“I have had enough of your insinuations, Sam Jennings,” she warned him, her voice shaking with rage. “If I hear one more accusation from you, I’ll slap you with a lawsuit so fast your head will spin. And never mention my brother in my presence again, is that clear? You aren’t good enough to speak Lucas’s name.”
She stepped backward, as far away from him as possible. And then she turned without another word and stalked away.
One day, she thought furiously, Sam Jennings would get what he deserved. She only wished she would be around to see it, but most likely she would be gone by then.
In a couple of months, she promised herself, she would never have to see Sam Jennings again—or anyone else who disliked her family.
Maybe she’d been wavering lately, wondering if she was really doing the right thing...and maybe Wade Davenport played a part in her indecision. But this incident with Jennings reinforced her belief that getting out of Honoria was the only way she was ever going to find the happiness that had eluded her during the past fifteen years.
EMILY HAD HARDLY arrived home on Friday evening when the telephone began to ring. Somehow knowing it would be someone wanting a favor, she sighed heavily before picking it up. She’d been so glad to see the weekend begin, thinking she had two whole days all to herself. “Hello?”
“Emily, it’s Wade. I need a favor.”
She’d been prepared for the reason behind the call, but not for the identity of the caller.
“Wade. What can I do for you?” she asked, assuming his call was about the sale of the house.
“I really hate to ask this. If I had any other choice...”
“Wade, please. Just ask.”
He sighed through the phone lines. “Would it be possible for Clay to spend the night with you tonight? I wouldn’t ask, of course, but Cecilia left this morning for a weekend with her family, and I’ve been called to Atlanta on an emergency. I have to leave as soon as I can make arrangements for Clay.”
“Of course he can stay with me. I hope the emergency isn’t anyone in your family?”
“No, it’s a case I worked on with Atlanta CID. Everything’s unraveling on it, and I’ve been called on for assistance. It’s critical that I get there as soon as I can, or I would have waited until tomorrow.”
“Of course. Bring him on over. We’ll have a great time together. And don’t bother to feed him. I’ll make dinner.”
“I don’t know how to tell you how much I appreciate this. I feel really rotten for dumping this on you, but you were the only one I knew Clay would feel comfortable staying with overnight...at least until we get to know everyone around here a little better. He has a couple of friends from school, but I didn’t feel that I knew their parents well enough yet to ask them.”
Emily thought it a bit unnerving that he’d felt he knew her well enough to entrust her with the care of his son. Every time she tried to convince herself that there was no special connection between her and Wade, he did something that suggested otherwise.
“Bring him over, Wade,” she repeated, not knowing what else to say. “You still have a long drive ahead of you.”
WADE PULLED into her driveway less than half an hour later. Emily had the door open before he could ring the bell. She noted that Wade was holding a child’s suitcase in one hand and Clay’s hand in his other.
Clay looked rather uncertain. Emily could certainly understand that; the child hardly knew her. And now his father was dropping him off to spend the entire night with her.
She immediately smiled to put him at ease. “Hi, Clay. I understand you and I are going to have a slumber party this evening.”
Holding a rather ragged stuffed tiger in the crook of his right arm, Clay nodded. “Daddy has to go to Atlanta for a meeting.”
“Yes, he told me. I hope you don’t mind staying with me. I’m certainly looking forward to having you as my guest.”
“It’s just for tonight,” he reminded her. “Daddy’s coming back tomorrow.”
“Then we’ll make the most of it, okay? I have some videos and some games, and I thought I’d make homemade pizza for dinner. Do you like pizza?”
“With pepperoni?” Clay asked hopefully, taking a small step toward her.
“Definitely with pepperoni. And did I mention that I own all three Star Wars films on video?”
“Okay, Daddy, you can go now,” Clay announced, releasing his father’s hand to reach for Emily’s. “We’ll be fine.”
Wade chuckled and looked ironically at Emily. “Looks like you’ve cast your spell on yet another Davenport male,” he murmured. “Just how do you do that?”
She gave him a quelling look. “Shouldn’t you be on your way, Wade? You said they’re waiting for you in Atlanta?”