Come Back for Me (Arrowood Brothers #1)(41)

She shakes her head.

“Me either. I don’t want either one of us to be afraid anymore. You and I, we’re strong girls and no one is going to yell at us anymore. You are the best little girl any mother could ask for and part of my job is to protect you.”

“Will he come back for us?”

“No, he won’t be around us anymore.” No matter what I have to do, I’ll keep that promise. “We’ll find somewhere to live that we both love.”

“Can we stay with Connor?”

I smile softly. Comfort fills my soul that he’s come to mean so much to her. “No, honey. Connor isn’t staying in Sugarloaf for long, and while he’s been very good to us, he has his farm he needs to deal with.”

And I’m not even close to ready at this point for that.

“I think he likes you.”

“I think he likes you!” I say with a giggle. “You got a tree house on his farm and he’s going for show and tell.”

And he might be your dad.

“I’m going to be sad when he leaves.”

I will too. I will miss the way he looks at me as well as his unwavering strength and understanding and support.

“Well, we have to make the next few months super special then. Come on, let’s keep walking.”

We make our way through the field as she tells me about her day. She’s a little quieter than normal, less animated, and I hate that this conversation dulled her. I know that if I don’t stand up now, I’ll never get up off the ground.

When the house comes into view, a wave of nausea hits me like a brick. All of it rushes back to me, and I can hear the sounds in my ears, the rush of breath coming from my lungs when he kicked me the loudest of all.

All of it took place right here—in my home.

Hadley’s breathing accelerates, and I squeeze her hand tight. “It’s okay, we’re going to get our things and then go back, but no one can hurt us, okay?”

I’m not sure if I’m trying to reassure her or myself at this point. Maybe we both needed to hear it.

“He’s not here?”

“No, baby, he’s not here.”

I hate that my child is so afraid, so I tell myself to be the strength she needs to see and take a step forward. Using my determination to thrust me closer to the house that was a horror just a week ago, I hold on to the need I have to protect Hadley. I recall each time that Kevin took something from me, and I refuse to give him anything else.

I hold her little hand tighter, showing her that even if we hit rock bottom, the only way to go after that is up.

As we get to the front door, another sense of dread hits me. I don’t know what the house looks like. All Hadley has ever known is the perfect home. I was meticulous at making sure everything was clean and in its place so that Kevin couldn’t use it as a reason to hit me.

When I left that night, there were definitely things knocked over.

Shit.

I open the door, which someone had clearly had replaced, and hope it’s not as bad as I fear it will be.

Then I stop, stunned.

Everything is in its place.

The photo that was thrown across the room is sitting back on the sofa table as though it had never been touched. The lamp that Kevin threatened to bash over my head isn’t on the floor where he dropped it. It’s sitting on the end table.

I don’t understand. How? Who came in and cleaned?

Hadley releases my hand when she spots her beloved doll over in the corner. “Phoebe!” She runs at full speed, lifting it into her arms and hugging it tightly. “Can I bring her back to Connor’s?”

“I’m sure he won’t mind.” I smile softly, relieved that she got past her fears and thankful that someone had come in and cleaned up so Hadley didn’t have to see the destruction.





Chapter Eighteen


Ellie





When we get back to Connor’s house with a bag of clothes each, there’s a very expensive SUV parked next to his.

“Who is that, Mommy?” Hadley asks.

“I don’t know.”

We walk toward the car and the driver door opens, a pair of red heels hit the dirt, and I smile.

“Hi, Sydney,” I say as I make my way over.

“I was hoping I’d find you here.”

“Hadley, this is Miss Sydney.”

Sydney extends her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

They shake, and Hadley looks up to the house. “It’s nice to meet you too. You have really pretty shoes.”

“Thank you.” Sydney’s voice is laced with a smile. “You have very pretty eyes.”

My heart lurches to a stop as I wonder if she sees it. If Sydney knows the brothers as well as she says she does, will she be observant enough to figure it out?

“Thank you, Miss Sydney. Mommy, can I go find Connor?”

“I don’t think . . .”

“Please! I have to help with the barn. I’m sure he’s there. He said once I was done with school I could help him because he needs help. Yesterday, he let the chickens out the wrong door, and I had to chase them so they’d go back in. You can’t let the chickens run around when the cows are there.” Hadley huffs as though it’s common knowledge. “I told him, but he said he was trying to get things done so he could go back to repairing the house. Then we found another problem in the fence, so he was upset.”