you could enjoy them in the summer. I also remember how happy you looked when you told me that story.” Cain stood up and moved slowly to where Emma was standing. “These are for you, love.” She handed the flowers over. “I didn’t grow them, I’ll admit, but I hope they make you just as happy.”
“You make me happy,” she said.
“I can only hope that’s true too, because I don’t ever want you to leave here, and I want you to feel like this is your home. If you don’t, we’ll look for another one.”
Emma put her flowers down and moved into Cain’s arms. “I don’t ever want to leave, and I think the house is as perfect as you are. There’s only one way to be sure, though.”
“More flowers?” asked Cain teasingly.
Emma shook her head and looked up into the twinkling blue eyes. “More of you.”
From that day on, a crystal vase full of sunflowers stood on the nightstand on her side of the bed. They always made Emma feel special because, unlike most of the things in Cain’s life that she delegated to others, she always chose and bought the sunflowers herself. Over the years she became a fixture at least twice a week in the flower section at the French market.
“You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, sweetling.”
The raspy voice made Emma realize that during her musings she had taken a seat on the bed to be close to Cain. “Sorry,” she said as she started to move away.
“Don’t go. I want to tell you something.” Cain’s movements were still a bit uncoordinated, but she managed to wrap her hand around Emma’s wrist.
“I know I’m not your favorite person, but there’s also a limit to how much I can take in a day, and it’s been a hell of a day already.” Emma was intent on getting up, sure that in Cain’s weakened condition she could break the hold easily.
“Please stay. I don’t want to pile it on, Emma. I want to apologize for my earlier outburst. Hayden’s responsible for his actions, no matter what you told him. I shouldn’t have jumped all over you like I did.”
“Cain, I understand you were upset. You don’t have to apologize.” Emma relaxed and smiled because Cain hadn’t moved her hand even though it was apparent that she wasn’t going to get off the bed. “I should’ve waited until you were awake before I told Hayden about Hannah. It really isn’t my intention to replace you or diminish your place in his life.”
“Come on, Emma. You’ve got me on my back and apologizing to you. I say you should go with it and enjoy.” Cain squeezed the delicate wrist under her fingers. “Now tell me what’s got you looking even more depressed than when you left.”
“Actually, I have good news for you.”
“Tell me what’s bothering you?”
“Why would you care?” The question wasn’t sarcastic, and Emma didn’t mean it to be.
“Does the why matter? Shouldn’t the fact that I care enough to ask mean something?”
Emma dipped her head a little as if she expected a physical blow instead of an answer to her question. “I really don’t want to play twenty questions with you, so could you just answer me?”
“I care because of who you are and what you mean to my life, Emma. I care because, despite our past and our future, you’re the mother of my children. And because you are, I care about your happiness.”
Glassy green eyes from unshed tears peeked at Cain from behind a veil of pale blond hair. “Thank you. I’m sure admitting that was harder than taking a bullet for me.”
Cain laughed, thinking Emma still knew her well. “So reward me for my show of compassion.”
“I was thinking of sunflowers and better times. Silly, I know, but I was watching you sleep and it reminded me of those flowers. I grew them again when I left, well, for the first summer anyway. They made me cry so damn much I asked my father to rip them out.” The tears she had tried to fight rolled down her cheeks. Emma had grown accustomed to them, but they did something to Cain.
“History can be a wicked mistress, can’t she, lass?” Cain patted the hand lying on the bed and relaxed her face into a smile. “She can twist our most precious memories into our worst sources of pain.”
“I gave up so much, and I won’t ever get it back, will I?”
“You’ve gotten a little of Hayden back, haven’t you?” Cain laughed at Emma’s shocked expression. “Come now, sweetling. You and Merrick might’ve gotten caught up in the excitement, but someone in the house was bound to call me. How’s he look?”
“Like you in all the pictures I’ve seen when you were his age. He was scared, but I think fear of facing you won out over anything Bracato could’ve done to him. Do you think just this once you could go easy on him?”
“Did he ask you to ask me that?”
Emma quickly covered Cain’s hand with hers. “No, you know better. He would take a beating before he begged for leniency.”
“Go get him, and don’t worry about a beating. Even if I felt up to it, that’s not my style.”
The tease made Emma laugh, and the hand still under hers gave her a glimmer of hope for the future. “I’ll go get him.”
The guards around the waiting room were trying their best to keep their eyes on the hall and not on the little girl sitting on Hayden’s lap giggling at the story he was telling her. Hannah had taken to her big brother in a way that surprised even the hardest of Cain’s men. It was the first time Emma had seen their teeth, their smiles were so big.
“Hayden,” Emma interrupted him.
“She’s awake?”
