Page 45 of Taming His Honeydoll
“First of all, Henry is gay,” she blurted out.
They all stared at her in stunned silence. She hurried on. “Ours was a marriage of mutual convenience. I needed a father for Levi, and Henry needed someone to get Marlene off his back. Marlene expected Henry to marry and have children because he is their only child. Henry thinks she was also suspicious about him having a possible male friend. She refused to even acknowledge it of course, but she finally came up with a woman that she insisted was a match for Henry in class and social standing. Both his parents insisted he marry her or they would disown him. At the time, it seemed like a reasonable solution for both of us—at least temporarily. Levi would have a father, and Henry would be able to continue his relationship with his friend Everett while giving his controlling mother the grandchild she wanted.”
“So, you married him?” Sawyer’s voice almost squeaked in outraged disbelief.
She lifted her chin defiantly but the hurt in her eyes was clearly visible. “The situation being what it was, I married him,” she stated baldly. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“You could have come to me for help,” Sawyer growled, clearly upset. “Or gone to your brother. You didn’t have to marry someone you weren’t in love with for Pete’s sake!”
Nat cleared his throat and his buddies kept their eyes somewhere over Sawyer’s head as Sawyer glared at Emma. “I can’t believe you would do that instead of asking for help.”
Emma glared right back. “You weren’t even in the country! It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a solution to both our problems at the time, and I grabbed it with both hands,” she retorted defensively. “Anyway, last spring when Henry’s partner Everett moved to London for two years, Henry wanted to go with him. That’s when we decided it was time to get divorced—before Levi got much older. It would just get harder to part from Levi the longer we waited. It was still hard because Levi loves Henry and the feeling is mutual.
After we divorced, Henry and Marlene decided to move back to England with Henry’s business ventures, but I suspect it was really to keep an eye on her son. He was always her first priority and she was determined he wasn’t going to embarrass the family with his predilection, as Henry said she called it.
It came to a head last week when Marlene happened to catch Henry and Everett out to lunch together in a local pub. She was beyond furious. They had a knock down drag-out family feud and during the heat of battle, Henry let it slip that Levi wasn’t his because he wanted to hurt his mother. He instantly regretted it of course, but they threw him out of the house.
That was when he called me to let me know that I wouldn’t be getting any more child support and that he had let the cat out of the bag. He hinted I should sell the house and move to something smaller that I could afford and send him his share so he could do the same. Then he’d get a job and try to send money again when he was set up. When I tried to call him Friday morning, Marlene had his cell phone. I haven’t heard from him since until today,” she finished.
“Nice guy,” Sawyer snarked.
Emma’s eyes flashed. “Maybe he’s not your traditional male role model, but hewasgood to us,” she added, shooting him a fierce glare.
When his eyebrows shot up and he folded his arms with a steely glare, she went on. “What he’s doing in Bevier, I don’t know, but he was shocked when he went to the house and it was burnt down. So, he went to Wal-Mart to get a burner and called me. He’s going to explain the rest when he gets here. Right, Sawyer?”
“Yeah,” Sawyer replied reluctantly, “we told him to wait at Wal-Mart and Oliver would pick him up, then all this happened. Now we’re waiting for Oliver to get him here so we can find out why he’s back.”
“I think Oliver is coming now,” Denver said, pointing to a plume of dust billowing out from behind a black Escalade.
Emma flew to meet Oliver’s car and allowed Henry to hug her when he jumped down and grabbed her up in his arms.
“Emma,” he cried, in delight. “I’m so glad to see you safe and sound. What a bloody relief after the scare I had earlier.” He looked around as five large men suddenly crowded around him, and then Oliver made six when he moved into the circle. He gulped. “I say, what’s up, chaps? Is something amiss?” He raised his eyebrows at Emma in query. Henry wasn’t a big man, not by their standards anyway, but he bravely faced them.
“Someone just tried to take Levi,” Emma replied, her voice quivering. “This is the second time, Henry.”
Henry’s shocked expression convinced Nat immediately that he knew nothing about it.
“What? The devil you say! Why would anyone want to nab Levi?”
Nat took over. “Denver, why don’t you, Charlie and Bud get this security system fixed while we talk with Henry. I’ll fill you guys in on the details later.”
“Where’s April?” Emma asked, looking around for the attractive detective as the men nodded and moved off. “And Marsha?” She looked at Oliver.
“April had a meeting with a friend and I haven’t even told her what happened yet,” Nat replied dryly. “Luckily the guys just happened to be with me when Sawyer called. We came right over.”
“And Marsha has been having some Braxton Hicks contractions so I left her resting. I’ve already told her everyone is safe and will keep her updated,” Oliver added. “Chessy is visiting with her right now while Ty has the children. He wants updates as soon as possible as well.”
Nat turned back to Henry, his sharp gaze penetrating. “So, if you’re not in cahoots with your mother to burn down the house and kidnap Levi, what are you doing here?” He purposely wanted to shock him into revealing himself if he was guilty.
Henry’s jaw dropped. His expression was either the best acting job Nat had ever seen or he didn’t have a clue. “M-My mother burned the house down? What on earth for? I know she’s a spiteful old bat but I wouldn’t have thought she’d hurt Emma and Levi just to get back at me for being with Everett.” His expression went fierce. “This makes me even more glad I told her where she could bloody well stuff her money and that I was the one done with her.”
“Well, she wants me and Levi to move over there and me to marry you again,” Emma blurted out. “I think she burned the house down on purpose to make me dependent on her.”
Henry stared. Then he raked his hand through his golden curls that resembled Levi’s and drew himself up. “I had no idea, but don’t you worry, Emma. I’ll find a job and Everett and I will support you and Levi; you can jolly well count on us.
Everett and I discussed it after Mother kicked me out of the house and threatened to disown me if I didn’t shape up. We made plans for me to come here. That was just before he left on his business trip. I was to come ahead and he would follow me after his business trip was over and we’d set up in an apartment together. And then we’d make sure you and Levi were taken care of. I was to wait with you at the house until he got here, but when I got to the house, it was a burned-out shell. I was bloody well gob smacked and petrified for you and Levi.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Sawyer growled, taking Emma’s hand and pulling her away from Henry’s side. “I’m Levi’s father and I’ll be taking care of them both.”
