Read Online Hunted by Denise Grover Swank - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
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fences seem juxtapositioned.”
He stopped drying the dish in his hand and faced her. “Maybe I want more than assault rifles and car chases.”
Her smile faded and her voice grew quiet. “I think assault rifles and car chases are a part of my life for some time to come.”
“Not if I can help it. My goal is to not only get Jake but figure out a way to extract all three of us from this godforsaken mess.”
She sighed. “I’m not sure how realistic that is.”
“Hey, I’ve been in impossible situations before and gotten out, so I plan on accomplishing my goal. First, we need to get your grandmother to tell us everything she knows about your father.”
When they finished in the kitchen, they moved into the living room and her grandmother roused.
Emma sat next to her grandmother on the sofa and Will in the chair, the springs sagging under his weight. He felt oversized and out of place in this room full of doilies and lace curtains.
Her grandmother folded her hands in her lap. “Now, what do you want to know?”
“Did you ever meet my father?”
“Once. Your mother was young when she met him, eighteen and just graduated from high school. She thought she had the world by the tail, that girl. She used to be pretty and popular, bet you find that hard to believe looking at her now, but she was. She met him over the summer and she fell fast and hard. He was older, but I didn’t find that part out until later. I never got a straight answer as to where she met him, but she said he knew her, knew who she was without her even telling him. That it was destiny.”
Will glanced over at Emma, her eyes widened in momentary fear before they deadened. But her hands fisted so tightly her knuckles turned white. He resisted the urge to take her hand in his and give her comfort. Her reaction wasn’t a surprise. The same thing had happened to her when she met Alex, Jake’s father.
“She was taken with his looks and his money. She was already planning her life with him, though to the best of my knowledge he never hinted at a future together. He came to the house once. He was tall and dark-haired, a fine looking man, probably the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. He was very polite but didn’t speak much, yet he had this charisma. I could instantly see why Brandy liked him. She was the prettiest girl in town and she had big ambitions. But I could see he was older and I thought maybe part of the reason Brandy liked him so much was because her daddy died when she was little.” She nodded her head to Will. “I never remarried after my dear Harold passed on.
“In any case, she decided not to go to college, to stick around for him.”
“What was his name, Grandma?”
“Aiden, but I don’t remember a last name. Just Aiden.”
Will watched Emma inhale and hold her breath. He couldn’t imagine learning his father’s name after twenty-seven years.
“Do you have any pictures of him?” Will asked.
“Heavens, no. Emma’s momma didn’t either. He told her he was camera-shy.”
“Was he from around here?”
“I don’t think so, never heard of him or his family. When he broke things off with your momma, he left town. Never seen nor heard from him again.”
“Mom said he gave her money every month for me.”
“Did he? Huh.” She pinched her lips together, deep in thought. “She never mentioned it, but by then we weren’t speaking much.”
“Why not? What happened?”
“I warned your momma her relationship with Aiden wouldn’t last, that it was obvious he wouldn’t stick around here long. You could tell by looking at him that he was from money and power. But your momma thought he’d take her with him. So when she turned up pregnant, she was sure she’d just bought her ticket outta here, but he took off days later, not a word where he was going. She turned bitter after that, blamed everyone and everything for what happened. Blamed me because I warned her it would happen. Blamed you,” she nodded at
He stopped drying the dish in his hand and faced her. “Maybe I want more than assault rifles and car chases.”
Her smile faded and her voice grew quiet. “I think assault rifles and car chases are a part of my life for some time to come.”
“Not if I can help it. My goal is to not only get Jake but figure out a way to extract all three of us from this godforsaken mess.”
She sighed. “I’m not sure how realistic that is.”
“Hey, I’ve been in impossible situations before and gotten out, so I plan on accomplishing my goal. First, we need to get your grandmother to tell us everything she knows about your father.”
When they finished in the kitchen, they moved into the living room and her grandmother roused.
Emma sat next to her grandmother on the sofa and Will in the chair, the springs sagging under his weight. He felt oversized and out of place in this room full of doilies and lace curtains.
Her grandmother folded her hands in her lap. “Now, what do you want to know?”
“Did you ever meet my father?”
“Once. Your mother was young when she met him, eighteen and just graduated from high school. She thought she had the world by the tail, that girl. She used to be pretty and popular, bet you find that hard to believe looking at her now, but she was. She met him over the summer and she fell fast and hard. He was older, but I didn’t find that part out until later. I never got a straight answer as to where she met him, but she said he knew her, knew who she was without her even telling him. That it was destiny.”
Will glanced over at Emma, her eyes widened in momentary fear before they deadened. But her hands fisted so tightly her knuckles turned white. He resisted the urge to take her hand in his and give her comfort. Her reaction wasn’t a surprise. The same thing had happened to her when she met Alex, Jake’s father.
“She was taken with his looks and his money. She was already planning her life with him, though to the best of my knowledge he never hinted at a future together. He came to the house once. He was tall and dark-haired, a fine looking man, probably the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. He was very polite but didn’t speak much, yet he had this charisma. I could instantly see why Brandy liked him. She was the prettiest girl in town and she had big ambitions. But I could see he was older and I thought maybe part of the reason Brandy liked him so much was because her daddy died when she was little.” She nodded her head to Will. “I never remarried after my dear Harold passed on.
“In any case, she decided not to go to college, to stick around for him.”
“What was his name, Grandma?”
“Aiden, but I don’t remember a last name. Just Aiden.”
Will watched Emma inhale and hold her breath. He couldn’t imagine learning his father’s name after twenty-seven years.
“Do you have any pictures of him?” Will asked.
“Heavens, no. Emma’s momma didn’t either. He told her he was camera-shy.”
“Was he from around here?”
“I don’t think so, never heard of him or his family. When he broke things off with your momma, he left town. Never seen nor heard from him again.”
“Mom said he gave her money every month for me.”
“Did he? Huh.” She pinched her lips together, deep in thought. “She never mentioned it, but by then we weren’t speaking much.”
“Why not? What happened?”
“I warned your momma her relationship with Aiden wouldn’t last, that it was obvious he wouldn’t stick around here long. You could tell by looking at him that he was from money and power. But your momma thought he’d take her with him. So when she turned up pregnant, she was sure she’d just bought her ticket outta here, but he took off days later, not a word where he was going. She turned bitter after that, blamed everyone and everything for what happened. Blamed me because I warned her it would happen. Blamed you,” she nodded at
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