Part 27 (2/2)
”Trying to ditch me?”
”Of course not, Shelby. Call it comparison shopping. I'm sure you'll go for the younger model, given a chance.”
”I'll wait for you upstairs. Don't stand me up.”
”And let my cousin win out? Never.”
Emma was racing down the sidewalk with a nervous Merrick chasing her down. The family counselor took off in a slow jog, calling out to Merrick so she wouldn't be shot as she got closer.
”Emma, stop or I swear I'll put you over my knee when I catch up to you.” Muriel gripped Emma's elbow anything but gently when she did catch her and dragged her back into the hospital and the most secluded place she could think of, the chapel. ”Jesus Christ, did you learn nothing from what happened to Hayden?”
”She hates me, Muriel. I lost Hayden and kept Hannah from her, and now she hates me.”
With two fingers under Emma's chin, Muriel forced her to look up. ”I'd have guessed with all the time you spent up on that farm, you'd have spent some of it thinking.”
”What do you mean?” Emma asked in a defeated tone.
”It's simple, Emma. You ran before, and what did it get you? Did you find happiness in anything but Hannah all those years you were gone?”
”No.”
”Did you find the woman your mother wants you to be?” Muriel persisted.
”I can't be that person. Even if I could, she said I can't go back there.”
”You don't have to go back, Emma, but you've got to stop running away. Derby Cain understands one thing, and that's strength. Show some and start running toward something, instead of away from her. If you don't, you're going to be lonely without her.”
”She doesn't want me, Muriel. The sooner I come to grips with that, the sooner I can decide what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.”
”One more talk with her is all I'm asking, only this time go in there and act like you belong at her side. You accepted the role Derby gave you as someone to be sheltered and taken care of, and look where it's gotten you. She won't give in unless you give her a reason to.” Muriel stood and b.u.t.toned her jacket. Advice on legal matters was much easier to give.
”Why?”
”Why do I care?”
Emma nodded.
”Because she loves you more than she hates you. You f.u.c.ked up, Emma, but so does everyone. Granted, yours was a f.u.c.kup of a magnitude you don't often see, but”
”Okay, I get it. Any more trying to make me feel better and I may start crying again.”
Laughter was coming out of the private room the nurse in ICU directed Muriel and Emma to, enough laughter for Emma to shed her doubt and find her anger. She was used to women flirting with Cain, but Cain usually rebuffed them. This sounded like Cain was responding accordingly.
The biggest shock was that it was Agent Daniels her ex-lover was playing with. ”Agent Daniel, would you please excuse us,” said Emma in way of a greeting.
”Sure, I was just waiting for my coffee date.” The tension in the room was thick enough to make Shelby want to leave. The last thing she needed was for her superiors to read about her getting into a catfight over Cain Casey.
With a soft click of the door, Emma and Cain were alone again. Emma watched Cain take as deep a breath as she could, knowing it was the buildup to the storm.
”What in the h.e.l.l was that?” Cain's question came out in a rush.
”Shut up.”
”Excuse me?”
”I said shut up. It means be quiet and listen.” She moved to the bed and fought the urge to poke Cain in the chest. ”I'm not going anywhere, and I refuse to be left out of the loop anymore, so get used to it. Call it a hunch, but New Orleans is big enough for both of us because I'm not going back.”
She stopped to take a breath and went with poking the air in front of Cain's chest. ”You're going to spend time getting to know your daughter, as I will our son. That means we'll be spending time together, sometimes even in the same room maybe. I'm sorry for what I did, I truly am, but it's the last time I'm going to say that.”
”Did you just tell me to shut up?”
She couldn't help it and hoped Cain had no head injury when she slapped the top of her head. ”For G.o.d's sake, is that all you just heard?”
”No, I heard the rest. Don't worry. You hit me again, though, and injury or no, I'm putting you over my knee.”
”Too late, your cousin's already threatened that.” Her father's words about taking chances made her roll the dice. ”Tell me you don't care anything about me, and I'll walk out now. We can arrange something with Muriel to see the children. You tell me, though, or I'm not leaving.”
”Emma, you know I can't do that. You're the mother of my children, and I have to respect that.”
”For once forget about your traditions and your honor. This is about you and me. Tell me you don't care.”
Cain closed her eyes and tried to force herself to say the words ”I don't care.” It would be so easy to never look at the greatest betrayal she'd ever experienced again. ”I can't. As much as I want to, I can't.”
The joy in Emma's eyes came back when Cain spoke her heart.
”But that doesn't mean we can go back. I can't do that either.”
”I don't want to go back, Cain. I want to move forward.” Emma took another chance and held her hand out to Cain, not expecting too much. She blinked back tears when Cain took it. ”If all else fails I'll spill a bunch of beer on you, since it worked so well for me in the past.”
”I'm willing to be civil, Emma. Don't expect too much else. We had our chance, and we blew it.”
”Is it Agent Daniels?”
”It could be anyone, but our time has pa.s.sed.” Emma began to pull away, and Cain squeezed her hand. ”I can't, Emma. I barely survived the first time. I won't set myself up like that again, and I've got Hayden to think of.”
”Fair enough. My fault, right?”
”Tell me more about Hannah?” A safe topic was what they needed to defuse the moment. Just because Cain had spent years cursing Emma's existence didn't mean she'd forgotten how soft her hands were, or how wonderful she smelled. Being this close was dangerous, but the part that did still care couldn't turn her away.
”How about I let Hannah tell you about Hannah? It's her favorite subject, after all. Unless you're tired.” Emma moved her other hand to Cain's wound. It seemed like just a few hours earlier that she had looked so fragile.
”It hurts, but no more drugs. I'm alive and I can move all my parts, so the rest is just an inconvenience.”
Forty minutes later Hannah had fallen asleep on Cain's bed after covering all the highlights of her life with great animation. From the moment the blue eyes turned her way, Cain lost her heart, and the past four years almost didn't matter.
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