Come Back for Me (Arrowood Brothers #1)(8)

“I’ve known the Arrowood boys for a long time, good kids, had a rough time once their mother died.”

Of course he’s an Arrowood. It didn’t occur to me that he must be if he was on the farm next door. I’ve lived here eight years, and the only time any of them were mentioned was when someone told me they haven’t stepped foot in this town in almost a decade.

“How long ago was that?” I ask.

Dr. Langford looks up, seeming to ponder. “Had to be when Connor was about eight. It was a shame, cancer came and took her fast. They must’ve come back because their father passed.”

“Yes, I felt bad that I missed the funeral.”

He nods. “I wasn’t there either, but I wasn’t a big fan of him. When his wife passed, it changed him. Anyway, makes sense the boys would come to bury him and sell off the farm.”

“Sell it?” I ask.

He shrugs and then starts to fit Hadley with a sling. “Sure, they won’t stay around here long, even if their father is gone.” He gives me a look that tells me that the “rough time” they had after their mother died was more than grief and then continues, “Still, you made a good friend, Hadley. I always liked Connor.”

She grins, clearly agreeing with the doctor’s assessment, and a part of my fear breaks away. If he won’t be around, then I don’t have to worry. He’ll sell it off, go back to wherever he’s living, and I can avoid any . . . disruption in my plan to get away from here.

Now that I know his name, though, I can set things right once I’m away from here. Find out for sure if Hadley is his.

“All right, peanut. You’re all set. Remember what I said about climbing and taking it easy until you’re all healed. No horsing around too much.”

“I promise,” Hadley says with false promise. That kid doesn’t know how to be careful.

“Good, now can you give your mama and me a few minutes to talk? I think Mrs. Mueller has some lollipops out there.”

He doesn’t need to say anything else, she’s gone.

“How are you feeling?” he asks with a fatherly tone.

“I’m good.”

“Ellie, I’m not trying to pry, but you’ve got a pretty ugly bruise on your arm here.”

I pull my sleeve down, hating that it rode up enough for him to see the marks. “I hit the wall when I was getting all the supplies for the classroom out. I’ve always bruised easily.”

And I’ve gotten really good at avoiding medical attention. The last time Kevin gripped my wrist, causing it to pop out of the joint, I set it myself and splinted it. Then, when he tripped me and my ankle sprained, I wore a brace for a month and tried to ignore the pain. There was no way I could go to the emergency room, so I’d found ways to hide injuries.

However, if he saw my side, he’d never believe that her fall, which I’m not even sure was a fall, was innocent, and that would be the last I saw of her. I can’t let anyone take her away. I will protect her better. I’ll do what I have to do to make sure we’re gone in the next two months. I need time and provisions.

His eyes study me, and I can see that he isn’t buying it. “No judgment here, I want to help.”

Help with what? Kevin owns the farm, the car, the bank account, and I have nothing. Kevin is controlling, and when things don’t go his way, he loses it. When we go, we have to end up so far away that he won’t be able to find us, no matter how hard he looks. And he will look.

He’ll want his daughter, and he will never let me go.

I attempt to give him my warmest smile. “There’s nothing wrong, Dr. Langford. I promise.”

He sighs, deducing that I won’t say anything more. There is nothing that anyone can do to help. “All right, well, I’ll see you back soon. Take care and don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

“I promise, I’ll do that.”

He leaves, and then Hadley comes running back into the room with a pocket full of lollipops and a smile on her face. She heads straight to me, wrapping her arms around my middle, causing me to wince.

“Sorry, Mommy! I forgot you had a bruise.”

I always have bruises. “It’s okay, baby.”

“Did Daddy get mad again?” Hadley’s eyes brim with concern. “He shouldn’t hurt you like that.”

God, this can’t be the life I show her. “It was an accident,” I lie. “I’m okay.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t like that you have another bruise.”

Me either, and that’s why I have to do this. For her, I will get her out of his home and I will protect her. I married a man who will ultimately destroy me and Hadley, unless I can get away first. Which is exactly what I plan to do.





Chapter Four


Connor





“There’s a lot of work we’ll need to do if we want to sell it,” I say as I grab the beer Declan brought to the table.

“No shit.” Declan shakes his head. “At least the land is good. That’s the real cash cow.”

“Pun intended.” Sean smirks while raising his beer.

Idiots.

At least my brothers and I are all in agreement. None of us want the place and all of us are ready to get out of Dodge.