that I thank you.”
Erin felt the heat rise up in her face and she did her best to smile and thank everyone. She bit the inside of her lip to keep it from trembling. She didn’t want to hurt Mama D’s feelings or the Chief’s. She’d enjoyed listening to all the stories of Nate’s teenage years. But his successes, his ‘star’ status, reminded her where she was when she 16 years old. She’d been living on the street for two years supporting herself with money she made stripping—among other things.
~~~
Connor’s three sisters had joined them at the dinner table. As everyone stood to leave, Amy, the oldest, wormed her way next to Nate. As the noisy conversation continued around them, Amy touched his arm. When he looked at her questioningly, she flushed and lowered her voice.
“Nate, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure, honey, what’s up? One of the twenty or more guys who are after you forget who your cousin is? Whose ass do I need to kick now? Damn, when is that pack of hound dogs gonna learn that I’ve got you in quarantine until you’re at least thirty-five?”
When Amy didn’t smile, Nate got serious.
“C’mon, Amy, let’s you and I go out back and bring in some of those dishes for your mom.”
When they were alone, he asked. “Okay, honey. Spit it out. What’s up?”
Amy sighed.
“Nate, it’s about Melanie. Melanie Jones.”
Nate pushed at the cold dread inching its way up his spine.
“What about her?”
Amy’s pretty face twisted in a frown. Nate gave her a reassuring smile and waited for her to continue.
“I know… that you and Melanie are close, Nate. You mean the world to her. She is always bragging about the fact that Detective Nate Stryker is her godfather. Melanie and I are in a lot of the same classes at the college and we’ve become friends.”
When she hesitated, Nate gave her an encouraging nod.
Amy took a deep breath then continued. “It’s like this, Nate. Melanie has told me about some of the things her father is doing.”
Nate stiffened. “To her?”
Amy quickly shook her head.
“No. He leaves her alone. At… at least like that . No, I mean about the other things he does. The drugs… the meth… and all the bad men in that awful group. Melanie stays away from him as much as she can but I know she is afraid of him.”
Nate was quiet letting her talk at her own pace.
Amy sighed. “This is going to sound weird, Nate. But Melanie seems truly happy for the first time since we’ve been friends.”
“I don’t get it. Why is that a problem, Amy?”
“Well, because… because I think it’s because she has a boyfriend.”
Nate hooked his thumbs in his jeans and quirked a questioning brow. “Hmm. I see, And?”
Amy continued in a rush. “Because… well, because Melanie’s told me a bunch of times that her father warned her that if he ever caught her going out with some guy, he’d kill him.”
“Oh, honey, fathers say that a lot.”
Nate gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile but he couldn’t squash the anxiety he felt.
Amy shook her head.
“But Nate, her dad seems like the kinda guy who would really do that. Melanie as much as said that her mother has warned her, begged her not to go out with this guy. But Melanie doesn’t seem to care. She… she thinks she’s in love.”
Seeing the genuinely troubled expression on Amy’s face, Nate hugged her.
“Tell you what. I’ll speak with Melanie. She and I talk a lot. I’ll see what’s going on. And honey, don’t worry. I’m not minimizing your concerns. They’re legitimate. Jeb Stuart Jones is a bad man. But I’ve got him in my sights. And Amy, I have Melanie there too. I’m not gonna let that asshole do anything to hurt her. Okay?”
Amy gave a relieved sigh.
Nate hugged her.
“Thanks, honey, for telling me this. I’ll keep you posted.”
Amy’s face lit up in a smile.
“Thanks, Nate. I sure am glad you’re my cousin.”
He chucked her under the chin. “Me too,
Erin felt the heat rise up in her face and she did her best to smile and thank everyone. She bit the inside of her lip to keep it from trembling. She didn’t want to hurt Mama D’s feelings or the Chief’s. She’d enjoyed listening to all the stories of Nate’s teenage years. But his successes, his ‘star’ status, reminded her where she was when she 16 years old. She’d been living on the street for two years supporting herself with money she made stripping—among other things.
~~~
Connor’s three sisters had joined them at the dinner table. As everyone stood to leave, Amy, the oldest, wormed her way next to Nate. As the noisy conversation continued around them, Amy touched his arm. When he looked at her questioningly, she flushed and lowered her voice.
“Nate, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure, honey, what’s up? One of the twenty or more guys who are after you forget who your cousin is? Whose ass do I need to kick now? Damn, when is that pack of hound dogs gonna learn that I’ve got you in quarantine until you’re at least thirty-five?”
When Amy didn’t smile, Nate got serious.
“C’mon, Amy, let’s you and I go out back and bring in some of those dishes for your mom.”
When they were alone, he asked. “Okay, honey. Spit it out. What’s up?”
Amy sighed.
“Nate, it’s about Melanie. Melanie Jones.”
Nate pushed at the cold dread inching its way up his spine.
“What about her?”
Amy’s pretty face twisted in a frown. Nate gave her a reassuring smile and waited for her to continue.
“I know… that you and Melanie are close, Nate. You mean the world to her. She is always bragging about the fact that Detective Nate Stryker is her godfather. Melanie and I are in a lot of the same classes at the college and we’ve become friends.”
When she hesitated, Nate gave her an encouraging nod.
Amy took a deep breath then continued. “It’s like this, Nate. Melanie has told me about some of the things her father is doing.”
Nate stiffened. “To her?”
Amy quickly shook her head.
“No. He leaves her alone. At… at least like that . No, I mean about the other things he does. The drugs… the meth… and all the bad men in that awful group. Melanie stays away from him as much as she can but I know she is afraid of him.”
Nate was quiet letting her talk at her own pace.
Amy sighed. “This is going to sound weird, Nate. But Melanie seems truly happy for the first time since we’ve been friends.”
“I don’t get it. Why is that a problem, Amy?”
“Well, because… because I think it’s because she has a boyfriend.”
Nate hooked his thumbs in his jeans and quirked a questioning brow. “Hmm. I see, And?”
Amy continued in a rush. “Because… well, because Melanie’s told me a bunch of times that her father warned her that if he ever caught her going out with some guy, he’d kill him.”
“Oh, honey, fathers say that a lot.”
Nate gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile but he couldn’t squash the anxiety he felt.
Amy shook her head.
“But Nate, her dad seems like the kinda guy who would really do that. Melanie as much as said that her mother has warned her, begged her not to go out with this guy. But Melanie doesn’t seem to care. She… she thinks she’s in love.”
Seeing the genuinely troubled expression on Amy’s face, Nate hugged her.
“Tell you what. I’ll speak with Melanie. She and I talk a lot. I’ll see what’s going on. And honey, don’t worry. I’m not minimizing your concerns. They’re legitimate. Jeb Stuart Jones is a bad man. But I’ve got him in my sights. And Amy, I have Melanie there too. I’m not gonna let that asshole do anything to hurt her. Okay?”
Amy gave a relieved sigh.
Nate hugged her.
“Thanks, honey, for telling me this. I’ll keep you posted.”
Amy’s face lit up in a smile.
“Thanks, Nate. I sure am glad you’re my cousin.”
He chucked her under the chin. “Me too,
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