Chapter 4 #2
By the time Emmie came back with her sister, the car had arrived.
He was helping them in it when he realized that the kids were going to have to go back to their home with the smell.
He was going to suggest that they come and stay with him, but he was afraid that he’d never get rid of them if he were to do that.
But he didn’t know what to do with the kids.
“Why don’t we head to a hotel for the night so that the police can get finished with what they’re doing?
” It was only temporary, but it was better than nothing.
“I can pay for it so that it doesn’t come out of your cards, Mary Beth.
But it’s only until the police are finished.
If you stay more than one day, then you’ll be responsible for the rest.”
“You’re as bad as my sister. Dangle a nice thing in front of us, then take it away.
No, take us home. We’ll be able to see Bash in the morning when he finds out that I was left alone and got hurt.
” She looked at her kids. “You know what he’s going to say when he finds out that I was hurt, don’t you?
Don’t expect any treats from now on when the food card comes in. ”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” When no one explained, he told Emmie what was going to happen to the kids when their father found out that they’d not been home to take the blame for being beaten.
“They’re just kids. How the hell were they supposed to protect you when that’s your job of protecting them? ”
“He’ll just beat them a little bit. It’s the least they can get for me having to have stitches.
” She pointed out that there were only two stitches in her lip.
“That’s more than I should have had. The kids should have been there to protect me.
I’m their mother. I come first in their lives, and they should have learned that by now.
He’ll just knock them around a bit, Emmie.
It’s all right. If you had given me the money to bail him out, I wouldn’t have been alone and I’d of not gotten hurt.
This is sort of your fault for not doing what I wanted in the first place by giving me the money to bail him out. ”
Cullen didn’t say anything, but he could tell that Emmie was pissed off.
As she helped the kids in the house, he could almost see the steam rolling off her head.
When she walked out of the house, telling the kids that she loved them, she didn’t say a word to her sister.
He wondered if Mary Beth was going to say a word to her when she followed her out to the car.
“You’re going to have to give me the money now if you don’t want Bash to beat on you a bit, either.
I’ll try and save you some, but it’s all your fault.
” She didn’t say a word but got into the rental, and he got into the other side.
“Just hand it over, Emmie. You know you’re going to do it to save the kids.
But now, instead of a thousand dollars, it’s going to be five thousand.
For me having to keep the kids from getting beaten. ”
“Get away from me, Mary Beth, before I beat on you.” The car peeled out of the driveway and stopped at the stop sign. “I need you to drive, please. I don’t think I’m in any frame of mind to do that right now.”
He traded her places and drove them to the hospital, where his car was parked.
As soon as he put the car in park, she burst into tears and held onto him.
He wanted to find Bash right now and show them both what it’s like to be beaten on just a little.
But he was afraid that he’d not stop in time. He wanted them dead that much.
~*~
The police station was busy when she made her way to find Joey, the officer who had been at her sister’s home last night.
His smile was all the encouragement that she needed to tell him what was going on at the home of the Humphreys.
Along with the list of things that the kids had told Cullen, she had her own list of things that she told them as well.
The beatings would stop, or she was going to be doing some herself. He looked at her with sad eyes.
“There isn’t much I can do to keep them from walloping on their kids, Ms. Jamestown.
I mean, if they get beaten bad enough to go to the hospital, I can step in, but not if they’re just disciplining them like they said they were doing.
My hands are tied.” She pointed out that they were just kids.
“I know that, and I hate that I can’t arrest their parents for making them steal gas too, but until I can catch them in the act, it’s just your word against the parents.
And I think you can guess what will happen when I start asking about that.
Those kids might not be able to leave the house at all; they’ll be so beat up. ”
“It’s not fair.” He shook his head, and she wanted to cry again. That’s all she’d been doing all night since she’d driven back to the B he loves it so much.” He said he wouldn’t care so long as she loved it. “I do. It’s the perfect house as far as I’m concerned. He did a good job in making sure it’s homey enough for the two of us, too.”
“Good. Cullen is the best. When we need extra hands, he’s right there to help us.
Even though he’s army, he’s always willing to help us out when we need it.
I like him. And you. I think that the two of you will make the best couple of all the Dixon men.
” She asked him why. “Because Cullen is a hard man, and you’ll soften him a bit.
I don’t know you all that well, but I have a feeling that you could use some softening up a bit, too.
You two will be the best couple of all.”
“Thank you, Joey.” He again told her that it was his pleasure. “I’m going to his house now so that I can convince him that we need to move in together. I’m sick of living in the B&B and need my own roots beneath me.”
“You do that then.” She laughed when he did and was out the door before she could convince herself to go and see Bash.
She didn’t know what she’d say to him, but it wouldn’t be nice.
She hated that the man was living in jail with three meals a day and not suffering like his family was.
She didn’t care all that much for her sister, but those children needed to have a better life than the one they had now.
She’d love to adopt them, but didn’t see that happening.
The house was empty when she got to Cullen’s home.
The door was unlocked, so she went inside to see if Cullen was somewhere inside.
Finding it devoid of him being there, she went back outside to wait for him.
He showed up about an hour after she had.
Emmie was glad to see him and thought that he looked like he was happy to see her as well.
“I was just thinking about you. Wanna have dinner again? I’ve found this really quiet restaurant that I think the two of us will enjoy.
” Emmie said she’d love that and told him what she’d been up to today.
“I’ve had a talk with the welfare department too, the one for children’s services.
They’re going to talk with the kids to ask them what’s going on.
But tell them that you and I would like them to tell the truth.
I don’t know if that will work or not, but it’s worth a shot. ”