The Forgotten Child

Chapter 43, The Forgotten Child

Chapter Forty-Three

Emily froze, just looking at the sadness that appeared to weigh on him when he leaned against the truck made her go to him. She took his hand. She led him to the house. "Katy, time to come in the house."

She let go of Brad's hand and watched as he walked, like a man who'd lost everything, into the kitchen and stood before the sink, staring out her small, square window.

Emily popped in a movie for Katy, tucking her blanket around her on the sofa. She grabbed the phone. Gina answered on the first ring.

"Hey, sugar, what's cooking?."

"Gina, something's happened. I need a big favor. Can you come and get Katy?"

"Can you talk about it?"

"Not now, Gina. I realize this is short notice... and I promise, I'll tell you later."

"I'll be right there, Em."

Emily hung up the telephone. She came up behind Brad and slipped her arm around his waist. "Gina's coming to get Katy. Brad, you're scaring me. What's happened?"

He turned around and stared down at her with a face like granite. He didn't touch her. His arms hung at his side, as he gazed down, his eyes glistened with tears. He touched her face, right before his jaw trembled.

She wiped away the tear that fell just as a car pulled up. "Gina's here. I'm going to throw some stuff in a bag for Katy so she can spend the night. I'll be right back."

Emily had a quick chat with Gina, packed Katy's bag and had her out the door in less than five minutes. When she walked back into the kitchen, Brad had put on a pot of coffee. His jacket was tossed over the back of her cheap wooden chair. He'd regained his dignity.

She took his hand and pulled him into the living room, sitting beside him on the sofa. "What's happened?"

He looked away for just a moment. "Crystal said Trevor's not my kid."

Emily felt the fire burn inside, and for the first time ever, she considered and understood how one spouse could kill another.

"Emily, I haven't told Keith this, but Crystal went away several times that year, before she knew she was pregnant. Shopping trips she called them."

Emily was furious and couldn't contain the words that spewed forth, "Oh, that bitch. Oh, Brad, how could she do that to you and that precious little boy?"

Brad pulled her against him. Wrapped his arms around her and comforted her. "Do you know how beautiful you are to me, especially when you're angry?"

He kissed the top of her head, as she rested her cheek against his dark blue shirt. "What are we going to do, Brad?"

Just the fact that she automatically assumed it was the two of them in this made the pain lessen a little.

They talked for hours, trying to come up with a viable plan of attack. It was after nine o'clock and neither had eaten. He pulled away from her and stood up. "I have to go, Em."

"Brad, please stay."

"I can't; not tonight. I have to get my head together and I can't do it here."

Her face must have betrayed her hurt.

"Em, don't look like that. You're my rock and I feel things for you I've never felt for any woman, not this deep. But I have to take care of something."

She was reluctant to let him leave, but he was firm. "Em, I promise I'll come back tomorrow morning." He touched her cheek and she leaned into his hand. Then he left, before she managed to talk him into staying. From his darkened truck he watched her. She pressed her hand to the window as he pulled away.

      You can buy THE FORGOTTEN CHILD and the rest of the THE OUTSIDER series at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks, Google, Gardners, All Romance and Smashwords. You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page. See http://www.lorhainneeckhart.com/series/the-outsider-series/ for all links. Thank you for reading! THE FORGOTTEN CHILD has now been translated in TWO languages, GERMAN & FRENCH!