Harlan bit at her lip and dropped her eyes down. “They were already sleeping. I told him some other time.”
“How much money did he ask for?”
“None,” she said, staring him down again. “I wouldn’t give him any money, and he knew better than to ask for it.”
“Of course he does. You don’t just waltz up to your daughter after being gone for ten years and ask for money. You do that the second or third time you see her. And if she says no, you just steal something and hope she doesn’t notice right away.”
“I love how stupid you think I am. I can handle myself.”
“You’ve been doing such a great job lately.” Emmitt gestured to the house as though its crooked shutters and chipped paint were perfect examples. “If you’d have listened to me about that dickhead Rylie and dumped him when I told you—” His mouth snapped shut as her hand struck him fast and hard across the cheek.
“If I’d have dumped him when you told me to those two perfect and special little girls upstairs wouldn’t exist. You don’t get to play Monday morning quarterback on my life. I’m where I am right now, and that’s because I need to be here. You, on the other hand, need to leave.”
“I’m trying to help,” Emmitt said, bringing his hand up to his cheek. “If he comes back, tell him to leave. If he really is interested in having some kind of relationship with us, he can start with me.”
“You’ll never let him back into your life. He won’t get more than a five-minute conversation with you.”
“Exactly,” Emmitt said, spinning and grabbing Evie’s hand as he left. “Kiss the girls for me. Tell them I’ll see them soon.”
“Right, until you get busy again or take off. And when you do come back don’t you dare bring them another musical instrument. I’ll do more than slap you.”
“I won’t,” Emmitt said, turning halfway around as he headed for the car. “I’m just thinking about an amp for that guitar I got them for Easter.”
“Murder,” Harlan called out. “I will murder you.”
“Harlan,” he said, his hand on the car door now, “just be careful with Dad. He hasn’t changed. Keep your guard up.”
She gave him an annoyed wave goodbye and headed back into her house. Evie sank into the passenger seat, suddenly feeling like she didn’t belong. It took all her willpower not to chime in, to offer her opinion on something that was so clearly not her business.
“Hungry?” Emmitt asked, checking his watch as he backed out of the driveway. “There’s a diner not far from here. We can get a bite to eat then I’ll drop you off at the hotel.”
“Where will you go after you drop me? More work to do for the Barringtons? I could help you maybe.” Seeing these different facets of Emmitt’s life didn’t make her want to bolt. It was the opposite. The deeper she got, the harder she wanted to hold on.
“I’ll be taking a couple days off from that,” Emmitt said, staring intently at the road ahead of him, looking careful not to elaborate.
“Are you going to find your dad?” Evie asked, trying and failing to not let her opinion come through.
“He hasn’t changed,” Emmitt said flatly. “If he’s coming around after all this time, it’s because he’s desperate. He knows Harlan is the weak link. Mathew and I would toss him out on his ass in a heartbeat. But she’s sentimental and fresh out of the divorce. She’s worried her daughters won’t have enough family around. He’s going to prey on her. I have to find him first.”
“Or he’s been clean for ninety days like she said and misses his family. Maybe he really wants to meet his grandkids,” Evie said since it seemed like Emmitt wasn’t even considering that. Why couldn’t his father changing be an option?
“Don’t,” he ordered, slamming one hand on the steering wheel. “You don’t know anything about him. You can’t imagine what he did to my mother and now what he probably plans to do to Harlan. She’s been through hell, and I’m not letting anything else happen to her. I know nothing ever goes wrong on that placid little farm you’re from, but this is the real world and shit is messy.”
“She just told you to stay out of it,” Evie reminded him boldly.
“I’m telling you to stay out of this, and you aren’t listening, so I guess we have that in common. I’m calling Mathew.” Emmitt clicked a few buttons on his steering wheel and connected the call.
“It’s early,” Mathew said, and Evie recognized the worry in his voice.
“Did I wake you?” Emmitt asked, not actually sounding like he cared.
