Read Online Emma's Secret: A Novel by Steena Holmes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Steena Holmes
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times too.” Her brow furrowed. “But Papa always told me my eyes were playing tricks. I would wave at her from Papa’s truck window, but she would only shake her head. It made me sad.” Emma’s lips formed into a pout before she turned her head and stared out the side window.
Peter’s body stilled. His whole world stopped for a brief second, but it felt like it was forever. “What do you mean, princess? When did you see Mommy?” It wasn’t possible. After all the false sightings when Megan thought she’d seen Emma, it couldn’t be true that one of those times was real. She’d been right, and he never believed her. What if he had? What if, just one time when she thought she’d seen their daughter, he’d believed her? Would they have found her sooner?
Was it all his fault?
The tiny pressure of Emma’s hand on his shoulder jolted him from his realization. “I wasn’t allowed to come a lot. Grandma didn’t like to leave the house very much, and she needed me to be her helper. But Papa would bring me with him when Grandma was sleeping.” Emma bit her lip. “Papa would always get in trouble when Grandma woke up. She didn’t like me going places without her. She said that all it would take was Papa seeing a new toy he’d want to buy, and the moment he let go of my hand, someone would take me.”
Peter blinked a few times, attempting to wrap his mind around what he’d heard. “Who would take you?”
Emma was concentrating on releasing the buckle from her car seat, so she didn’t look up. “Anyone. It would be easy. Grandma told Papa it would be too hard for people to resist such a sweet little girl. Papa told her she worried too much, but Grandma always said”—Emma’s face grew grave—“you can never trust strangers.”
A load of bricks landed on Peter’s shoulders. In all the counseling sessions, Emma had never talked about what happened after she’d been taken. She’d withdraw into herself and color instead of talking about the past. Megan didn’t think anything of it; she’d tell him it was normal, that she would have been too young toremember. Even Kathy Graham, their counselor agreed. But they’d been wrong. All of them.
Ignoring the cramp in his side from being twisted in his seat, Peter reached his hand out and laid it on Emma’s knee. “Honey, why haven’t you ever told me or Mommy this? Why didn’t you tell us that you saw Mommy before?”
Emma shrugged. “I didn’t want to make her sad.”
“How would you make her sad?” That didn’t make sense.
“Grandma said Mommy was too sick to take care of me; that’s why I came to stay with her. She’d be sad if I told her the truth, and then she’d die. That’s why Grandma died, Papa said, ’cause she was so sad.” Tears welled up in Emma’s eyes. “I don’t want Mommy to die.”
Peter was confused. None of this made sense to him. “When did Papa tell you that…his wife died?” He clearly remembered the day when Detective Riley stopped by the house to let them know about Dorothy. He would never forget the look on Emma’s face when Megan said, “Thank God,” to the news. How would she have heard it from Jack?
“At the hospital, don’t you remember?”
Emma was looking at him now in confusion. He didn’t remember this, though. When at the hospital? The only time she’d been there was at the beginning, when she was getting checked out. Shortly after…actually, it was right after Detective Riley’s visit. Those first few weeks were a blurry memory, so many appointments and meetings and interviews because of the kidnapping. He’d hated every one of them, too, and what everyone insinuated, that their daughter might have been abused. Thank God, Emma had been okay, treated like a granddaughter instead of…Peter clenched his fist at how his daughter could have been treated.
Surely, he would remember seeing Jack. He’d remember if his daughter saw the man who took her from him. He knew he would.
Peter shook
Peter’s body stilled. His whole world stopped for a brief second, but it felt like it was forever. “What do you mean, princess? When did you see Mommy?” It wasn’t possible. After all the false sightings when Megan thought she’d seen Emma, it couldn’t be true that one of those times was real. She’d been right, and he never believed her. What if he had? What if, just one time when she thought she’d seen their daughter, he’d believed her? Would they have found her sooner?
Was it all his fault?
The tiny pressure of Emma’s hand on his shoulder jolted him from his realization. “I wasn’t allowed to come a lot. Grandma didn’t like to leave the house very much, and she needed me to be her helper. But Papa would bring me with him when Grandma was sleeping.” Emma bit her lip. “Papa would always get in trouble when Grandma woke up. She didn’t like me going places without her. She said that all it would take was Papa seeing a new toy he’d want to buy, and the moment he let go of my hand, someone would take me.”
Peter blinked a few times, attempting to wrap his mind around what he’d heard. “Who would take you?”
Emma was concentrating on releasing the buckle from her car seat, so she didn’t look up. “Anyone. It would be easy. Grandma told Papa it would be too hard for people to resist such a sweet little girl. Papa told her she worried too much, but Grandma always said”—Emma’s face grew grave—“you can never trust strangers.”
A load of bricks landed on Peter’s shoulders. In all the counseling sessions, Emma had never talked about what happened after she’d been taken. She’d withdraw into herself and color instead of talking about the past. Megan didn’t think anything of it; she’d tell him it was normal, that she would have been too young toremember. Even Kathy Graham, their counselor agreed. But they’d been wrong. All of them.
Ignoring the cramp in his side from being twisted in his seat, Peter reached his hand out and laid it on Emma’s knee. “Honey, why haven’t you ever told me or Mommy this? Why didn’t you tell us that you saw Mommy before?”
Emma shrugged. “I didn’t want to make her sad.”
“How would you make her sad?” That didn’t make sense.
“Grandma said Mommy was too sick to take care of me; that’s why I came to stay with her. She’d be sad if I told her the truth, and then she’d die. That’s why Grandma died, Papa said, ’cause she was so sad.” Tears welled up in Emma’s eyes. “I don’t want Mommy to die.”
Peter was confused. None of this made sense to him. “When did Papa tell you that…his wife died?” He clearly remembered the day when Detective Riley stopped by the house to let them know about Dorothy. He would never forget the look on Emma’s face when Megan said, “Thank God,” to the news. How would she have heard it from Jack?
“At the hospital, don’t you remember?”
Emma was looking at him now in confusion. He didn’t remember this, though. When at the hospital? The only time she’d been there was at the beginning, when she was getting checked out. Shortly after…actually, it was right after Detective Riley’s visit. Those first few weeks were a blurry memory, so many appointments and meetings and interviews because of the kidnapping. He’d hated every one of them, too, and what everyone insinuated, that their daughter might have been abused. Thank God, Emma had been okay, treated like a granddaughter instead of…Peter clenched his fist at how his daughter could have been treated.
Surely, he would remember seeing Jack. He’d remember if his daughter saw the man who took her from him. He knew he would.
Peter shook
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