Page 18 of Taming His Honeydoll
“Oh, and one more thing. I do love Emma, I always have—it’s she who doesn’t love me. But I will keep coming until she talks with me, so you can tell the hot-headed little brat to expect to see me again.”
With that he hit the button and the window slid up. He put the truck in gear, turned it out, and then squealed his tires as he left the parking area. It made him feel a little better when both his would-be intimidators jumped backward a bit.
Ty stepped up beside Oliver. “I think I like that kid.”
“Yeah, Oliver replied with a chuckle. “I get the distinct impression he’s one of us even though we have a few years on him. If Emma is leading him on a merry chase, she may be in for a few surprises.”
“Could be,” Ty agreed.
Oliver scratched his head and studied Ty. “You do realize you have this whole bad guy image going on with that double-breasted jacket and the sunglasses, right? I noticed he kept looking at you funny.”
Ty took off his glasses and chuckled. “Or maybe it was the threat about the badass detective duo that had him going? Is Nat and April aware that you are using them for enforcement purposes?”
Oliver shrugged with good humor. “Whatever works.” Then he looked puzzled. “What were you and Chessy doing here anyway? Were you meeting with Emma or something?”
Ty shrugged. “We just ran into her by accident, but we did get to talking. I told Chessy to text me when they had Levi and were on the way to Revere. We can all talk when I run down to your place to pick up my wife.”
“Agreed,” Oliver replied.
***
“CHESSY, DID TY TELLyou about his talk with a lawyer?” Emma asked. They were on their way to Delilah’s to get Levi. “With everything that has happened, I didn’t get a chance to find out. Did he say anything in the waiting room?”
Chessy shook her bright head. “He just said we’d talk later, but it’s pretty much a moot point now, isn’t it? The house can’t be sold like it is. Repairs will need to be made with the insurance money before anyone can sell it.”
“Insurance?” Emma echoed. “Bones and balls! Marlene owns the insurance policy! I asked Henry about that when we first received the deed for the house, but he said his mother was keeping it in her name so that if we needed repairs, we wouldn’t have to pay for them ourselves.”
She turned to face Chessy. “If she won’t repair the house, then I’ll never be able to live in it again.” Tears filled her eyes. “Even if a lawyer can stop her from taking the house, I can’t live in it anyway.”
“Emma, you have to stop worrying so much,” Chessy urged. “You’ve been hurt and you need to recover and rest. Let the men figure it out, that’s what they are good at.”
“Speaking of men just brings up another worry. I don’t know how Sawyer found out about Levi, but what if he tries to take him away from me?”
“Is Sawyer that big hunk that kissed you like crazy?” Chessy asked curiously. “He’s seriously droolworthy but what’s he got to do with Levi?” Then understanding dawned. “Ohhhh...”
Emma nodded miserably. “Yeah...oh. He’s Levi’s father. I never told anyone until now, but I suppose it will have to come out now that he knows.”
Chessy pulled into the driveway of the address Emma had given her. “Go get Levi and then you can tell me all about it. I’m a good listener, I promise.”
Once Levi was buckled in, Chessy sent Ty a text that they were on their way to Revere. As they pulled into the entrance ramp of the freeway, they never noticed the tail they had picked up at the babysitter. A black SUV was discreetly following them.
It had taken about ten miles down the freeway for Emma to explain about Sawyer leaving for the military and her subsequent hurried marriage to Henry. And that was where she ended it.
“And you never told Oliver or Marsha a word about Sawyer being the father,” Chessy marveled. “Boy, you are good at keeping secrets. I could never keep anything from Ty.”
Emma snorted. “Oliver is busy with his life and his new wife, and now a baby on the way. All of which I’m glad about, don’t get me wrong,” she hastened to assure Chessy since she and Marsha were best friends. “But that, and staying away from them as much as possible, did help.”
“True, we never saw much of you and especially Henry.”
“I preferred it that way, it was just easier than arousing suspicions about our marriage.”
“I take it you weren’t in love with Henry?”
“Yeah—that’s why it was easier to stay away than answer questions.”
“I can understand that.”
Emma’s phone rang and she picked it up. “Hello?”
