Page 100 of Dirty Pucker

“Honey, listen to me. You don’t have anything to be sorry about. None of this is your fault. It never was,” Nancy says.

“Will you call the police, Mom? Please?” Del asks.

She sighs. “Okay.”

I walk back into the kitchen area and see Nancy on her phone. She glances at me and offers a sad smile before walking into the living room.

“I’d like to report a break-in,” she says to the person on the other end of the line.

I walk over to Del and take in the pained look on his face as he watches his mother.

I can’t think of a single comforting thing to say to him right now. This must be so awful for him, seeing what his mom is going through.

I wrap my arms around him and hug him tight. He sinks into my embrace instantly.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

Warmth pools in my chest. I hold him tight, hoping I’m giving him a tiny bit of comfort in the pain of this moment.

Chapter 34

Del

Ithank the police officer who responded to our call about the break-in and walk him to the front door.

“We’ll get this information into the system right away,” he says to me and my mom, who’s standing a few feet away.

I ask him about filing a restraining order, and he tells me what we need to do. I tell him thanks and close the door.

“We’ll head down to the courthouse first thing tomorrow morning,” I say to Mom.

She nods. “I think that’s a good idea.”

I glance back to the kitchen, where Ingrid is rinsing out our mugs and loading them into the dishwasher.

My chest aches. She’s been amazing.

What was supposed to be a hot night at her place quickly turned into a family emergency. I wouldn’t have blamed her for dropping me off at my mom’s and letting me deal with this myself.

But she didn’t. She insisted on staying with me. She sat with my mom and calmed her down while I was busy checking on the house. She didn’t hesitate to comfort me and hug me when I needed it the most.

My heart thuds in my chest. This woman is beyond incredible.

“It’s getting late,” my mom says. “You kids should get home.”

“I don’t like the idea of you staying here alone after what happened. You should stay with me for the next few nights.”

She sighs and tilts her head at me. “Honey, I appreciate your concern, but this is my home. No one is going to make me too scared to stay in my own house, not even your dad.”

I purse my lips, frustrated. I try to think of a way to convince my stubborn mom to stay with me.

“Mom, please? Will you stay at my place? I need to know you’re safe.”

She sighs, looking sad. “Honey, I just don’t like the idea of you babysitting me.”

I take a breath to keep from sounding too frustrated. Before I can say anything more, Ingrid speaks.

“Del can stay with me while you stay at his place,” Ingrid says in a soft voice. “That way you have your own space.”

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