Chapter 6 #2
“Cullen more than likely does, but it would hurt him financially. Have the two of you talked about money?” She said they’d been so busy with the kids that they’d not done much of anything else.
“I can see that too. You’ll get there sooner rather than later.
I know you two love each other, so it’s just a matter of time before you get to the marrying part of your life. ”
Emmie burst out laughing. “Are you talking about sex? With everything that’s going on, it’s hard to grab a kiss, much less have sex together.
” She knew that she’d embarrassed the other woman and thought it funny.
“When things are settled, we’ll get there hopefully.
Right now, I’m just glad that we’re together.
It’s about the most calming thing that has happened to me, having him around me all the time. ”
“I know you calm him, too. I’ve noticed that about him.
” She said she thought that they were good for each other.
“I do believe that of all my sons, you and Cullen are the best couple. The two of you seem to be on the same level of everything. Once you get the sex part taken care of, things will be perfect between the two of you. I know it.”
“We just need a night where there’s nothing going on.
And where we don’t have injured kids in the house.
They’re not too whiny, but I know that they’re scared and hurting.
I know I’d be that way too if I were them.
They have to be afraid that their parents are going to be getting out and wondering what they’re going to do to them.
” Betty said that she’d be there if they needed anything.
“Good. I have to get back. It’s like a train wreck going on in the courtroom today.
I’m betting that the judge is getting frustrated with them, too. ”
The rest of the afternoon and into the evening, it was the inspectors who told what they’d found in the house.
Then, after they were finished, they went over the fines that were going to be incurred for each violation of the house.
There were more than she’d dreamed of in the fines, and she hoped that they had to pay every penny of it back, too.
~*~
Cullen wanted his mate. So did his beast. They wanted to mark her as their own and make love to her.
He had been sleeping in the bedroom furthest away from the master bedroom, and it was killing him.
But the kids were all right, and that’s all he could think of right now.
It was the fourth day of the trial when Emmie had a nightmare that brought him to the bedroom with the kids.
“Don’t touch me.” She was flaying her fists around and caught him in the nose. He’d been able to keep the kids away from her so that they’d not get hurt, but it was hard. They wanted to help their aunt, and she was violent. “Get away from me before I really hurt you.”
“Emmie, it’s me. Cullen. Emmie.” She stared at him for several moments before she seemed to understand that he wasn’t going to hurt her. “Oh, baby. Are you all right? I have you now. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She pulled him into her arms and held him. Sobbing that she was sorry, he held her tightly against his body. The kids gathered around her and hugged her, too. It was Marshall who seemed to be the most concerned that she’d had a bad dream.
“I’ve had them too, Aunt Emmie. They’re powerful real, aren’t they?
” She told him she’d not had one in a while, but it was real like.
“I’ve had a few too. It’s hard to wake up from them when all you can be is scared out of your mind with it.
I dreamed that my daddy and mommy sold us off to the neighbor.
He’s weird and gives me the creeps. When he comes around, it’s like I’m dirty or something. I don’t like him.”
“What’s his name?” After getting told, Cullen decided to find out what sort of person he was. It wouldn’t surprise him at all that the welfare department let a pedophile slip through their filing system. “I’ll take care that he doesn’t bother you again. You can count on that.”
“Don’t kill him.” He simply looked at Emmie when she whispered that to him. “All right, don’t get caught. I don’t want to visit you in prison. I love you too much.”
“And I love you too. Are you better now?” She told him that she thought so and started to get up. “I can get the kids back to bed. You rest. You’ve had quite a scare, and you might need to rest a bit more before you get up.”
He realized while he was putting the kids to bed that he’d not had a nightmare since he moved into this house. He didn’t know if it was Emmie or the house, but he was feeling pretty good about it. Cullen hadn’t even pulled out his gun from under his pillow in weeks.
Getting the kids back in bed was easy; they were a little afraid for their aunt, but he assured them that he was right there for her should she need him again.
Beth surprised him by hugging him, and he hugged her back.
When she rolled over in the bed to sleep, he stood there for several seconds, wondering at the hugs from a child and how good they felt.
Going back to check on Emmie, she was asleep again.
Pulling the covers up and over her, he headed back to his own room, knowing that he’d not sleep.
Getting dressed, he decided to go down to the basement and work out.
He knew he was taking his frustrations out on the bag, but he couldn’t help it.
It was that or another cold shower. Which weren’t working all that well either.
When he decided he had had enough, he took a long, hot shower to work out the kinks and got dressed again.
He was just in time for breakfast when the cook, April, showed up, so he was having a big meal when the kids and Emmie came down from the upper floor.
He helped with their breakfast and decided that he felt good for only getting a few hours’ sleep last night.
“I have to meet with your mom today. Something about donations for the school.” He explained how they provided bottled water to the school in the summer months so that the kids could have a bottle when they needed it.
“That’s a wonderful idea. I wonder what she thinks I can do.
I’ve never had the money to donate to anything before in my life. ”
“I’m sure she has a plan for you. Mom will get you involved in a lot of her projects she has going on around town.
” She said that she’d like that. “Good. Don’t let her push you into too much that you’re overwhelmed.
I don’t think she’ll do that, but with her, it’s hard to tell.
Mom loves doing charity work around town. ”
The bus picked up the kids right on time.
He’d forgotten to ask Marshall if they were still being made fun of and made a mental note to ask him when he got home.
Beth would only go half a day through the week, but she enjoyed getting on the bus with her big brother.
He was falling in love with the two of them and couldn’t wait to see if they’d be able to keep them all the time, depending on the trial that was coming up. He asked Emmie about the trial.
“It’s tomorrow. The stationhouse let me know yesterday.
I have to go. They said that I have to say that I’d been sending clothing to the kids since they’d been in school.
Lucky for me, I saved the receipts, even the post office ones.
I guess it pays to be organized.” He asked what the deal was.
“I guess it’s considered income for them, and they didn’t declare it.
There was also the time that I lent Mary Beth a thousand dollars, which she never paid back, and that’s considered income as well.
I wouldn’t think that the few dollars here and there would matter, but apparently, they’re going for it all, and they’re leaving no stone unturned.
I never understood that old saying until now. ”
“Me either now that you mention it.” They enjoyed the quiet time, at least he thought that she was.
He knew that once the kids came home from school, it would be mayhem.
Not because they were loud or anything, but getting them situated and settled down after the bus ride home was something that took time.
“I have to go into town soon. I’m meeting my brother for some work at the hardware store.
He wants me to fill in for grandda while he’s taking a trip with grandma.
I don’t know where they’re headed, but they’re going to be gone for a few days.
We’ll have to do that when we get things squared away with the kids.
Have you given any more thought to taking them in if they both end up in jail? ”
“I’d like to, but it’s mostly up to you.
They’re not related to you, so you’d have to decide if you want to take on two kids.
” He said that it would be a family thing rather than just one of them deciding.
“I agree, but there is more of a load on you than me. I’d have taken them a long time ago if not for the fact that my sister would have had a fit.
Did I tell you how she wants me to pay off all the money that she owes and take the kids in compensation? ”