Rowdy(93)

“Poppy, it’s fine. I just wanted to know. I want to keep you safe.”

“I called Mom to let her know I was okay. It was one thing for Dad to justify Oliver hurting me, but I figured there was no way a mother could condone that happening to her child. I told her I was staying with you and that I would be back soon to get the rest of my stuff and that I was going to file for divorce.” She gulped and pulled away from me so that she could shove her hands through her hair. “Mom told me to come home. She said everything can be worked out if I have enough faith and that I should trust God and look into counseling.. She told me she was disappointed in me and that Dad was devastated by my betrayal.” She laughed so sharply I was surprised it didn’t draw blood when she spit it out. “My betrayal. Can you believe that?” Well, of course I could. That was why I had left, but she kept talking, so I didn’t get the opportunity to tell her that. “I didn’t tell her where you apartment was, though. I would never do that to you. I know if you wanted them to know where you lived, you would’ve have told them yourself.”

“Oh, Poppy.”

“I know. I feel like I should have known better. The idea that Oliver might have been watching you, could have followed you home from work or something, makes my skin hurt. I know he’s dangerous and I can’t believe I would so recklessly put you in harm’s way after you took me in without question.”

The idea that her husband might have followed me to find out where I lived had never occurred to me but it made my skin crawl. That was definitely unnerving.

“It’s hard when you realize the people that love you the most actually care about you the least. Dad has always been way more focused on the church and his image than he was on what was happening under his own roof. He thought control and dominance was a substitute for love and understanding.” I rolled my eyes at her. “And Mom just follows his lead. There was never room in that house for us to be anything but their little, perfect dolls. We weren’t supposed to individuate, and when we did”—I shrugged—“they just couldn’t handle it. You need to tell yourself over and over again that none of this is your fault.”

“I feel like it all is, though.”

I hugged her again, realizing my sister was going to eventually need some professional help when all of this died down. She had been in the mix of my dad’s machinations and in an abusive relationship far too long for my love and support to be enough to get her head around everything.

“Rowdy wants us to come stay at his place until we know for sure Oliver has been served with the protection order. Royal said when they find him the police will try and convince him the best course of action is to just head back to Texas, but until that happens we’ll camp out at the bachelor pad.”

She grumbled something under her breath and got to her feet in front of me so that she could pace back and forth in front of me in an agitated matter.

“You and Rowdy should be hanging out and enjoying spending time together. It took you a lifetime to finally get together and here I am right in the middle of it once again.”

Not too long ago the idea of her being between him and me would have had me freezing Rowdy out and pushing him away again. The fear that what he used to feel for her would somehow overwhelm what he now felt for me was gone. I could see it when he looked at me now. I felt it in every touch and saw it in every rakish smile he threw my way. When he loved, he loved wholly, completely, and forever. I knew it deep down in my bones, just like Cora had said. What was between us was just right, it had always been. We both needed time to grow up and let it find its way to a solid and healthy place so we could both enjoy it.

“You aren’t in the middle of us, you are surrounded by us because we both care a lot about you and don’t want you to be hurt anymore. We’ve both been protecting you from afar for years. Now we are a united front and God help anyone that tries to get through us.” I lifted up my eyebrows and gave her a hard look. “Mom and Dad included.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed the heel of her hands into them. “I’m just so tired of it all, Salem.”

Who could blame her? I looked up as Cora came out of the office. She had a permanent smile on her face and really, with that pretty ring and the even prettier man that had given it to her, she had every reason to be lit up from the inside out with joy.

“I don’t mean to pry.” Of course she did. It was Cora’s lot in life to be smack-dab in the middle of whatever drama was going on in the Marked world, so I just rolled my eyes at her and got to my feet. “But you both look exhausted and my dad still has my kid, so I don’t need to be home until later. Why don’t you go on and head over to Rowdy’s so you can rest for the remainder of the day?” Her pierced eyebrow danced upward, making her look like a mischievous fairy. “I’ll watch the front and shut down the shop when the last client leaves.”