remain calm in the moment.
But not this time. Emmy was different.
I couldn’t lose her.
You might have already lost her, I thought to myself.
No, I couldn’t give up. I would find her and I would bring her home and keep her safe.
I reached the end of the property line and still no sign of her. I turned back toward the road, and every step filled my heart with dread. I saw movement several feet in front of me at the water’s edge. She was clearly looking for a way to cross when she saw me.
We both stood frozen, staring at each other through the lashing downpour. “Emmy!”
I rushed toward her, my heart flooded with relief and happiness. She was alive. She wasn’t as happy to see me, clearly. She took off running away from me.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as her foot slipped at the edge of the river. The soil under her feet gave way. She screamed as her feet slipped out from underneath her. I lunged forward and reached her. Her hands were scrabbling at the loose soil that gave away with each grasp. I grabbed her hand just as her feet came within inches of the water.
“Graham,” she sobbed.
“It’s okay, Emmy. I got you,” I soothed, pulling her up the embankment. My heart was racing, and I wouldn’t be content until Emmy was back on solid ground. She was on her hands and knees at first, and I knelt next to her. “Are you okay?”
“I think so, yes,” she mumbled, not meeting my eyes.
“Here, let me—” I offered her my hand.
“I can stand on my own,” she said, resisting my help.
I remained close, ready to catch her in case she fell, but she pulled herself to her feet. She was shaking, but she managed to stand. And that’s when I lost it. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest.
“Don’t you ever do anything like that again, you hear me? I was so scared, Emmy. I thought I lost you.”
She stilled in my arms.
“Emmy, I thought I lost you,” I repeated more urgently, pulling back enough to look her in the eyes. I lifted her chin up to meet my gaze.
“Graham, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay,” she said softly.
“Yes, you can! It’s a misunderstanding. All of it, I promise,” I said earnestly, hoping she’d let me explain.
“How can I trust you? I hardly know you.”
“You do know me. You’ve seen the real me, Emmy.”
“Have I? Then why are you sending money to Jack Wiley?”
“Because Jack’s our half-brother,” I confessed. “And those checks you saw? They were his part of the inheritance from our father.”
“But—he killed his dad,” she stammered.
“No, he didn’t… It was all a mistake. The man that died wasn’t even his real dad, and he didn’t do it. Glen was involved with some dangerous men, just like you, Emmy, and we helped him. Just like we’re going to help you.”
She stared at me for a long time, judging my words. “How do I know that’s true?”
“Well, for one thing, you can Google it once we’re back at the house, and if you dig deeper than the first few hits on Jack, you’ll see that he was completely exonerated and you can read the whole story. You don’t have to take my word for it. But you’ll have to trust me enough to go back to the house.”
I wished she trusted me, but I couldn’t force it. She’d been hurt by the one man who was supposed to protect her above all else, and I knew it would take time for her to trust me.
But I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“Do you trust me, Emmy?” I asked.
“I do… I mean, I believe you, Graham. But I can’t afford to be wrong. I’m afraid and it’s not just my life I have to worry about now.”
“What do you mean?” I cocked my head to the side.
“No more secrets between us, okay?”
Emilia
The look on Graham’s face - the way he was relieved when he saw that I was okay. The pain and panic in his voice when he called for me. All of this made me want to believe him.
No, it made me believe him.
And I knew I had to tell him.
“I’m pregnant, Graham. I’m carrying your baby.” I let it all out, and as soon as I did, I began to panic.
Graham stumbled backward, almost as if he’d lost his balance. “Did you just say you’re—”
“Yes,” I reiterated.