now?”
“There’s that horrible little money issue cropping it’s head up above the stone wall, isn’t it?”
Jason laughed, but he didn’t think it was funny that Emma thought of her hopes and dreams like a soldier sticking their head up over a stone wall, only to be shot down by her father’s tyranny. It’s yet another twist of the knife, the first wound was tearing into Emma’s body, not knowing she was a virgin.
Would he ever understand what she’d gone through living with that bastard of a father? The image of a freckle faced young girl, running quietly down the hallway and hiding in a closet came to mind. Apparently, Emma was still hiding in closets.
“Emma, the credit card I’m sending over is for you to use however you want. Please don’t hesitate to explore ideas. Will you do that for me?”
She couldn’t believe he was giving her a credit card with carte blanche. No restrictions? The only time she’d ever held money was when her father had given her some cash for a very specific reason. Even in school, she’d had to write home asking him for funds if there was an event. And normally, she’d simply forgo the event because humans from the male gender would also be attending. She knew that her father would never allow her to attend so she hadn’t asked.
“I can do that,” she said but she could barely squeeze out the words.
“Good. Now that’s settled. The cell phone and credit card will be there in about an hour. Go ahead and head over to Tandory’s. I know Laura will help you. I’m instructing her to send you home with several outfits so that you will be ready in case there’s something else you might help me with. Is that okay?”
“Yes. Absolutely,” she said, excitement rushing through her at the idea of new outfits. Hopefully, they were more exciting that these ridiculous jumpers.
“Great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven o’clock. The event is a dinner, but I’d like to take you out for a drink before the dinner. By then, have a list of ten things you’d like to try doing. Okay?”
“Yes,” she swallowed painfully. “I’ll be ready. Seven o’clock.”
Emma’s mind whirled with the possibilities as she stood up and walked into the kitchen where Nancy was busy making a sandwich for lunch. “I know you’re probably not hungry,” she said, “but you haven’t eaten since breakfast yesterday. So I’m going to insist that you eat something.” Nancy stood there with the sandwich on a plate complete with freshly cut up fruit.
Emma looked down at the fancy plate and blinked. “That’s lovely, Nancy,” she said and took the plate. She didn’t head into the dining room where she normally ate in opulent, but lonely splendor. She took the plate to the side table and sat down on one of the stools. “I was hoping you might help me with something.”
“Of course,” Nancy replied, wiping down the counters and putting things aw ay. “What did you have in mind? ”
“That’s sort of the issue. I don’t have anything in mind. And Jason wants me to come up with several hobbies I’d like to pursue. I don’t even know what the possibilities are.”
Nancy gazed at the lovely woman perched on the stool and her heart squeezed for the child who had been so emotionally abused throughout her young life. There had been so many times Nancy had wanted to leave but protecting this girl, now a woman, had kept her here. Nancy had ensured that there would always be a closet or cabinet with enough space to hide the little girl who needed to escape from her father’s wrath. She hid anything that Emma might have left out, even though she’d been forbidden to clean up after her. There were so many little things she’d done, but maybe they’d all been too little. This young woman with the stunning face and a figure women would
“There’s that horrible little money issue cropping it’s head up above the stone wall, isn’t it?”
Jason laughed, but he didn’t think it was funny that Emma thought of her hopes and dreams like a soldier sticking their head up over a stone wall, only to be shot down by her father’s tyranny. It’s yet another twist of the knife, the first wound was tearing into Emma’s body, not knowing she was a virgin.
Would he ever understand what she’d gone through living with that bastard of a father? The image of a freckle faced young girl, running quietly down the hallway and hiding in a closet came to mind. Apparently, Emma was still hiding in closets.
“Emma, the credit card I’m sending over is for you to use however you want. Please don’t hesitate to explore ideas. Will you do that for me?”
She couldn’t believe he was giving her a credit card with carte blanche. No restrictions? The only time she’d ever held money was when her father had given her some cash for a very specific reason. Even in school, she’d had to write home asking him for funds if there was an event. And normally, she’d simply forgo the event because humans from the male gender would also be attending. She knew that her father would never allow her to attend so she hadn’t asked.
“I can do that,” she said but she could barely squeeze out the words.
“Good. Now that’s settled. The cell phone and credit card will be there in about an hour. Go ahead and head over to Tandory’s. I know Laura will help you. I’m instructing her to send you home with several outfits so that you will be ready in case there’s something else you might help me with. Is that okay?”
“Yes. Absolutely,” she said, excitement rushing through her at the idea of new outfits. Hopefully, they were more exciting that these ridiculous jumpers.
“Great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven o’clock. The event is a dinner, but I’d like to take you out for a drink before the dinner. By then, have a list of ten things you’d like to try doing. Okay?”
“Yes,” she swallowed painfully. “I’ll be ready. Seven o’clock.”
Emma’s mind whirled with the possibilities as she stood up and walked into the kitchen where Nancy was busy making a sandwich for lunch. “I know you’re probably not hungry,” she said, “but you haven’t eaten since breakfast yesterday. So I’m going to insist that you eat something.” Nancy stood there with the sandwich on a plate complete with freshly cut up fruit.
Emma looked down at the fancy plate and blinked. “That’s lovely, Nancy,” she said and took the plate. She didn’t head into the dining room where she normally ate in opulent, but lonely splendor. She took the plate to the side table and sat down on one of the stools. “I was hoping you might help me with something.”
“Of course,” Nancy replied, wiping down the counters and putting things aw ay. “What did you have in mind? ”
“That’s sort of the issue. I don’t have anything in mind. And Jason wants me to come up with several hobbies I’d like to pursue. I don’t even know what the possibilities are.”
Nancy gazed at the lovely woman perched on the stool and her heart squeezed for the child who had been so emotionally abused throughout her young life. There had been so many times Nancy had wanted to leave but protecting this girl, now a woman, had kept her here. Nancy had ensured that there would always be a closet or cabinet with enough space to hide the little girl who needed to escape from her father’s wrath. She hid anything that Emma might have left out, even though she’d been forbidden to clean up after her. There were so many little things she’d done, but maybe they’d all been too little. This young woman with the stunning face and a figure women would
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