’m not even certain when I ate last.” The therapist sighed heavily. “What I really need is a phone. I need to call Tabby. I know Rachael is letting her know everything, but it’s not the same. Hearing my voice…It would go a long way in healing her.”
Leon did have a cellphone. But he could not allow her to use it. There were reasons why. He hated this. He wanted so much to tell her everything. Would Emily understand why he hadn’t explained everything the moment they met? Most people wouldn’t understand. In some ways, he didn’t understand. But he was who he was and he wasn’t about to change how he had done things. He was too old to change now.
“We could go back to the police station. I’m sure they’ll allow you to use their phone.” Leon hesitated, even though the light had changed. When there wasn’t a response, he put the car into motion once again. It was only another ten minutes or so to the hotel and restaurant that Rachael had suggested. Perhaps it wasn’t too long a time for Emily. Or perhaps the fact of the matter was that, while the need to speak to her soulmate was great, her fears of being rejected or saying the wrong thing were even more imposing.
The rest of the time was spent in silence. Leon felt sorry for the young woman. Obviously, things had become more interesting in Emily’s life than his old friend had revealed. Or was it Mitch had not revealed only what he thought was pertinent? That would be his way. It always had been, even when he was the one who was receiving orders.
It didn’t take long to be registered at the hotel, even though technically one wasn’t allowed to check in until after three in the afternoon. Emily didn’t want excess money after seeing what it had done to her parents and what it had done to Simon. There was also the mob connection she had learned about power and money from. But being able to do things like this to help out a friend had to be something else.
Emily wasn’t surprised to find that there was a small suitcase with a couple changes of clothing in it. Rachael certainly did know how to get things done. The therapist was grateful as she allowed the water to spray over her abused body. Now that the adrenaline was calming, she was realizing the abuse her body had taken. Refusing medical treatment might not have been the wisest decision, especially after learning the reason behind Tabby being hospitalized.
As the soft pale pink cotton T-shirt slipped over her bruised body, Emily realized something. She would have to apologize to Tabby for the thoughts she’d had. The note with the hotel address had had a brief explanation of things back in Middletown, including Tabby’s condition.
At first, Emily had been angry. Angry that Tabby had allowed herself to become ill. But now that she was not taking care of herself, Emily realized something. It wasn’t about not caring enough about the one you loved. It was about putting your own pain and discomfort aside. It was about wanting and needing to be there for everyone else. But at the cost of one’s own health could mean that you were the one who had to be taken care of.
That’s what had happened to Tabby. If Emily wasn’t careful, it was what would happen to herself as well. First thing was to eat something, even if it was only something light. The next would be to get some rest. How she could sleep when all she wanted
was to be with her soulmate was beyond her. But she would manage somehow. She had managed this far. Again, how was beyond her.
The soft knock at the door informed Emily that her new friend was ready for her. The therapist glanced at the phone. She should call Tabby. What was holding her back? Nicky. He was what should be driving her to call. He was what should make her want to prove herself. But there was still a fear. Amazing what one little boy could do to a grown woman.
Emily chuckled softly. She made her way to the door to find her new friend. The man smiled at her as if he were proud of her. There was more to this man than met the eye. Some of the things he had said were cryptic, at best. “Let’s get something light to eat. And then maybe I can find the courage to call Tabby.” They both chuckled as they made their way to the restaurant.
“Pardon me.” The young woman who had checked Emily in approached the table. The therapist had managed to eat a fruit bowl and some toast. She was taking her time sipping her third cup of coffee. Even with all the caffeine, she was about ready to fall sleep. Her azure eyes inspected the young woman. More and more Emily was realizing how much she had perused women’s bodies. And still did, even though she was very much taken.
Had Emily perused men as much as women? Did it matter? The therapist smiled to herself. It didn’t matter as she was in love and was completely faithful to Tabby. And couldn’t wait to show her how much she still loved her. “Is there something wrong?” The look on the young woman’s face was full of concern.
“Oh no!” The redhead’s pale green eyes lit up. “It’s just this arrived via messenger for you. We don’t get many things delivered by messenger so I thought it had to be important.” The young woman handed over the package with a note attached to it. “If you need anything, just let me know. Even after I’m off duty, you let me know. My cellphone number is on the back of the card.”
The wink caused Emily’s stomach to churn. It wasn’t because she was taken. All she would have to do was to inform her of that in the past. But now, she had Lena hanging over her head. Their interactions played out in her mind. This was nothing like that, but still it caused some not so pleasant memories to form in her mind.
It took a moment for Emily to recover. Leon watched the interaction with a great deal of interest. He still didn’t know what to make of Emily. Even though he had followed her life, it was from afar. And there was so much more he didn’t know about her. There was so much more he was desperate to discover. And yet, he once again had to remind himself of patience.
Emily mentally shook the images from her mind. While she had to be weary of people after Lena, she couldn’t not be who she was. If she changed, then the likes of Jenny, Lena, Wild Bill, Simon and Anthony won. There was no way she would allow that to happen. Especially she wouldn’t allow to happen the rift that was still between her and Tabby.
“Thank you. If I do need something before I travel back to my girlfriend, I’ll let you know.” Emily didn’t want to say it harshly, but wasn’t certain of how else to put it. The crushed look on the young woman’s face spoke volumes. “Just don’t give up trying. I promise there is someone out there for us all. We just have to keep our eyes, ears and most importantly our hearts open.”
The young woman smiled and nodded her head. There was something about Emily that had made her want to take a chance. Sometimes being naturally shy wasn’t conducive to working in customer service. It definitely wasn’t conducive to finding her soulmate. “Thanks. I’ll do that. And might I add, your soulmate is one lucky woman.”
