Adam took in a sharp breath. “That’s horrible.”
“I was able to wriggle out of his grasp. I ran into the house and hid under my bed until Wendy came looking for me. I was so scared I’d get in trouble, I never told anyone. Then when the other girl turned up missing, I locked it up in my head and convinced myself to forget it ever happened.” Her hands shook, and she twisted her fingers together.
He pulled her close, his strong arms enveloping her, wrapping her in warmth. “It wasn’t your fault,” he whispered into her hair.
She trembled, unable to stop. “I know, but if I had said something…” Her vision blurred.
He pulled back, his gaze intense. “You were only six years old. You probably couldn’t even have given them the license plate number.” He brushed a tear off her cheek with his thumb.
Megan blinked as she processed that thought. “You’re right. I didn’t think of that.”
He hugged her again, tucking her head under his chin. “You were so young. It’s very possible your account of the incident wouldn’t have stopped the man. You can’t hold yourself responsible.”
For the first time, Megan allowed the guilt to subside. And while she stood in the kitchen, wrapped in Adam’s warm embrace, she finally felt at peace.
19
Megan stepped back, suddenly embarrassedto be so close to Adam while wearing her silky robe and pajamas. She hadn’t meant to cling to him like Saran Wrap. She raked a shaky hand through her hair. Changing the subject would be good. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What was your earliest betrayal?”
Emotion played across his face, and he swallowed. He seemed to search for words for a moment. “Well, Mom leaving us, but I was too young to understand that. Later, I had a foster brother in one of my placements, Nathan. Something wasn’t quite right with the kid. I think his parents thought having another child around would be good for him.”
She nodded, silently encouraging him to go on.
“He acted like my friend, at first. He had a huge collection of Hot Wheels, and we’d spend hours playing with them on the basement carpet. The family had a pet dog. Beautiful collie named Butch. I loved that dog. I think Nate was jealous. One day I came home from school and Butch was lying on the front porch. At first I thought he was sleeping, but as I approached I saw blood. He’d been stabbed. A lot.”
Her stomach lurched, and her hand flew to her mouth, covering a gasp. “Nate did that?”
“Yes. They moved me to another family after that.”
“I’d hope so.”
“Last I heard, Nate was in jail for armed robbery.”
She nodded, unsure of what to say. “Wow.” She’d known he’d had a rough childhood, being ripped away from his father and put into foster care, but she’d had no idea it was that bad. What a traumatic event. The thought jumped in her head to pull him close, but she pushed it away. Instead, she put her hand over his.
He slid his other hand over hers, and squeezed. An unspoken communication passed between them. It was as if he understood why she was holding back, and accepted it. They stood for a few seconds, a feeling Megan couldn’t quite place coming over her. After a moment, Adam pulled his hand back.
“Okay. Your turn. Most painful childhood memory. Can’t be scraping your knees.”
“You’re right. All my painful memories have to do with my mother. She’s the one with the temper in our family.”
“Did she hit you?” he asked, quietly.
Megan shook her head. “No. But she threw things. Screamed at me. Told me I was no good. I wasn’t really thinking of a single incident. Life was better when she was at work, which was a lot of the time, so I was glad for that.”
“And your dad?” His tone was soft. Understanding.
“He always smoothed things out between Mom and me. We had a good relationship.” She blinked back sudden tears. “I miss him.”
“You don’t get to see him much?”
She shook her head. “No.” She could have gone into greater detail, but left it at that. With her mother being the way she was, it was difficult to spend time with her father. She forced a smile. “Okay, what about your biggest fear? It’s definitely not losing me.”
He chuckled, and she realized she liked the sound. It rumbled in his chest, making her pulse jump. “What, you don’t think I care about you?”
