Amy fighting Lou off surfaced.
With every last ounce of rage, he landed a right hook, hitting
Lou’s jaw and nose. Lou’s head twisted and blood spurted on both of
them. He raised his fist to strike again, but his father grabbed
him and their mother bent down to Lou.
“ Okay. You had your shot. Now let’s
take a walk while your mother cleans up his face.” Dad pushed him
backward as he stared at the devil himself.
“ He admitted to raping her. I want to
kill him.” His whole insides ached for what Amy had endured, how
he’d let her down and even called her a slut. How could he look at
her again after what he’d done?
“ That’s enough. You need to cool down,
Angel is scared enough and Amy is on her way over here. A walk will
do you good.”
He’d go along with his father for now. But
if Lou touched Amy one more time, so help him they’d being burying
a son.
Chapter 14
Before Amy could knock, the door swung open.
She stared into sad blue eyes. Gabe? Could it be him? She’d missed
him so much. He stood in a pair of worn blue jeans and a polo
shirt, clothes he would wear. But something was missing.
Lou? His hair was a mess and his nose was
swollen.
“ Amy, hello.”
Lou! “Where is she?” She shoved passed him,
determined to see her baby.
“ She’s sleeping in the other room. I
need to talk to you.” His voice was low and she almost thought it
sounded broken. Most likely he’d learned a lesson in parenthood and
kept his voice down so not to wake Angel.
“ I need to see her first.” Before Lou
could protest, she stormed to the guestroom. Angel lay breathing
peacefully. Her eyes were red and puffy. Poor thing. Sobs clogged
in her throat. She wanted to wrap her in her arms, but Angel needed
her rest and Amy needed to talk to Lou without little ears around.
She kissed her daughter’s cheek and then returned to the living
room with one thing in mind—to get her baby back.
“ Lou, before you say anything, I’d
like you to hear me out.” She braced herself for a fight and began
to think of all the things she wanted to say to him. They had been
whirling around in her mind for a week. Now was her
chance.
He looked up at her from where he sat on the
couch. “I’m listening.”
Shocked at his compliance, she stammered and
fought to collect her thoughts. “I…um…” She shook her head and
swallowed. Now was not the time to falter. She wouldn’t get a fair
hearing with Judge Mathis. “Lou, there has to be a way we can work
through this…outside of court. Name your price. Anything.” She
moved to the couch and sat down beside him. “I’ll stay away from
Gabe, move to another town, get another job…I’ll even move in with
you or just share your bed… willingly. Whatever it takes, just
please let me have her back.” God help her, she’d do anything to
hold on to her daughter. She sounded so weak and pathetic.
“ Amy…” He reached up and ran a finger
down her cheek.
She stiffened. Was he going to take her
right there on his mother’s sofa? Oh God! Could she allow him to
touch her whenever he wanted too? Her stomach twisted and churned
at the sickening thought.
She waited for him to make a move, but he
pulled his hand away. Relief washed over her. Maybe he wasn’t so
crude as to chance his parents walking in on them.
“ Amy, that’s not what I
want.”
“ Please think about it before you say
no. I—” He placed a finger to her lips.
Hanging his head, he wrung his hands.
“Having Angel this week has taught me so much. She’s a person, Amy.
A living breathing, innocent person.” He looked into her eyes.
Was that a hint of a tear she saw in the
corner?
“ She refuses to call me
Daddy.”
“ I don’t know what to say to that. She
hardly knows you. Give her time.”
“ Oh, she knows me. She hates me. I
can’t get her to do anything for me. And Lord knows, I don’t know
how to be a father.”
A tear fell down her cheek. She wanted Angel
to have a father. Knew
With every last ounce of rage, he landed a right hook, hitting
Lou’s jaw and nose. Lou’s head twisted and blood spurted on both of
them. He raised his fist to strike again, but his father grabbed
him and their mother bent down to Lou.
“ Okay. You had your shot. Now let’s
take a walk while your mother cleans up his face.” Dad pushed him
backward as he stared at the devil himself.
“ He admitted to raping her. I want to
kill him.” His whole insides ached for what Amy had endured, how
he’d let her down and even called her a slut. How could he look at
her again after what he’d done?
“ That’s enough. You need to cool down,
Angel is scared enough and Amy is on her way over here. A walk will
do you good.”
He’d go along with his father for now. But
if Lou touched Amy one more time, so help him they’d being burying
a son.
Chapter 14
Before Amy could knock, the door swung open.
She stared into sad blue eyes. Gabe? Could it be him? She’d missed
him so much. He stood in a pair of worn blue jeans and a polo
shirt, clothes he would wear. But something was missing.
Lou? His hair was a mess and his nose was
swollen.
“ Amy, hello.”
Lou! “Where is she?” She shoved passed him,
determined to see her baby.
“ She’s sleeping in the other room. I
need to talk to you.” His voice was low and she almost thought it
sounded broken. Most likely he’d learned a lesson in parenthood and
kept his voice down so not to wake Angel.
“ I need to see her first.” Before Lou
could protest, she stormed to the guestroom. Angel lay breathing
peacefully. Her eyes were red and puffy. Poor thing. Sobs clogged
in her throat. She wanted to wrap her in her arms, but Angel needed
her rest and Amy needed to talk to Lou without little ears around.
She kissed her daughter’s cheek and then returned to the living
room with one thing in mind—to get her baby back.
“ Lou, before you say anything, I’d
like you to hear me out.” She braced herself for a fight and began
to think of all the things she wanted to say to him. They had been
whirling around in her mind for a week. Now was her
chance.
He looked up at her from where he sat on the
couch. “I’m listening.”
Shocked at his compliance, she stammered and
fought to collect her thoughts. “I…um…” She shook her head and
swallowed. Now was not the time to falter. She wouldn’t get a fair
hearing with Judge Mathis. “Lou, there has to be a way we can work
through this…outside of court. Name your price. Anything.” She
moved to the couch and sat down beside him. “I’ll stay away from
Gabe, move to another town, get another job…I’ll even move in with
you or just share your bed… willingly. Whatever it takes, just
please let me have her back.” God help her, she’d do anything to
hold on to her daughter. She sounded so weak and pathetic.
“ Amy…” He reached up and ran a finger
down her cheek.
She stiffened. Was he going to take her
right there on his mother’s sofa? Oh God! Could she allow him to
touch her whenever he wanted too? Her stomach twisted and churned
at the sickening thought.
She waited for him to make a move, but he
pulled his hand away. Relief washed over her. Maybe he wasn’t so
crude as to chance his parents walking in on them.
“ Amy, that’s not what I
want.”
“ Please think about it before you say
no. I—” He placed a finger to her lips.
Hanging his head, he wrung his hands.
“Having Angel this week has taught me so much. She’s a person, Amy.
A living breathing, innocent person.” He looked into her eyes.
Was that a hint of a tear she saw in the
corner?
“ She refuses to call me
Daddy.”
“ I don’t know what to say to that. She
hardly knows you. Give her time.”
“ Oh, she knows me. She hates me. I
can’t get her to do anything for me. And Lord knows, I don’t know
how to be a father.”
A tear fell down her cheek. She wanted Angel
to have a father. Knew
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