“No. I’m already in the office. You don’t normally see this side of the morning. Should I assume you’re on some kind of a bender and haven’t gone to bed yet?”
“Assume whatever you want. But while you’re busy giving me shit your father is busy trying to scam your sister.”
“What?” Mathew asked, and Evie could tell the worry in Mathew’s voice was very real. “He went to see Harlan?”
“Last night,” Emmitt confirmed. “I lost track of him about eight months ago. I try to keep tabs when I can but he just vanished. He was in Vegas back then and still gambling and losing.”
“How much did she give him?” Mathew asked, drawing in a deep breath.
“She said he didn’t ask for money.”
“Of course he wouldn’t. Not on his first visit.” Mathew was confirming the same instincts Emmitt had and it was making Evie think maybe she wasn’t taking this serious enough. “What did Harlan tell him?”
“That he could come back and visit the kids another day. They were sleeping.”
“No.” Mathew was talking through gritted teeth. “Not a chance. You need to find him and tell him this is not happening. If he gets in with Harlan, it’ll be Mom next. You know what you have to do.”
“Yes,” Emmitt asserted. “But it’ll take me off of this work for the Barringtons for a few days while I sort it out. I know you’re waiting on me—”
“No,” Mathew cut in. “Take care of this first. Harlan has this idealized vision of who Dad is or who he could be. He can’t get another chance to come see her. Do whatever you have to do, but get rid of him. If he’s here for money give him some.”
“Of course he’s here for money. But I’m not giving him shit. It sets a bad precedence. Every time he needs some, he’ll use Harlan to get me to pay.”
“Your other option is to beat the shit out of him, and if you do that you’ll get put away and not be able to do what I need you to with the Barringtons. Get rid of him the easiest way possible, and we’ll deal with a long-term solution later.”
“I’ll get rid of him,” Emmitt reluctantly agreed. “But if he pushes me, gives me a single reason to knock him out, I will.”
“I’ll make sure I call Evie this morning and tell her to come home. I’m sorry I got involved there. I thought she’d help but you don’t need that right now.”
Evie froze in her seat, afraid to give away she was in the car and could hear the call.
“Uh,” Emmitt said, glancing over at her, “I might be able to use her after all. Don’t call her.”
“What the fuck?” Mathew groaned. “Just yesterday you were bitching at me telling me to get her the fuck out of there. I told Jessica that Evie would be coming back here today. Now I have to tell her you changed your mind again. This isn’t like you. What’s really going on?”
“Nothing,” Emmitt said quickly and Evie watched his thumb hover over the disconnect call button on the steering wheel. “I just need her.”
“You need her?” Mathew asked with a hardy laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you admit that before. You have feelings for her don’t you?”
“I’ve got to go. I’ll give you an update on Dad once I have one. But maybe give Harlan a call, so I’m not the only asshole like usual.”
“You’re never the only asshole Emmitt, you’re just the biggest asshole. But I’ll call her. And what about Mom? Are you going to give her a heads-up?”
“I haven’t talked to Mom
in a while, you know that. I doubt she wants to hear from me. At least that’s what she said the last time I saw her.”
“The last time you saw her you were wasted and pissing on her rose bushes on Christmas Eve. You fell in the fireplace for God’s sake and almost took the Christmas tree down. But I know she’d want to see you. Just try to be sober.”
“I had just buried two buddies I served with. You try to be sober after that. Try to enjoy the Christmas cheer with that hanging over your head.”
“I get it,” Mathew said with a sigh. “I do. All I’m saying is Mom would like to see you. You should warn her about Dad. It should come from you.”
“I’ll call you when I know more,” Emmitt said with a huff, glancing quickly over at Evie then turning away.
“Hey,” Mathew said with a chuckle. “Are you into Evie or what? She’s a great girl; if you are finally taking your head out of your ass maybe it’s time—”
The line went suddenly dead and Emmitt cleared his throat. “I’ll drop you off.” He shifted in his chair, straightening his back.
