Dee swiped her wrist under her nose. “I hope so. It’s just tough to trust my judgment after the way I fell for a man like that. I haven’t spoken to my parents in years. Other than sending them an occasional picture of Evan, we haven’t had contact since I married Blane.”
That explained the old picture. But it didn’t explain how a parent gave up on a child. That he couldn’t understand. Hadn’t anyone stood by this woman the way she deserved? “How long were you married?”
“Eight years.”
“You married young, then.” And went right from her unforgiving parents to an unfaithful husband. No wonder she instinctively resisted leaning on anyone.
“I was a late-in-life child for my parents. They petted me, took care of everything for me. Sounds pretty pathetic when I say it out loud.” She traced along a patch on his sleeve, her fingers sketching over a stitched flag. “They didn’t like Blane. I made my first big stand in marrying him, and was too prideful to admit to them I was wrong.”
“Everybody makes mistakes. That’s life. Sounds like your parents didn’t give you a chance to learn from making them.”
Dee’s hand abandoned the quilt to cup his face. “You’re sweet, trying to let me off the hook like that, but I’m responsible, too. I can’t bear to think of all the military members he has put in jeopardy for greed.”
He couldn’t let himself think overlong on how the man had been sending defective parts for the very planes Jacob had worked to keep in perfect condition. A crash because of mechanical failure would be a guilt he couldn’t live with.
His grip tightened and Dee winced. He stared into those brown eyes and saw the hurt and shame she couldn’t hide. “Dee, it’s not your fault. None of it. You’re not responsible for what your husband did and you’re not to blame for how your parents have acted.”
He kissed her before she could argue, because he couldn’t wait another minute to taste her, and because he knew she’d have to close her eyes.
Dee ended the kiss with a brief tug on his bottom lip. “Guess I inherited that stiff-necked prideful nature from my parents, a part of why they had no reason to miss us when Blane dumped me in the middle of nowhere.”
What would happen to Emily and Madison if the next time he flew into combat, he didn’t make it home? Chase hadn’t proven himself to be much in the way of support—emotional or otherwise. Jacob’s grip around Dee tightened. He couldn’t stand to think of his sister as vulnerable and alone as this woman.
She snuggled closer and continued talking. “It still gives me chills to think of how easily I fell off the map. I’d quit my job to move away from Blane, so even my friends weren’t expecting to hear anything from me. I’d put all my furniture in storage and moved into a resort weekly rental condo while I lined up job interviews in nearby towns midyear—I’m a preschool teacher.”
“That explains your obsession with hats.” And why she’d been so good with Emily and Madison.
Jacob’s arms twitched protectively around Dee as his thoughts flew back to the previous night. Chase would spend another few hours in jail before his parents would be able to spring him. Jacob forced his breathing to level out and reminded himself he hadn’t had a choice.
No one would hurt her again, not Chase, not her worthless son of a bitch ex-husband.
Jacob thought of the uncharacteristic red dress. Another clue he’d missed. His instincts had all but clubbed him over the head that the clothes didn’t match the woman inside. “The red dress wasn’t yours?”
She shuddered. “Not even close.”
“Lambert?”
“He tossed out my clothes when I was sleeping. I still can’t believe I even managed to fall asleep that night. I just remember lying down beside Evan to help him settle and I must have drifted off for a few minutes out of sheer exhaustion. When I woke, he’d undressed me, thrown out my clothes and had that red dress waiting. Just the style his mistress liked.” Shuddering, Dee tugged the blanket closer around herself. “Blane always did have a sick sense of humor. I could have died out there without warm clothes and he would have gotten away with Evan.”
Jacob’s muscles contracted, and he forced himself not to hold her too tightly. He wanted to kill Lambert, with his hands, a gun, it didn’t matter.
Dee squirmed in his arms, and Jacob loosened his hold. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She snuggled closer as rays of sunshine pushed through the clouds to glitter off the picture window glass.
Their night together had ended.
Dee stared at the computer screen in the police cubicle. Her picture stared right back from a god-awful driver’s license photo. Shoulder-length hair had been restrained with a headband. Her smile was overbright, her eyes wide as if the flash had caught her unawares.
Little had she known how life would blindside her just as unexpectedly.
Amazing how much younger she’d looked a mere three years ago, mistakenly thinking she had her world in order—marriage, son, job. All a sham. A false sense of security. She’d been too young and trusting. Not anymore. She owed Evan.
She also owed Jacob for his faith when he’d had no reason to take her in. Steady and constant, he sat next to her, walking her through the process of telling her story—again.
The detective nodded to the computer. “Okay now, Mrs. Lambert. You’re who you say you are.”
Startled, Dee glanced up. “Of course I am.”