Chapter 9
LINDSEY
Violet sets a tea cup in front of me. “This is for you. When Eli wakes up, I’ll get him some cocoa.”
I lift the drink to my lips and sip at it. “Thank you for listening to me… and the tea.”
Violet, the owner of Red’s Diner, nods her head and looks at me sadly. “Of course, honey. I’m happy to, but what else can I do?”
I blow out a breath, and before I can answer, she asks, “How long has it been since you slept?”
I shrug, looking down at Eli in my arms. He’s too big for me to carry, but he hasn’t left my side in four days. “I haven’t been able to sleep. I know I need to, but I feel like if I do, the Davenports are going to swoop in and take him from me.”
Violet grits her teeth. “Honey, they can’t just take him. He’s yours.”
I raise my hand and wipe at the tear rolling down my cheek. “You don’t know the Davenports. They think they can do whatever they want.”
She gestures to my phone that is lying on the table between us. “Did you call Miller?”
I nod. “I did. But I can’t blame him if he doesn’t come.”
Violet laughs softly. “He’ll come. Miller is one of the good ones.”
I would probably be jealous if I didn’t know that Violet is happily married to the running back for the Jasper Eagles.
“He may be a good man, but I doubt he’s going to want to get mixed in with all this.
” I lean my head back. I shouldn’t have called him.
I was at a weak moment, but I shouldn’t have called him.
I’m doing the one thing I told him I wouldn’t do.
I’m using him… but I don’t have a choice.
“Miller is a grown man. Let him decide what he wants to get mixed up in.” She leans toward me and whispers, “Honey, this is Whiskey Run. The whole town knows he’s in love with you.
The delivery guy from Sugar Bakery was in here talking about how he’s bringing you coffee every morning.
The flower shop has been busy with orders going to your apartment, and everyone heard about the tires. ”
Guilt eats at me. “Yeah, he wanted another date. Not… this.”
She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Let him decide.” She releases her hold on me and leans back. “That was quick.”
Violet stands up and waves at Miller. “Hey, Miller.”
He’s staring at me. “Hey, Violet.”
Violet points to the back of the restaurant. “I’ll be over there if you need me.”
She walks away, but Miller and I are just staring at each other. His forehead is creased with worry. “What’s wrong?”
I open my mouth and then close it again. How can I even begin to explain what all has happened?
“Miller?” Eli says softy.
He raises up from my lap, wiping his eyes with his hands. Miller puts a hand on Eli’s head and ruffles his hair. “Hey, buddy. You doing okay?”
I can tell Miller is freaked out and is trying to make sense of it all.
Eli shrugs. “My mom is dead.”
Miller gasps, his eyes jerking to mine and then back to Eli’s.
He’s at a loss as to what to say, but he decides quickly.
He puts one arm behind my back and one under my legs.
He lifts both Eli and me and then sits down with us both in his lap.
He doesn’t say anything; he just holds us both in his arms.
In most cases, I would be worried about what people think, but right now, I can't seem to care. I bury my face against Miller’s shirt, and Eli does the same.
I try to hold back the tears, but they come anyway.
I’m worn out from crying, and I thought I was done, but obviously not.
Miller holds on to us, whispering that everything is going to be okay.
I want to argue with him and tell him it’s not.
He’s crazy if he thinks that everything is going to be all right now.
Not only have I lost my best friend, but I may be losing my nephew too.
I startle when I feel a little hand on my cheek. “Aunt Lindsey, please don’t cry.”
I suck back the tears and look at my nephew through blurry eyes. “I’m sorry, bud. I’m just sad. But Miller’s right. We’re going to be okay.”
Violet steps toward us. “Hey, Eli. Can I get you a hot chocolate? Or something to eat, maybe?”
He looks at me and waits for me to nod my head. “Go ahead, buddy. Go pick out what you want. Miller and I are going to talk, okay?” He doesn’t want to walk away, but I force a smile on my face. “I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
He looks at Miller, and it’s as if Miller can read what he’s thinking. “I’ll be right here, too.”
He nods and walks over to Violet. I watch her take his hand and help him up to the bar stool in front of the cake display. It’s then I realize that I’m still sitting on Miller’s lap. I should get up. I know I should, but I find myself hesitating. “Thank you for coming.”
He nods. “I told you I would.”
My hands are on his shoulders, and we’re so close I would just have to lean two inches in to press my lips to his. What am I thinking? I can’t believe I’m thinking about kissing him right now.
I jerk back and stand up. He has a hand on me to help me, and I sit in the chair opposite him. He slides his chair into the table and lays his hands in front of him. “I’m sorry about your sister.”
I suck in a breath. “Thanks.” Shaking my head, I start rambling. “I know you’re wondering why I called you. I should have called you way before now. I should have, ugh, this is… Uh, I’m embarrassed to say this but—”
He reaches for me, wrapping his hand around mine. It’s going to be all across town that Miller Brody was seen holding my hand. Heck, holding me right in Red’s Diner. “Don’t be embarrassed,” he murmurs.
I lift my chin. “I need your help.”
He nods. “You got it. Anything you need.”
He’s stroking his big thumb across my hand. “Talk to me, Lindsey.”
With my free hand, I wipe it down my face. I’m not worried about smearing mascara because it was gone around three cries ago. “Well, I need a lawyer. A good one.”
He sits up a little taller. “Woah, hold up. Let’s start at the beginning. What happened to Tammy?”
