Page 35 of Wicked Proposal
“Mommy was here,” Eli insists. “She tucked me into bed and kissed me goodnight.”
Mr. Lee stares at Eli. I feel like I must be doing the same, too shocked to speak.
“Eli,” Lee says, his tone marginally gentler, “you know it’s not good to lie, right?”
“I’m not lying!” Eli cries out, suddenly ferocious. He isn’t very intimidating, but I can tell he’s trying to be. His fists are balled up at his sides, his tiny brow furrowed as far as it can be. It makes that horrible guilt stab me even deeper.
He’s doing it for me.
He’s trying to protect me.
God, I don’t deserve him.
“Okay,” Lee concedes reluctantly. “But she mentioned a shift. Who was with you then?”
“Aunt Kallie.”
“And when did Aunt Kallie leave?”
“Just now.” He points at the toppled bowl of cereal. “She made me breakfast. I didn’t touch the stove.”
Mr. Lee doesn’t look convinced. “Eli…”
“It’s getting late, isn’t it?” Itzel’s gentle voice breaks through. “We’d best be on our way, Howie.”
Lee—no,Howie—stiffens, visibly irritated. “Mrs. Deloera,” he says with the barest minimum of patience, “we aren’t finished here.”
“I think we are.” Her grandmotherly smile spreads softly on her wrinkled face. “Everything seems to be in order. We found Eli in the care of his mommy, didn’t we?”
The vein on Mr. Lee’s forehead starts bulging dangerously. “But?—”
“Didn’t we,Howie?”
Finally, his stubbornness gives. “I suppose we did,” he mumbles, like he’s being forced to swallow a particularly sour lemon.
“Good. Then off we go.” Itzel waves. “Goodbye, Eli. Goodbye, Mia, dear. Be good for me, won’t you?”
“Yes, Mrs. Deloera,” Eli says politely.
“We’ll be good,” I promise.
Mr. Lee glares at me. “See you next time, Ms. Winters. Eli.”
Then they’re out.
I slump against the door, face in my hands. My body slides to the floor. If I’d been five minutes later…
If, for some reason, I hadn’t made it back in time…
They would have taken him. My son.
I feel a tug on my sleeve. When I peek through my fingers, a worried little face blinks back at me. “Are you okay, Mommy?”
“Of course,” I lie. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Eli curls up next to me. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “It’s my fault they keep coming.”
“Oh, baby.” I pull him into a hug. “No, no, no. You didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, I’m the one who should be apologizing. You lied to cover for me just now, didn’t you?”
