Adrenaline (Speed Series Book 2)(78)

With a forced laugh, Paislie shook her head as she said, “You gave up that right when you left me on the steps of the orphanage.”

“Malcolm, I’d like to leave now.”

Gripping my hand tighter on her waist, I led her away when my name was called out.

“Malcolm Wallace. I thought that was you.” Looking at Paislie, he smirked. “Looks like you done good for yourself, Paislie.”

“Let’s go, please, Malcolm.”

Doing as she asked, we walked away from her father. Taking one last look over my shoulder, I saw him watching us. I had the feeling that now he knew Paislie was getting married, and to someone with money, he wasn’t going to just let her walk away so easy.

Next time he came sniffing around, I’d be ready.

“Elizabeth, where are you parked?” Paislie asked in a shaky voice. I hated the affect that * had on her.

“Around the corner. You’re more than welcome to walk me to the car if you’d like.”

“Please. I don’t want him seeing my license plates. He’ll know where I’m living.”

My heart was pounding in my chest and when we rounded the corner, I pulled her to a stop. “Would he do something to you if he knew where you lived?”

Her expression was blank. “No. He’d just start sending me letters asking for money. I doubt he would show up if he knew you would be there. He’s a coward, so most of the time he sends me a letter or text message.”

Asshole.

We walked Elizabeth to her car and chatted with her a bit more before we headed back to the car. I could feel Paislie’s body relax the moment we rounded the corner and she didn’t see her father anywhere.

“I’ll never let him bother you again, baby. I swear.”

Giving me a weak smile, she looked straight ahead, lost in her own thoughts.

Once we got to her car, I opened the door while she got in. Pressing a number on my phone, I waited for Kathleen to answer.

“Hello?”

“I’ve got some work for you in the Dallas area if you get your guy on it.”

She rustled some papers and finally said, “Send it over to me by tomorrow and I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks,” I said as I hit End.

“Who was that?” Paislie asked.

Tossing my phone on the console, I replied, “An old friend who is doing some work for me.”

I reached for her hand and held it gently. “Did you want to talk about it?”

“No, not really. I’d just rather focus on planning the wedding and him not finding out about it.”

I let her words sink in as we drove almost the entire way back to Waco in silence while I tried to think of a way to keep the lowlife * who called himself Paislie’s father, away from her.





STANDING ON THE PLATFORM, I stared at myself in my wedding gown while the seamstress made her marks.

I’m getting married.

Holy shit.

“I’ve seen that look of horror before on my own face.”

Smiling, I looked at Adaline in the mirror. We’d become the best of friends and I thought of her as a sister. She looked amazing even though she was about to push out a baby.

“I find it hard to believe you were nervous to marry Emmit.”

“Ha!” she said with a wave of her hand as if I had just said the most ridiculous thing ever. “Trust me, I was scared to death. Plus, all the craziness that surrounded our wedding.”

“What kind of craziness?” I asked.

“It’s a long story that I’ll tell you all about when we’re alone with a big bottle of wine.”

Giggling, I shook my head. “My life has changed so much since meeting Malcolm.”

“I bet,” she said as she got up and made her way over to me. She was all stomach as she climbed the two steps and adjusted the dress. “You’re going to make a beautiful bride, though.”

My heart felt as if it would explode I was so happy. “You know, when I was younger I used to lay in bed and dream of having a family.” Turning to her, I took her hands in mine. “I’m so blessed to have you, Emmit, and Landon in my life. I hope you know that.”

Her lips pressed together as tears formed. Oh Lord. She was going to cry. I’d never seen anyone cry at the drop of a bucket like Adaline. Emmit said it was the pregnancy. Yesterday when I showed her one of the guest rooms I had decorated at the B & B she lost it in a crying fit and said I should have done all the rooms because she hated all the other ones. Never mind the fact that I had decorated nearly all the rooms. I let it slide due to her current condition.

“Don’t cry, Adaline. Please don’t cry ‘cause then you’ll make me cry and we’ll both be standing up here crying looking like crazy women.”

She instantly stopped crying. Damn if I knew that was all I ever had to say I would have been using that this whole time.

“Oh no.”

Her face drained of all color. “Okay, well if you want to cry, sweetie, you can.”

She shook her head and then grabbed my hands. I about fell to the ground when she started squeezing them.

“Ohmygawd!” I shouted as I was practically brought to my knees.

“Paislie, you have to stay still if you want me to get this measurement right.”