short stuff.”
~~~
As the group was preparing to leave for their Friday night get-together at Kieran’s Pub, Nate looked for Erin. As much as Amy’s caution about Melanie concerned him, he had another woman to think about at the moment.
Erin was standing back from the others a distant look in her eyes. Nate had seen that look before and knew what it meant. He grabbed for her hand and tugged her down the hallway into Marcus’s office.
Nate closed the door behind them ignoring Erin’s surprised frown and attempt to pull back.
“Uh uh, Erin. You think I’m going to take you to Kieran’s Pub with the rest of this rowdy group when you’ve got that look on your face?”
“What… what look?”
He shook his head and lightly touched her cheek.
“The look that must have been there for a lot of years before I met you. The one that reminds me that you had a hell of a childhood and it didn’t stop there.”
When the tears welling up in her eyes threatened to spill over, he pulled her into his embrace.
“C’mere honey. Let me hold you.”
Erin shook her head and tried to push him away. “Don’t, Nate. I’m… okay.”
Nate ignored her feeble gesture and pulled her closer. When he raised an eyebrow and didn’t respond, her words tumbled out.
“It’s just, Nate, when I hear about all the wonderful things you did when you were a kid, what a star you were, I can’t help but compare it to what I was doing at the same time. Sometimes I just feel so… inadequate.”
Nate forced his voice to be calm, not show the pain he felt at her words.
“Erin, listen to me. You learned the wrong lesson today. You heard us talking about Jeb and me. We both came from crap and Jeb went downhill from there. I didn’t because I was lucky . First Mama and Marcus took me in and then the Chief practically adopted me. And I still could’ve gone bad.”
“But you didn’t, Nate. And… and I did.”
Nate was incredulous. “You did ? That’s not how I see it, Erin. You were raised by a whore who sold you to her boyfriends as soon as you hit puberty. Somehow you got away from that pitiful excuse for a mother and supported yourself when you were a kid not even sixteen years old.
Erin sniffed. “Yes—by stripping.”
“Yes, Erin. You did. You did what you had to do to survive. Then against all odds because of your courage, you got away from your abusive psychopathic husband. Christ, honey, you were on the run for three years with his thugs after you! Jesus, Erin. I had Mama, Marcus, the Chief and hundreds of other people pulling for me. And who did you have? You had yourself.”
He put his thumb under her chin forcing her to look at him.
“Erin, you are the bravest, smartest and most honorable person I know. I am in awe of you. I pray on a daily basis that you won’t wake up some day and know that I’m not worthy to kiss the soles of your feet.”
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth fighting with the tears in her eyes.
“Nate—”
He scrubbed at the tears that leaked down her cheeks and grinned.
“Okay fine. I’ll admit it. I love kissing the soles of your feet, and sucking on your toes, and licking every other part of your delicious body. But Erin, don’t think for a minute that I don’t know how lucky I am. Actually, how lucky we both are. I love you, Erin.”
Erin swallowed visibly and brushed at the tears on her face with the back of her hand. They both started at the sound of a knock at the door.
Connor opened the door and poked his head inside.
“Are you guys coming? Mama D said she’d watch the baby so Kait and I can go…”
He frowned. “Hey, everything okay?”
Nate pulled Erin up against his chest and nodded to Connor over her head.
“Yeah, we’re good, Cuz. Just reminding each other how lucky we are to have each other.”
Connor nodded in understanding.
“Yeah, we all are. C’mon Erin, if you think I’m gonna let my bad boy cousin monopolize you, you’re crazy. Remember,
~~~
As the group was preparing to leave for their Friday night get-together at Kieran’s Pub, Nate looked for Erin. As much as Amy’s caution about Melanie concerned him, he had another woman to think about at the moment.
Erin was standing back from the others a distant look in her eyes. Nate had seen that look before and knew what it meant. He grabbed for her hand and tugged her down the hallway into Marcus’s office.
Nate closed the door behind them ignoring Erin’s surprised frown and attempt to pull back.
“Uh uh, Erin. You think I’m going to take you to Kieran’s Pub with the rest of this rowdy group when you’ve got that look on your face?”
“What… what look?”
He shook his head and lightly touched her cheek.
“The look that must have been there for a lot of years before I met you. The one that reminds me that you had a hell of a childhood and it didn’t stop there.”
When the tears welling up in her eyes threatened to spill over, he pulled her into his embrace.
“C’mere honey. Let me hold you.”
Erin shook her head and tried to push him away. “Don’t, Nate. I’m… okay.”
Nate ignored her feeble gesture and pulled her closer. When he raised an eyebrow and didn’t respond, her words tumbled out.
“It’s just, Nate, when I hear about all the wonderful things you did when you were a kid, what a star you were, I can’t help but compare it to what I was doing at the same time. Sometimes I just feel so… inadequate.”
Nate forced his voice to be calm, not show the pain he felt at her words.
“Erin, listen to me. You learned the wrong lesson today. You heard us talking about Jeb and me. We both came from crap and Jeb went downhill from there. I didn’t because I was lucky . First Mama and Marcus took me in and then the Chief practically adopted me. And I still could’ve gone bad.”
“But you didn’t, Nate. And… and I did.”
Nate was incredulous. “You did ? That’s not how I see it, Erin. You were raised by a whore who sold you to her boyfriends as soon as you hit puberty. Somehow you got away from that pitiful excuse for a mother and supported yourself when you were a kid not even sixteen years old.
Erin sniffed. “Yes—by stripping.”
“Yes, Erin. You did. You did what you had to do to survive. Then against all odds because of your courage, you got away from your abusive psychopathic husband. Christ, honey, you were on the run for three years with his thugs after you! Jesus, Erin. I had Mama, Marcus, the Chief and hundreds of other people pulling for me. And who did you have? You had yourself.”
He put his thumb under her chin forcing her to look at him.
“Erin, you are the bravest, smartest and most honorable person I know. I am in awe of you. I pray on a daily basis that you won’t wake up some day and know that I’m not worthy to kiss the soles of your feet.”
A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth fighting with the tears in her eyes.
“Nate—”
He scrubbed at the tears that leaked down her cheeks and grinned.
“Okay fine. I’ll admit it. I love kissing the soles of your feet, and sucking on your toes, and licking every other part of your delicious body. But Erin, don’t think for a minute that I don’t know how lucky I am. Actually, how lucky we both are. I love you, Erin.”
Erin swallowed visibly and brushed at the tears on her face with the back of her hand. They both started at the sound of a knock at the door.
Connor opened the door and poked his head inside.
“Are you guys coming? Mama D said she’d watch the baby so Kait and I can go…”
He frowned. “Hey, everything okay?”
Nate pulled Erin up against his chest and nodded to Connor over her head.
“Yeah, we’re good, Cuz. Just reminding each other how lucky we are to have each other.”
Connor nodded in understanding.
“Yeah, we all are. C’mon Erin, if you think I’m gonna let my bad boy cousin monopolize you, you’re crazy. Remember,
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