Page 32 of Save Me
When she woke, she could hear Brock in the other room talking to her daughter. When she rolled over and saw the late hour, she almost sprinted out of bed.
She dressed quickly and rushed into the other room.
“How is it eight o’clock already?” she said, finger combing her hair away from her forehead.
“Well.” Brock turned to smile at her. “It’s easy. When the clock’s little hand moves to the eight… and the big one goes all the way around and meets up with the twelve.”
She rolled her eyes. Then he walked over and kissed her.
“Brock made breakfast!” Emma cheered.
“You’re home.” Crissy walked over and kissed her daughter on the top of her head, sniffing her hair. “And you’re clean.”
Emma giggled and wiggled away as Crissy tickled her daughter.
“Tilly and I took a bath. Then they brought me home. Now Brock is making me eggs and French toast.” Emma reached up and took Crissy’s face in her hands. “You need a bath.”
Crissy frowned. “I do, but there’s a lot of work…”
Her daughter had her laughing when she raised her eyebrows and pointed back to Crissy’s room. “Bath. Now.”
It was a line Crissy said all the time to her daughter when she complained about bath time.
“Go on. Shower.” Brock nodded to the back of the house. “This’ll be done in about ten. You’ve got time.”
“Okay.” She turned to go. “Do I smell that bad?” she asked Emma.
“Bath.” Her daughter waved her off, and she laughed as she disappeared down the hallway.
After a quick shower, she pulled on some fresh clothes and was just about to step out into the living room when her phone rang. Somehow, she knew before she answered it that it was him.
“Did you get the message I left for you?” She didn’t respond. Instead, she looked towards the door as Brock appeared. The look on his face told her that he understood who it was. He moved over to stand beside her. “There’s another one coming soon. Just need to finish her up. Maybe tonight. God, I get so hard thinking about it.” He chuckled. “I’ll leave you a little something that’ll remind you of our time together. Soon. I’m coming for you,” he said before hanging up.
Crissy sat on the side of the bed when her legs folded under her.
Brock’s phone rang almost instantly. He answered it and she half-listened to his one-sided conversation.
“Yeah, okay,” he said finally. He hung up, and then he was holding her. “I’ve got you.”
“I’m okay,” she said several times. She shook her head and wiped her cheeks dry. “Breakfast,” she said with a grin.
“It’s ready,” he assured her. “Are you…”
“I’m fine,” she said after taking a deep breath. She had to be. Her daughter was waiting for her. “Let’s go enjoy breakfast,” she said, and he nodded and took her hand. She stopped him just inside the door. “Tell me they’re going to get him.”
“We’re going to get him. I promise you. He will never lay a finger on you.” He kissed her.
She smiled and already felt a little steadier as they walked out into the kitchen together. When she laid eyes on her daughter, however, a new possibility flooded her mind.
Brock must have sensed her fears about Emma instantly. He reached over and took her hand as he leaned closer.
“He won’t even get near her. I promise you that on my life,” he said in a low voice.
That promise echoed in her head for the entire day as she worked around the place, cleaning and helping the guests. Brock convinced her to take a few of her paintings down to the art store during lunchtime. The three of them ate at a burger place right in the harbor by the market.
Just sitting there watching the boats come and go, seeing the seagulls and pelicans floating overhead, she felt instantly better.
She was no longer surprised when someone stopped to chat with Brock. It really seemed as if he knew every single local on the island. More importantly, everyone seemed to like him and his family.