I look over at my nephew, and I’m thankful that Violet is keeping him occupied. “She was killed in a car accident four nights ago.”
I have to force myself to take breaths in and out. “And since then, I’ve been fired from all my photoshoots. Violet told me I can work here, but I can’t do that to her. They will find a way to close her down or something.”
“Who?” he demands. “And why did you get fired from your photoshoots?”
I am not going to fall apart again. I can’t.
It’s time I pull myself together because if I don’t, I’m going to lose Eli, and I can’t let that happen.
But I can’t help but worry. I look around the other tables.
It’s a slow night at the diner, but all it takes is one person.
“I shouldn’t have had you meet me here. We should have met somewhere private. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking and—”
He stands up and comes to sit next to me. He has one hand on the chair behind me, and the other is on the table in front of me. “Stop. Now tell me what is going on.”
“I am listed as Eli’s guardian if anything happened to Tammy.”
He nods and encourages me to go on.
“Well, Eli’s grandparents are not happy about it, and they are doing everything they can to take him from me.
I’m pretty sure they have threatened everyone I work with.
Magazines and newspapers I’ve worked with for years have let me go.
But today, I was served with this.” I reach for my purse, pulling the paper out and handing it to Miller.
He scans the words that I’ve read so many times I almost have them memorized.
I point at the paper. “So you can see that I need a lawyer… a good one, and I hate to ask you, but I don’t know what else to do. If you can help me with a lawyer, I can work it off. I can clean your house, your office, I can type, I’ll do anything… but I can’t lose Eli.”
I clear my throat. “But I understand if you can’t help me. No one wants to go against the Davenports, and I don’t blame you if you tell me to leave you alone.”
He looks confused. “Who are the Davenports?”
My mouth drops. I assumed everyone knew who the Davenports were. “Uh, they’re Eli’s grandparents. The Davenports? You really don’t know?”
He shakes his head.
“Old money. Old influence. And the kind of people who don’t lose.”
He’s silent as he stares at me. “I wouldn’t have asked, Miller, but I can’t lose Eli. He’s all I’ve got.”
He surprises me. “How long has it been since you slept?”
I roll my eyes. I must look like death warmed over because it seems everyone is worried about my lack of sleep. “I’m not worried about sleeping. I’m worried about losing Eli.”
He grits his teeth. “That’s not going to happen.”
There’s no hiding the hope in my voice. “So you’ll help me?”
He squeezes my hand. “Of course I’ll help you.”
Relief settles over me, but it doesn’t last long before worry hits me. “No one has to know you’re helping me, Miller. That way it won’t get back to them and—”
He pulls me into a hug, and I lean into it. His voice is a whisper. “Oh, honey, you’re so used to doing things on your own.” He kisses the top of my head and then leans back to look at me. “Everyone is going to know you have me and all the Brodys on your side, Lindsey.”
I’m not sure what that means, but it makes me feel a little better. I’ve been lost these last few days and have never felt more alone in my life. Not even after my parents died. “So do you have any suggestions? I’m going to assume that the Davenports have the best attorney and—”
I stop talking when Eli and Violet come over to us and instead ask Eli, “Did you eat?”
I hope he did. He hasn’t been eating.
He nods, and Violet answers, “He ate a burger and a milkshake.”
I force a smile to my face, trying to appear carefree and not worried. “Yum, that sounds good.”
I notice Eli looking between Miller and me. Miller holds his hand out, and Eli doesn’t hesitate in putting his little hand in Miller’s much bigger one. Miller wraps his hand around Eli’s and holds it tightly. “Hey, little man. What do you think of you and your Aunt Lindsey coming to stay with me?”
I gasp, but before I can say anything, Eli nods his head. “Yes.” He looks at me. “Aunt Lindsey, Grandmother and Grandfather won’t come looking for me at Miller’s. Can we stay there? Please?”
Shocked, I look at the little boy with so much hope on his face.
I had no idea that he was also worried about his grandparents taking him.
I’ve tried to shield him from everything, but obviously I haven’t.
I reach for Eli’s other hand. “Eli, we can’t.
I’m going to protect you. I promised you that you would stay with me and—”
I don’t finish because he looks at Miller almost pleadingly.
“They’ll take me. I know they will. They were mad about me playing baseball instead of tennis.
Like, really mad and they said that my mom is unfit to raise me, and now that she’s gone they’re going to hurt Lindsey too. Please, Miller, please.”
He starts to cry, and Miller looks at me before lifting Eli into his lap. He rubs his hand on the little boy’s back, and when Eli stops crying, he soothes him. “Eli, nothing is going to happen to your aunt. I promise. You both are going to come live with me.”
How do I even argue with that? Eli obviously is scared and throw in the fact that he hasn’t been sleeping either besides the short nap a little while ago, and well, what choice do I have?
I let out a breath. “Miller, are you sure you have the room? It will just be for a few days until I get things figured out and—”
He’s gruff and sounds almost angry. “I’ve got room.”
Violet has been standing by listening the whole time. She leans down and hugs me, whispering, “He’s a good man, Lindsey. Let him help you.”
I thank her for everything, and she refuses when I try to pay for the tea, hamburger, and shake.
Miller never puts Eli down. He’s seven years old, but right now, he’s being carried like a baby.
Maybe he needs Miller’s protectiveness and warmth as much as I do.
I dunno, but if going with Miller to his house is going to help Eli sleep, then I’m not going to argue.
Heck, we’ll both fare better after some sleep.