Page 91 of Silver Sanctuary
Lacy studied his face for a moment. “She’s okay? You had it handled?”
“Wasn’t anything a pair of scissors, and some fries and pie from Dolly’s couldn’t fix.”
“Scissors, fries, and pies. I’m terrified about what that means.” She looked around. “Where is she?”
“In the living room, watching a movie. Why don’t we sit at the table.” He grabbed her hand and led her to the chair.
“Okay, I’m sitting. Spill.”
“The kids at the party only invited her to bully her.”
“No.”
He nodded. “They said some really mean things to her about Amber, and about how Embrie was dirty. And when she tried to get up to leave, someone there pulled her hair and cut off one of her pigtails.”
Lacy jumped up from her chair so fast he thought she might fall over. “THEY DID WHAT?!”
“Please, I promised her. She’s embarrassed and feeling vulnerable and I promised her you wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.”
“Not make a big deal out of it?! Nash! Someone CUT my baby’s hair! Against her will! That’s… it’s …. I can’t…”
“It’s assault. And Colt agrees.”
“What do you mean Colt agrees? What, is he like our own little Caldwell family deputy now?”
“He’s one of the only people outside of our group that Itrust. So yes, I sent him the details of what happened, and the pictures of Embrie’s hair. And then I helped our daughter cut her hair so that it all matched. And you know what she told me?”
“What?” Lacy sank back down into the chair, tears filling her eyes.
“She thanked me for helping her feel safe.” Nash’s own eyes began to sting. “I tried my best, Lace. I told her that boy—those kids—they don’t get to take her power away. And when she cut the other side, she looked right at me and I swear, Lace, she said, ‘Don’t worry. I took my power back.’ It was incredible.”
Lacy nodded, but he had no idea what she was thinking. And she didn’t say another word to him. She just got up, grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the sofa.
She sat down next to Embrie, gently touching the ends of her hair before she pulled their daughter into a hug.
“I love the new hair.”
He heard Embrie’s little sniffles even though her face was pushed right into Lacy’s chest.
“I’m glad Nash was there to help you, baby.”
He watched as Embrie pushed back from her mom, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. “I am too.”
They spent the rest of the day together, snuggled on the couch, watching the bubble princess witch sing about some far-fetched thing, but Nash couldn’t have cared less about what was on the TV. He would get justice for Embrie. They would make sure Amber was out of the picture for good. And nothing was going to stop him from always keeping his girls safe.
Twenty-Six
“So, you guys are going away this weekend?” Mae asked. They were busy having an impromptu girls chat in the middle of the gym at Montgomery Defense. Lily and Sloane were sparring, while Mae stood next to the ring, stretching. Lacy laughed at how many times Gage and Gunner walked out to watch their partners and coach them. Although, from the eye rolls and shooing motions they got, Lily and Sloane didn’t seem to want them around.
“We are.” She knew she was smiling like an absolute fool, but the next few days were going to be so exciting. “Nash and I are taking her out of school early today. With my mom and Adam getting released after the sheriff’s department questioned them, we just need a break. And Embrie’s had such a tough week, with that birthday party from hell, and kids at school bringing up her hair, Nash thought it would be fun to go into Dallas and just spend the weekend exploring and doing some fun things together as a family.”
“That’s so sweet. I bet she’ll love it.”
“I don’t know how I got so lucky. Nash booked us a suite at this fancy hotel. He’s going to take us to dinner on therooftop, and Brie can’t stop talking about the dress he picked out for her. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it. We’ve never had… no one has ever done anything like this for us.”
“Don’t forget to pack swimsuits,” Sloane added, sliding under the ropes and pulling at the Velcro around her protective gear. “Hotels normally have a swimming pool. That’s a top-tier experience for kids.”
“Thanks, Sloane. I’ll definitely make sure we pack them. I can’t even remember the last time I went swimming.”
