There are people between us, but he moves as if they’re not there, not stopping once until his hands are on me.
He pulls me into his arms, lifting me off the ground. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my head in the crook of his shoulder.
“Emmett.”
“I’m here,” he whispers, his grip tightening to the point it hurts. Not that I care one bit. He’s here. “You’re here. I thought I’d be too late.”
“What—”
I don’t get to finish because the next thing I know, he’s kissing me. His mouth is pressed against mine, and there is nothing gentle about his touch. It’s hard and bruising, marking me. His hands dig into my hair as he holds me still, his mouth sweeping over mine.
“Kate!” A hand falls on my shoulder, pulling me back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She turns to Emmett, her eyes narrowing even further. “What do you think you’re doing? We’re leaving!”
“No,” Emmett says almost instantly. He pushes Mom’s hand away and pulls me into his side.
“No? Who do you think you are?”
“Kate’s boyfriend, and I’m not going to let you take her.” Emmett’s grip on me tightens.
“Let me? What makes you think you have a say? I’m their mother.”
By now, we’ve moved out of line, but people still stare and grumble in our direction.
“Kate?”
My head snaps up at the sound of Penny’s voice. She’s holding tightly onto Henry’s harness, looking around in complete confusion. Slipping out of Emmett’s embrace, I go straight to her.
“I’m here.”
“What’s going on? I swear I heard Emmett—”
“You heard right, Little Adams,” Emmett says, giving her hand a squeeze. But when he turns his attention back to our mother, the reassuring and loving man is gone. “A mother who doesn’t give two shits about them, yeah, we all got that part.”
Mom flinches back like he slapped her, red coloring her cheeks.
“Listen to me you…”
“What’s the deal with leaving so suddenly anyway?” I ask the question that’s been bugging me since she barged into my room. “Why let us come here in the first place if you planned to drag us back home in a few weeks?”
Something must have happened to make her snap like this. I just don’t see what.
Mom glares at me. “Things have changed. But we’re leaving. I’ll call Mabel and tell her to get the stupid documents for the dog, and then get that imbecile at the counter to find us the first flight out. But we’re leaving this godforsaken town today. Penny, let’s go.” Mom tries to grab for her, but Emmett pushes Penny behind his back.
“I don’t think so.”
“I swear to you, boy, if you don’t get out of my way…”
“Mary!”
I turn around at the sound of Aunt Mabel’s voice. She’s breathing hard, her hair is a complete mess, and her cheeks are red like she ran all the way here. That’s because she probably did.
“Of course, this is your doing!” Mom hisses. “Seriously, Mabel?”
“Let the girls stay,” she pants, pressing her hand against her chest to control her erratic breathing. “They want to be here.”
“They’re my daughters, you have no right…”
“They’re happy here.”
“They were happy at home, too!”
“No, we weren’t.” I look at my mom. Really look at her. Can’t she see what she’s doing? “We weren’t happy there. Penny wasn’t safe there. She needed help, and she got it. Here, she got it here.”
Mom shakes her head, her eyes wandering around the airport. “You can’t stay here.”
“Why not? You let us come. What changed?” I ask softly, hoping my tone helps her relax and maybe see things from our perspective.
“It doesn’t—”
“Tell her, Mary,” Mabel says, moving closer to our group. We probably seem like a bunch of weirdos to people, but nobody’s tried to kick us out. Yet.
Mom glares at her sister. “Don’t tell me what to do, Mabel. And don’t get between my daughters and me.”
“You need to tell her. You should have done it ages ago.”
“Tell who what?”
I look between the two of them, completely confused by this turn of events. I knew there had to be a reason why we never visited, why Mom was so opposed to us coming in the beginning, but what?
Mabel ignores me, her attention completely on Mom. “If you don’t do it, I will.”
“What is going on?” Penny whispers, clinging to Emmett, who looks equally confused.
“You don’t have a right!” Mom points her finger at Mabel. “No right.”
“No, you don’t have the right to keep doing what you did.”
Icy chills run down my spine. “What did you do, Mom?”
“It’s none of your business.”
I turn to Mabel. “What did she do?”
Mabel’s face softens, and I can see her fighting whatever she needs to say.
“Your mom.” Her throat bobs as she swallows. “She lied.”
“Mabel, don’t you dare…”
“Your dad, he lives here.” The words come out in a rush. “In Bluebonnet.”
“W-what?”
I pull back, looking between the two of them, Aunt Mabel’s words echoing in my mind.
This isn’t true. I shake my head, looking between the two of them. It can’t be.
“Dammit, Mabel!” Mom stomps her foot. “You had no right!”
“You should have thought about it before. You can’t just take her from here. From him. Not after all these years. He should damn well sue your ass.”
I can hear them fighting, but all my mind can think about is what Mabel said.
I have a dad.
In Bluebonnet.
He’s been here all this time.
Have I met him?
Who is he?
Does he know?
If he does, why didn’t he say anything?
So many questions and not one answer.
“Kate?” Emmett crouches down in front of me so we’re eye to eye. “Breathe, darlin’. Just breathe.”
He looks worriedly at me. His big hands are placed on my shoulders, steadying me.
I suck in a breath, trying to concentrate on his eyes, the warmth of his touch, letting the familiar feeling of him ground me when it feels like the world is shattering under my feet.
“I’m okay.” I’m not sure who I am trying to reassure, him or myself. “I’m okay.”
Mom and Mabel are still fighting. How can they fight after the bomb they just dropped on me?
“Who is he?” I croak out the question, but neither of them hears me.
Irritated, I get between the two of them and face my mother. “Who is he?” I yell at her, done with the secrets, done with being ignored, just done. I need some answers, and I need them now.
“Kate, I—”
“Who is he?” I repeat for the third time, shaking her. “You owe me that much.”
She must see the determination in my eyes because she finally gives in. “Bradley Jones.”