“What about breakfast?” she asked, pretending to be more upset than she was. “I was promised pancakes. You can’t just say something like that and then take it back. A girl starts thinking about syrup and bacon and orange juice and then you just snap it away. That’s not very fair.”
“Pancakes.” He sighed. “I guess I can get you pancakes before I drop you off.”
“You aren’t dropping me off,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’m staying with you. To find your dad, to talk to your mom, and for whatever else you plan to do.”
“Oh, you are?” Emmitt asked not able to fight off the smile creeping across his face.
“You said it yourself. You need me.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he corrected quickly. “I don’t need anyone.”
“Good,” she said, slipping her hand into his. “Because now I know when you don’t drop me off it’s because you want me here, not because you need me here. That’s even better.”
“You can convince yourself of anything can’t you?” He gave her a sideways look, but tightened his grip on her hand.
She turned her eyes toward the window and stared out at the passing tree line. “It’ll be all right, Emmitt. It’ll all work out.”
“Like I said you can convince yourself of anything.” He lifted his knee up to hold the steering wheel while he grabbed his sunglasses. It would have been far easier to let go of her hand and get them, but he clearly didn’t want to.
“I can. The real job is getting you to believe it. But lucky for you we had a lot of mules on our farm, and I learned my stubbornness from the best.”
“I feel like I’ve done my part to warn you. I met the obligation of telling you this won’t work out well. You might be hardheaded, but something tells me you’re still tenderhearted, and that’s just about the worst combination I can think of when it comes to being around me.”
“Are you going to make me sign a waiver?” she teased. “I hear you, Emmitt. I’m not stupid, and I’m not looking for a fairy tale. I just want to stay with you. Do you want me to? Just right now. I’m not asking about forever. I’m asking about right now. If I left would it matter?” She phrased her question intentionally. Not would you miss me? Would you feel sad? She just needed to know it would matter to him.
“Stay,” he said, and although it sounded like an order, she knew full well it was a request. “Just don’t—” he started but didn’t seem to know how to finish. “I can protect you from a lot of things, Evie. I can keep you and my sister and my mother safe from anything out there. But I can’t protect you from my fuck-ups. If someone ever bothers you, I will break their face, but I’m just as likely to break your heart.”
“So if I do sign the waiver can we stop talking about this?” she joked, knowing it took a lot for him to speak this openly and offering him the gift of levity. “Emmitt,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I’m not giving you my heart. I’m giving you my time. And since I have nothing else to do you aren’t getting a very hot commodity.”
“Warned,” he said again. Pulling her hand up and brushing his lips to her skin. “Thoroughly warned.”
Chapter 16
Stop fucking looking at her. Emmitt could berate himself all he wanted but it was futile. He’d been on plenty of stakeouts and recon missions but there had never been a gorgeous blonde sleeping peacefully in the seat next to him. She’d borrowed his sweatshirt, rolled it into a pillow and, though she promised she wasn’t tired, quickly fell asleep. Now as she breathed long relaxed breaths and her lashes fluttered with a dream he wished he could be a part of, he realized he had a real fucking problem.
Evie had pulled her hair up, and the way she lay against the car window left her neck bare and exposed. He was supposed to be watching the door of the bar apparently known for being a makeshift gambling hall. It was exactly the kind of place his father would be if he was as desperate as Emmitt assumed he was. But no matter how hard he tried to peel his eyes from Evie he just couldn’t.
“No,” she murmured, and he leaned back suddenly, finally glancing at the bar he was supposed to be watching. “No,” she said again in a small cry, and he realized she was still asleep. “Mom, please, no.” Evie thrashed quickly then clutched both her hands to her head.
“Evie,” Emmitt said louder than he meant to. “Evie, wake up; you’re having a dream.” He reached for her shoulder, but she swatted him away as she came back to reality while sucking in a deep and terrified breath. She curled up into herself, putting her hands back over her head and crying full on.
