Page 34 of It's Not Home Without You

“Changing the subject, Dex, since you’re a detective and have no problem with snooping, can you tell me the name of Rusty’s wife? You know Rusty right?”

“Uh-oh,” Emma uttered, which made me turn and glare at her. That little baker was hiding something from me. Whirling around, she tried to rush to the back.

“Uh-uh, Emma, come back.”

Emma’s shoulders sagged a little, something both Dex and I found amusing. She turned around and looked at me pleadingly. “I thought you already asked Rusty,” she said defensibly.

Crossing my arms, I replied, “It didn’t come up. Now spill, Emma. Rusty will be here shortly.”

Emma looked up at Dex for help, but the detective wasn’t getting in the middle of this, not that I would let him. I mentally started a list of chicks whodated Rusty back inthe day, and I use the word dated loosely. There wasn’t any one girl who stood out to me. The last girl I remembered he was on and off again with was Bethany Vails, but it was mostly an on thing just to pass the time.

“HemarriedJanaMoore,” Emma slurred, or tried to rap, I wasn’t sure.

“Come again?”

Emma took a deep breath, looked me in the eye, and spoke more clearly this time. “Rusty married Jana Moore, or now she’s Jana Hayward.”

There was silence, or maybe it was just the ringing in my ear that made me deaf. I took a second to take in what Emma had said. Then the words hit me like I literally felt each letter slap me silly.

I screeched, “Jana Moore!”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Seventeen years old

“You look fancy.”My grandpa took a break from watching the game to compliment me.

“I’m having dinner at the Dunnetts,” I replied nonchalantly. Even though my grandpa had warmed up to Max, that didn’t mean he suddenly though the rest of Max’s family was worth getting to know.

Neither did I.

I thought Grandpa would make fun of me or make a smart-ass comment, but he surprised me. “That boy won’t let anyone hurt you. He’s a good kid, Freya.”

“I know, Grandpa.” I smiled as I looked out the window, waiting for Max’s Mercedes. Prescott didn’t want the Mercedes; he and Juliet wanted something more modern, leaving Max with sole ownership of the Benz. When I saw headlights in front of our trailer, I got giddy with anticipation.

“Don’t smile like that at him. He’s going to think he can do whatever he wants,” Grandpa shouted as I went to open the door.

“He can do anything he wants anytime,” I murmured under my breath. It wasn’t like my grandpa and I hadthetalk. Ignorance was bliss in our case. I thought he knew I would know better, growing up the way I did.

“Baby.” I threw myself into Max’s waiting arms. My boy twirled me before he put me down. He was wearing white Bermuda shorts with a burgundy polo and white slip-on shoes, and even though I still thought he looked like a total tool, he was freaking cute.

“Look at you, looking like a rich boy.”

He usually laughed, but not today; instead, he kissed my forehead. “Not a rich boy, just yours.” Something about the way he said it made a chill go down my spine.

“Always,” I replied. Max grabbed my hand and led me back into the trailer, making his way to where Grandpa was sitting.

“I’ll have her home by midnight, sir.” Max never failed to greet my gramps, even when my grandpa refused to shake his hand.

“Eugene, you can call me Eugene.” My Grandpa shook Max’s hand with a smile. I wasn’t the only one who froze. This was huge. My grandpa was finally welcoming Max into our little family.

About damn time.

“All right, have a good night, Eugene.” Max waited forme to kiss my grandpa goodbye before going to his car. Except that wasn’t his car; it was a sleek, black Audi.

“Where’s your car?” I asked as he opened the car door. Max gave my butt a spank and pushed me in.

“It’s getting somework done. I borrowed my mom’s.” There was an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, and it wasn’t just because Max was driving in his mom’s car. Even as Max held my hand, the feeling didn’t go away.

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