Read Online Hunted by Denise Grover Swank - Free Book Online Page A

at the kitchen window. She turned back to Emma. “So why are you here now? You haven’t been here since you were in high school? What do you need from me? Money?”
    Emma hesitated and Will recognized her look of indecision.
    “Not money,” he said. “But we do need your help. We’re hoping you might have information about Emma’s father.”
    “Her father ?”
    “Yes, she knows nothing about him and we’re hoping that what we find out will help enlighten us about her special abilities.”
    “Emma has special abilities?”
    “Yes, and since Jake does too we wonder if they got them from her father.”
    The woman stood up. “I don’t remember much about him and I’ll be happy to tell you all I know, but first, I need to fix some fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. Nothing like comfort food when you’re in need of some comforting.” She patted Emma’s shoulder, then turned to the sink. “Emma, there’s wash rags and towels in the bathroom if you want to wash your face.”
    Emma stood and hesitated, looking at Will. Her eyes were questioning. He could tell she wondered if they did the right thing, telling her grandmother as much as they had. He gave her a reassuring smile before she disappeared down the hall. After he heard the bathroom door click shut, her grandmother looked over her shoulder. “Thank you for bringing her to see me.”
    “It wasn’t my idea, ma’am, it was all hers. In fact, after our encounter with her mother last night, I wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. But she insisted you were different and I’m glad she was right.”
    “I wish she’d come to me when this all started, I would’ve helped her.”
    “Honestly, I’m not sure you could have. You would have only put yourself in danger, too.”
    “But she went through that all alone.”
    “She’s not alone now. I’m with her.”
    She turned, a potato in one hand and peeler in the other and narrowed her eyes. “But for how long? She’s had a hard life, Mr. Davenport. If you’re gonna cut and run, do it now and save her the heartache later.”
    Will understood her concern. She didn’t know anything about him and he’d only known Emma a few short weeks. “I can assure you, Mrs. Thompson, I’m not going anywhere. I love your granddaughter and I’ll die before I let anything happen to her.”
    She studied him for several long painful moments before she nodded and turned back to the sink. “I believe you will.”
    They ate lunch in amicable silence, although Emma toyed with the food on her plate. Her grandmother admonished her to eat.
    “I know you’re missing your boy, but you won’t do him any good wasting away.”
    Emma listened, to Will’s relief. She’d lost weight since he met her and she didn’t have a lot to spare to begin with.
    Will was impatient to get information, but Emma’s grandmother made it very clear she wouldn’t discuss it until after lunch. And since her grandmother held all the cards at the moment, he didn’t have a choice in the matter. He got a home-cooked meal and they weren’t in a hurry. He saw no reason to complain.
    Emma insisted on washing the dishes and Will helped while her grandmother sat on the ancient sofa and watched television.
    “How is it you didn’t spend much time with your grandmother? She’s amazing.”
    Emma looked over her shoulder at the now-dozing woman. “I know. My mother didn’t let me see her much when I was younger and then when I got old enough to see her on my own, it never occurred to me to do so.”
    “She really loves you.”
    “Yeah, I know.” she smiled, a genuine smile that lit up her face. “It’s so nice to do something so normal like washing dishes.”
    “Yeah, I could get used to normal.”
    She looked up at him with a grin. “I have a hard time picturing you with a house and a white picket fence.”
    He shrugged. “Maybe I like picket fences.”
    “I don’t know, maybe it’s the way I met you but assault rifles and picket