“Thank you. And I could say the same for me. Good luck.” The young woman beamed at Emily before making her way through the restaurant. The therapist eyed the package for a few moments before taking the note. It was from Rachael. Part of Emily had been hoping it was from Tabby. It informed her there was a plane ticket with her name waiting at the airport. All she had to do was make her way to the airport.
When Emily opened the package, she sat back laughing. Money really made the world go around. Inside was a cellphone, three hundred dollars, credit cards issued in Emily’s name and a temporary state identification card. “If I were paying Rachael, I’d have to give her a raise.” Emily shook her head. As she scanned the contacts, she noticed that Tabby’s was on the favorite’s list. It was a sign. It was time. There was no more putting off what should have taken place the moment she had stepped into the police station.
“I have a flight in the morning, not too early.” Emily stared at the phone. She wanted to get to know Leon better. They still hadn’t discussed why he had stopped. They would remain in touch. That was what was important now, as was speaking to Tabby. “I know you were on your way to visit your family, but is there any way I can be selfish and ask for a ride?”
“I’d already planned on staying. I wanted to make certain you at least were on the plane all right.” Leon’s pale grey eyes twinkled. It was almost…No, it couldn’t be like that. “Why don’t you go and make your phone call. I’ll get myself a room and we can meet back down here, if it’s all right, for lunch in three or four hours.” The older man leaned back. He seemed much more relaxed than he had before. “And we can finish that talk we were supposed to have.”
“I’d like that.” Emily beamed at her new friend. Even though she’d only known him for a handful of hours, he was no longer a stranger. As she made her way towards her hotel room, Emily could feel the stare. She could feel the eyes following her as she made her way out of sight. It felt good to be watched like that. No one had since Mitch.
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“Are you ready?” Rachael was busy texting. She hated to be so attached to her phone when she knew that Tabby was at a loss. The young woman sat on the edge of the hospital bed. Everyone had offered to bring the woman back to the bed and breakfast, but it was the lawyer who had insisted. Already, there were detectives waiting outside the room for them. Because of the attention from the law profession, Melissa had insisted on Nicky staying home with her grandchildren.
“I guess.” Tabby sighed. It felt odd not to have at least her son to greet her. It felt even odder to not have Emily here or know exactly when she would be. Yes, there was a plane leaving near noon which meant she should be back in Middletown no later than eight or so tomorrow. But between then and now, what was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to keep herself from going completely and absolutely insane?
Rachael finally placed her phone in her pocket. Unlike some lawyers of her sought after status, she didn’t wear dresses or skirts. She wore power-suits that were originally designed for men, but were tailored with her curves in mind. This one happened to be charcoal black. It brought out her hazel eyes. The arrangements had been made. There was nothing more she could do on this end, besides track the weather and Emily’s plane.
“I’m not going to lie.” Rachael made her way so that she was standing in front of her client. But she and Emily were more than that. Even though Emily had treated both her and her wife with contempt in the beginning, she understood why. The hatchet had been buried as the old saying goes. “This isn’t going to be easy. If I allow it, they’ll ask a lot of questions. And they’ll ask it in quick succession. If you become confused or upset, don’t answer. I’ll interrupt if I think it’s becoming too much for you. I promise to watch out for you no matter what.”
“We’ve been over this.” Tabby quickly stood. It was a mistake. If Rachael hadn’t the quick reflexes, the nurse would have been either on the bed or the floor again. Once she had regained her bearings, Tabby pushed past her lawyer. It wasn’t right this lashing out. And normally she didn’t do it. Especially after the way Emily had lashed out at her, costing them how many months of being together. And the trust of one little boy who was becoming more and more difficult to convince.
“I’m not some child. I do know how important this is.” Tabby made her way to the window. It ran from the floor to the ceiling. Normally the sun that poured in would be comforting. It would mean, hope
fully, pleasant weather for Emily’s flight in the morning. Though the weather could change in the blink of an eye. Not unlike life. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that she was with Helen. And now, Tabby was craving for her life to resume with Emily and her ex was dead and the cause of some of their continuing issues.
Tabby was upset. It wasn’t with Rachael, though that was who she was taking out her frustrations on. It was Emily. It was Helen. It was Jenny. It was Anthony. It was Simon. It was even her own son. But the one person she was most upset with was herself. She could go back all the way to how things were handled with Helen, but then she wouldn’t have met Emily. What had her most upset was having allowed herself to end up in the hospital.
It was another strike against Emily in little Nicky’s eyes. It was yet another reason for the young boy to not trust Emily. Was Tabby shouldering too much of the blame? Perhaps. But she was a mother and it was her responsibility to take care of her son and herself for her son. It was her responsibility to be the one he could count on. Emily was attempting to do everything she could to take care of them both. Was Tabby?
“Damn it!” Tabby began pounding on the glass. She pounded on it so hard, even with it being safety glass, it cracked. It was just a tiny crack. Barely even noticeable if you didn’t know what to look for. Both fists continued to fly. The tiny crack slowly grew. It was still barely noticeable, but it was now visible because the rays of the sun refracted, portraying a rainbow across Tabby’s pain-filled face.
She didn’t know how it happened, but when Tabby opened her eyes, she found herself pressed against the window. Her wrists were being held above her head in a sure grip. For someone of slightly smaller stature, Rachael was certainly strong. Strong enough to have stopped Tabby, even though she had attempted to fight off the attempt to keep her from harming herself.
Distance of the Heart Page 19