“Evie?” he asked, quieter than before. “Are you all right?” Before she could answer he heard the click of her seatbelt and her car door flew open. She was out into the night air before he could catch her arm. “Where are you going?” he asked, chasing her down the side street. “Christ, Evie are you sleepwalking?”
“Fine,” she said, waving him off. “I’m fine. I just need some air. Sorry I’ve probably blown your cover or whatever.”
“It’s no big deal. I don’t think he’s in there. You sure you’re all right?” He closed in on her, but she wouldn’t turn to face him.
“Good, I’m good. Just a weird dream. That happens when you eat a bag of candy and chips and then pass out from boredom.” She forced a laugh through her tears, but he ignored it.
“You were talking about your mother,” he said, scanning her face for a reaction. She tensed a bit and suddenly he knew exactly what question to ask. “Why can’t you go home?”
“What?” she asked, pulling her hair out of the messy bun it was in and trying to flatten it.
“You didn’t say you didn’t want to go home, you said you couldn’t. Why not?” He was analyzing her face, looking for any indication of where this pain was coming from.
“You’re being ridiculous.” She smiled with her mouth, but her eyes remained unchanged, still glazed over and filled with secrets. “I had a bad dream not a premonition. Let’s get back in the car. I really promise not to fall asleep this time.”
“You could tell me,” he said as he followed her back toward the car. “I’d listen.”
“I’m good,” she said. “It was just a dream. I’m totally rested now. I’m ready for recon. Let’s do this.” Plastering excitement back on her face, she quickly deflated when he hopped in and started the car. “Are we leaving?”
“He’s not here. I have a few contacts that are going to check in with me soon. We can head back to the hotel and get a few hours of sleep.”
“This thing with your dad,” she said, settling her head on his sweatshirt again. “Does that mean you don’t believe people can change?”
There was a depth to her question that usually sent him running. But that was the problem with Evie, she made him say things out loud he never even bothered to say to himself. “People don’t change. They just get better at lying. They get more convincing. More skilled.”
“Are you
better than you were five years ago?”
He had to hold back the answer that came to him first because he didn’t want to prove her right. I’m better than I was five days ago. “I make different bad choices now. But that doesn’t make me a better person. Who is it you are hoping will change?” He probed, but she didn’t bite.
“Was I snoring?” she asked, shifting in her seat to get better look at him. “I was, wasn’t I?”
“You weren’t,” he said, rolling his eyes. “But I can see you’re just going to keep changing the subject. I’ll let you off the hook.”
His phone rang through the car speakers, and he clicked the button to answer it. “Hey Mathew, what’s up? This is way past your bedtime.”
“Did Mom call you?” he asked through his panting breath. “The alarm system at the house was triggered, and I can’t get her on the phone. The alerts go to me. The cops called and asked if they should go check the alarm. The cops will freak her out too much if it’s nothing, but if it’s something—”
“I’m less than five minutes away. Don’t send the cops, but keep trying to get her on the phone. You know it’s him.”
“We don’t know that,” Mathew corrected.
“He probably figured he could go in and swipe a few things without anyone knowing. I had the best alarm system on the market installed. He probably wasn’t expecting that.” Emmitt imagined his father moving through an unlocked window searching for valuables.
“It might be Mom opening a window for air and forgetting to disarm it. She’s done it before. Before I came to Texas I was there once a month reminding her not to set it off.” Mathew’s voice was full of forced calmness that Emmitt could see right through.
“I’m already on my way. Just give me time to check it out before you call the cops.” Emmitt disconnected the call and looked over at Evie, trying to find a viable solution for getting rid of her right now. There was no plausible reason he could think of to set her on the side of the road and tell her he’d be back. But there was also no way he wanted to take her with him to his mother’s house right now.
The Barrington Billionaires Collection 1 Page 45
