Return to Silver Creek

JESSE

“I’m going to go to the bathroom before I head to the kitchen,” Jesse told his brothers as they entered the house.

When they turned right toward the kitchen, he took the hallway at the back left of the mudroom. He needed more time to process what he’d learned before he saw Emily again.

Now that he thought about it, he had heard she had a couple kids—three if he remembered right—and he’d wondered why she hadn’t married the guy. Of all the reasons he’d considered, abuse and wanting an easy out never crossed his mind.

How had that worked, anyway? Normally an abuser insisted on marriage, doing anything they could to lay claim to their property, doing whatever it took to never let their victims go free.

He realized his hands had balled into fists and his jaw was clenched so tight it was starting to ache. He hadn’t felt this furious since he’d thrown Devon Decker off that girl in high school.

He leaned on the bathroom sink and forced himself to take deep breaths, reminding himself that none of this was his responsibility. Then he turned to leave.

As he rounded the corner, something small and light ran into him. He looked down and saw a little girl with long, curly light-brown hair stumble backward.

Instinctively, he reached out to steady her. “Are you okay?”

Her petrified dark blue eyes met his, and with that one glance she managed to rip his heart out of his chest. Though the coloring was off, she looked so much like Emily it stung.

The girl couldn’t have been more than four years old, but she looked so scared he was concerned she would faint.

“Hey!” an angry voice shouted, startling him from his reverie.

He looked past the girl to see an older boy with white-blond hair and pale-blue eyes that burned with a protective rage.

Based on his wiry build, the boy was probably eight, maybe nine—despite the very adult instincts he demonstrated when he ran over and shoved Jesse’s chest with his left hand.

Up close there was something familiar about the boy, but it was probably just that he looked like a male version of his mother.

It was then Jesse noticed the thick arm cast and black sling that held the child’s right arm in place.

The little girl pulled away and darted behind the boy—who was obviously her older brother—and cowered there, gripping the back of his shirt. Jesse took a step back and held his hands up.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” he said as calmly as he could. “I was only trying to make sure you didn’t fall.”

“She doesn’t need your help,” the boy snapped, anger barely masking his fear. “Don’t touch my sister.”

Footsteps behind Jesse caught his attention, and he turned to see a woman freeze only a few feet away from him.

Emily.

Jesse stared, drinking in all the changes in her appearance. Her wavy pale-blonde hair fell to her lower back instead of her shoulders now, and her easy smile had become forced and stiff, her eyes guarded.

She was wearing a pair of black bootcut jeans with rips on the knees and a gray long-sleeved shirt with black sleeves. The shirt was baggy, but her tight jeans hinted at a drool-worthy body under the fabric.

She looked past him and sighed, then adopted a cheerful tone. “Hey, guys! I see you met my friend Jesse.”

Her voice had an edge she couldn’t hide, but despite that, it was just as musical as he remembered. And it nearly took his breath away.

Once, a long time ago, he’d been in love with this woman. And in the last ten years he hadn’t found anyone who could take his breath away without trying like Emily Decker.

“Hey, Jess,” she said, her smile becoming more genuine as she walked around him to go to her kids.

His face heated up when he realized he was still staring. But he just couldn’t believe it was really her.

As soon as Emily stood between the kids and himself, the boy visibly relaxed and backed up a little, his good arm wrapped around his shaking sister.

Jesse felt a flash of rage and decided right then, whether it was his responsibility or not, that if these kids’ father ever dared show his face here, he would kill the bastard.

He looked back at Emily. She hadn’t grown much taller, and with the height he’d gained, she barely came up to his shoulder now. “Hey, Em. You look amazing,” he managed to say.

Her cheeks turned red, and she looked at the floor as she ran a hand through her long hair.

He wanted so badly to run his own fingers through that hair, he could almost feel the silky texture on his fingers.

He waited for one of those sarcastic comments she used to fire off with a beautiful, crooked grin. They’d annoyed him to no end some days, but now he craved to hear one. He never could have guessed how much he’d miss her sass.

For a second, he thought he’d get his wish, but when she looked up, her eyes were guarded again, and the skin between her eyebrows was scrunched into a worried V.

“Thank you. You look good too,” she said politely.

“Ucker!” a shrill voice screeched behind him.

Emily bit her lip and sent him an apologetic look, and he turned just in time to see a toddler run into his leg and hug him.

“Ucker, up!” the tiny girl exclaimed, raising her arms.

He chuckled and sent a questioning glance at Emily, who nodded reluctantly.

He reached down and scooped the toddler up. Her hair was the same blonde as her mother’s and pulled back in tiny pigtails. Her eyes were the same dark blue as her older sister’s.

“Ucker?” She poked his face, looking puzzled.

“Chloe, that’s not Tucker. This is Jesse,” Emily corrected softly.

“Essy?” Chloe glanced at her mom before shooting a dimpled smile back at him. “Essy!”

“I’m sorry. She’s learning.” Emily shifted nervously, then reached for the child.

“She’ll be an amazing talker in no time. What is she, maybe two years old?” he guessed, handing Chloe to her mother.

“Fifteen months,” Emily replied sheepishly.

“Then you are ahead of the class, little miss.” He reached out to tickle the child and her shrill giggle made him smile.

Unlike her siblings, she didn’t seem the slightest bit afraid of him. Maybe her young age had saved her from the treatment the older children had been subjected to?

He glanced down at the other two, and pain and anger coursed through his veins. The girl still hid behind her brother, staring out at him. The boy looked wary and defensive, but also tired.

He shook it off and turned back to Emily. “So should I watch out for any more kids to attack me from behind?”

She started to smile but bit her lip and looked down instead. “No. I’m sorry.”

“Why? They’re beautiful.” And before he could stop himself, he added, “Just like their mother.”

EMILY

Emily felt her expression stiffen. Years ago, she’d wanted nothing more than to hear Jesse compliment her. She’d wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man and be a part of his huge, loving family.

But the fear radiating off her children reminded her once again that she was no longer worthy of Jesse Davis, or his family. And if she wanted to keep her own broken little family together, she had best remember this.

“It’s good to see you again, Jesse,” she said politely, before ushering her kids past him.

JESSE

As Jesse watched the older girl press herself against the wall to remain out of his reach and the boy tense up as they passed, he felt as though he’d been kicked in the solar plexus.

How could a man instill so much fear in the hearts of children?

With a sigh Jesse turned to follow them, wishing he had bit his tongue off rather than raising Emily’s guard. He had to remember she wasn’t the same girl he had known. The kind of trauma she’d gone through changed people.

Good one, Jess, he thought sarcastically.