Page 50 of Mine to Hold
“Who texted you? Because I didn’t get one.” Emmerson frowned.
Rhett waved his cell in front of Emmerson. “Why, Mother, of course. She doesn’t want us to overstay our welcome.”
Emmerson stared at the phone for a moment. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Emmerson muttered. “Lucy Ann has a big fucking mouth and our mother is a piece of work.”
“Later, Mr. Saucy.” Rhett practically ran around the side of the house and Miles was on his heels. Both men were laughing so hard that Rumor couldn’t help it, she laughed too.
“I’m glad you can find humor in something.”
“Nothing about today has been funny.” She waggled her finger. “Except that.”
“Um, you falling in the pool was actually kind of hysterical.”
“Now that’s just kicking a girl when she’s down.” Rumor tilted her head. “Calling a man saucy, on the other hand, could be seen as a compliment.”
“Not when it comes from their mother, and you didn’t see the text.” He smacked his forehead. “Stick around long enough and you’ll find out just how embarrassing my family can be.”
“Now I want to know what the text said.”
“Nope. I’m not telling you that.”
“Come on. It can’t be as bad as the whiplash I have from this conversation. I mean, I’ve gone from being terrified of being arrested to… to… I don’t know… being comfortable again. It’s weird.”
“Weird?”
“Do you have any idea what it’s been like for me these last few days? It’s not like I wanted to do this to you. Or keep all this shit from you. While I always worried Tony would get out of jail one day and find me, I didn’t think he’d go on some killing spree, tryto frame me for it, and then try to make the cop I was sleeping with an accessory.” She waggled her finger. “And there’s that part. I freaking slept with you.”
“Because that’s a bad thing?”
“I didn’t say that.” She sighed. “But for fifteen years I’ve followed the letter of the law. No speeding tickets. No parking tickets. I’ve kept my nose clean and avoided the police.”
“I’m not the enemy.”
“This isn’t coming out right.” She lifted her beer and finished off the rest of it before waving it in front of him. “I need another.”
“Sure thing.” He rose, sauntering over to the outdoor fridge. He pulled out two more, twisted off the tops, and set one in front of her before settling back down in his chair.
“Please understand why I moved around so much.”
“Seriously, I get it. I do. You were afraid. I would be too.” He tapped his finger on her knee. “The cop in me doesn’t agree, but Emmerson, the man, totally understands.”
“I can appreciate that. Thank you,” she said. “Now, the text, because I’m not letting you off that easily.”
He dropped his head to the table and groaned. “Why do you need to know?”
“Because I would bet this suitcase of cash that it has to do with me and if that’s the case, I have a right to know what it said.”
“You’re not going to like it.” He sat up taller. “And I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you either.” He reached for his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Asking my brothers to send me a copy of the text in question. That way you’ll get the full picture of the insanity that is my family.” He tapped away at his screen.
They waited for a minute or two in silence until his phone buzzed.
“Here you go. Read it for yourself. But fair warning, you might not ever look at my mother the same way again.” He placed the cell on the table. “Or me for that matter.”
She snatched it quickly before he changed his mind.
