Page 18 of He Doesn't Deserve You

As the car passed, Gabriel came to an abrupt stop. Their eyes locked for a fleeting, intense moment. “Emily!” he shouted, throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

Roman quickly averted his gaze, hoping that Gabriel wouldn’t recognize him as they sped away.

Gabriel stared at the car until it disappeared from view, his breathheavy and uneven. With renewed urgency, he rushed back to the school, bursting through the door to Ava’s classroom.

“I need a piece of paper,” he demanded, panting.

The assistant quickly grabbed a pad and pen from the desk, handing them to Gabriel. He hastily scribbled down the license plate number, desperate to capture it before it slipped his mind.

A couple of miles from the school, Emily finally managed to calm Ava down. Taking a steadying breath, Roman asked with concern, “What was Gabriel doing there?”

“He forgot Ava’s lunch and was dropping it off,” Emily said, her voice tinged with concern. “Do you think he saw you?”

“No, but he probably got my plate,” Roman replied, glancing anxiously in the rearview mirror. He made a sharp left turn, heading in the opposite direction of where he lived.

“Where are we going?” asked Emily.

“My friend has a cabin. We can stay there.”

Emily remained silent, tenderly kissing the top of Ava’s head. As she cradled her daughter, she couldn’t help but wonder how her life had spiraled so entirely out of control.

Gabriel left the preschool and hurried to his car, dialing his office as he went. “I have an emergency and won’t be returning today,” he informed them briefly before hanging up. He started the engine and drove straight to the police station. Bursting into headquarters, he rushed to the officer behind the desk and declared, “My wife and daughter have been kidnapped.”

10

Emily gently closed the bedroom door behind her and went to the kitchen, where Roman was finishing the dishes. “She’s finally asleep,” she said with a hint of relief. “I just hope she doesn’t have nightmares after everything she’s been through today.”

Roman dried the last dish and placed it in the dish drain. “I’m sure she will be fine. Kids have a way of bouncing back from everything.”

“I hope so,” Emily said as she took in the charm of the quaint little kitchen. “This cabin is adorable. Who’s is it?”

Drying his hands on the dish towel, Roman replied, “It belongs to my childhood friend. I spent so many summers here growing up. His parents passed away a few years ago, and he inherited it.”

After placing the towel on the counter, Roman joined Emily by the patio doors, where she stood gazing out onto the deck.

“It’s so quiet and peaceful out here,” Emily said.

Roman smiled, “Yes it is. How about a glass of wine?”

“That would be nice.”

Opening the sliding glass door, Roman said, “Go on out. I’ll get the wine and join you in a minute.”

“Okay,” Emily said as she stepped onto the deck, then settled into the double glider.

A moment later, Roman joined Emily on the deck, holding an open bottle of wine and two glasses. He handed one to her, filled it with wine, and then took a seat beside her on the glider.

“Thank you,” she murmured, her eyes drifting to the star-filled sky.

He tilted his head to the sky and said, “There are so many stars tonight.”

After several minutes of quietly gazing at the stars, Emily broke the silence. “Have you learned anything new about who’s blackmailing me?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Roman took a deep gulp of his wine and then paused, his expression serious. “You’re not going to like this,” he said quietly.

“What is it?” Emily asked, sitting up straighter.

“It’s about your finances, Em,” he said, gently touching her shoulder. “They’re not good.”

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