I was frozen in place. Mitch’s hand hadn’t moved even as Billie let his other one go and raced up to and through the front doors with her brother.
“What’s the story?” Mitch asked, his eyes tipped down to me.
“I need to figure out how to get custody of my second cousins,” I answered and watched his eyes flash.
“That bad?” he murmured.
“They’ve had nothing to eat all day. There’s no food in the house. Their father was passed out. He had no money. They couldn’t call me because they have no phone. And Bill stole the gold locket I bought Billie for her birthday a day after I gave it to her,” I told him, watched his eyes flash again as his hand tightened at my neck and I kept talking. “And there’s a mysterious man who visits the house that freaks Billy out.”
Mitch’s gaze didn’t leave mine as he muttered, “Fuck.”
I nodded then went on, “Billy hates him. A lot. I don’t know how bad it has to get but that’s bad enough for me.”
He took his hand from my neck, I missed it even though I didn’t want to but I didn’t have to miss it long. He leaned forward and rested his weight in his hand on the back of the bench which brought the rest of his torso and definitely his face close to me.
When his eyes locked back on mine, he asked quietly, “You need me to help?”
There it was; the offer I needed. An offer that terrified me but I had no choice but to take it.
“Since I don’t know the system and you do and I love those kids and I need to get them away from that mess, yes. Any advice you can give me would be appreciated,” I answered and I did it fast before I lost the courage to do it at all.
His eyes kept mine captive but they changed. I couldn’t put my finger on how but however it was made a whoosh sweep through my belly.
“I can do more than advice, sweetheart,” he said, still talking quietly.
“Whatever you could do, Mitch, like I said, would be appreciated.”
His eyes moved over my face then when they caught mine again, he noted, “You care about them.”
“I love them.”
“Family?” he asked probingly.
“They’re great kids,” I answered telling him it was much more than blood ties.
“They love you,” he said softly.
“I know,” I replied just as soft.
“You’ve struggled with this awhile,” he surmised.
“Yeah,” I whispered.
He stayed leaned into his one hand, his other hand came up to curl around the side of my neck and his thumb swept my jaw as he said, “Makin’ the decision is half the battle, sweetheart.”
I sucked in breath through my nose, pulled my lips between my teeth and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I’d slid them away so I wasn’t looking at him.
I did this so I could admit, “If that’s true, then why am I scared to death of what’s to come?”
“’Cause it might get ugly. ‘Cause any change in life is scary. ‘Cause you avoid risk like the plague and this is a big one that’s gonna have a long-lasting effect on three lives. And ‘cause you’re not stupid.”
My eyes went back to his and I remarked, “Don’t sugarcoat it, Mitch. Give it to me straight.”
He chuckled and his fingers curled deeper into my neck before he said, “You’re gonna be all right, Mara, and they’re gonna be all right which is why you’re doin’ this in the first place. You gotta believe in that.”
“Right,” I muttered, my eyes sliding away again.
I got a squeeze at the neck and my eyes went back.