He could almost imagine Papa pacing. He said nothing.
“Greer. You can’t go falling in love with Emery Reeder. I should’ve pulled her out of your house from day one. This is on me. You haven’t really dated since Belinda. I wrongly assumed you were still waiting for her.”
Greer grimaced. He hadn’t told Papa how roughly Belinda had dumped him. He definitely wasn’t waiting for her.
“The problem is you’re too innocent, good, handsome, intriguing, and I’m sure irresistibly appealing to women. Of course she would be interested in you, or maybe she’s preying on you. Ah, I blame myself.”
“Stop,” Greer said. He forced the next sentences out of his mouth as quick as he could, “She’s innocent and good. I don’t know why she’s here. But I know she would never hurt me or anyone else. No one is taking her from my house. Only she can choose to leave me.”
He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. Emery had pried more words than that out of him the past week, but it was a very long paragraph for him to say to anyone else.
“Wow.” Papa whistled. “Greer. You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
Greer couldn’t admit that, even to himself.
“You don’t have to say it. My boy. I wanted to know why she was here and what it meant for the secret, but I never meant to put you in danger like this. Greer, you’ve got to be smart and careful. You know she’s lying to you and hiding a lot from you. She might seem innocent and beautiful, but—”
“Don’t,” Greer warned. “She is perfect. Don’t doubt her.” He took a breath, then added, “Or you doubt me.”
Silence fell between them. Greer gripped the phone.
Finally Papa said, “Okay. I trusted Colt when he said Bailey wouldn’t hurt the family. It didn’t play out the way any of us expected, but it did work out. We all know now Bailey was an innocent angel and the perfect one for Colt. I’ll trust you too.”
“Thank you, Papa,” Greer managed. Relief washed over him. Papa would trust him. Of course he would. Now Greer would continue to spend every waking minute with Emery and someday soon they’d share all their secrets. He did love her, but he couldn’t say it yet.
“Love you, Greer. I’ll be praying for you. I’ll be praying for Emery.”
“Thanks. Love you.”
Greer hung up before Papa got more emotional on him. He loved his Papa, but he didn’t need emotion. Unless it was from Emery.
He let himself out of the bathroom and paced his bedroom. His door was open. Emery’s door was open. It was almost eleven-thirty. When she had the recurring nightmare, he’d hold her close and kiss her. If she let him, he might hold her close the entire night through.
He prayed as he paced. The good Lord would help him and it would all work out. It had to. He didn’t know how he’d go back to his silent, boring existence without Emery.
Somehow, in eight days, she’d become his entire world.