Her words trailed off, but not because she was breaking down further. Instead, she seemed to be centering herself, using a technique she said her aide—whom, given the connection, I now assumed was Liam—had taught her. Focus on your breathing, let it calm you, and then detach and focus on the situation at hand.
I wished I was smart enough to use it. It was a lot harder to detach when it was your own daughter who often needed help in some form or fashion.
“You could hire a bodyguard if you’re concerned about it?” I suggested. “I’m sure there are plenty of people in the area who—”
“No, it’s OK, I think I just had a moment where things snowballed mentally; it happens from time to time,” Emily said. “It’s never been that bad, but nothing has happened in the last two years. I think talking to Liam brought that all to the forefront and triggered me somehow.”
Now I felt terrible. My need to find the father—a father I’d probably never meet, if I were honest—had led to nothing on my end and enormous stress for Emily. It wasn’t much fair what I was doing to her, but now that it was starting…well, just because I felt terrible didn’t mean I should stop doing it.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, Kelly. You’re doing what you have to do for Charlotte. I’m glad to help, and really, this will pass.”
“I know, but Sean—”
“If Sean comes back, it will suck, but I can take care of myself,” she said, followed by a sigh that sounded more like she was trying to pep herself up. “Now, enough about me. Did you get the chance to talk to Liam yet?”
“Yeah,” I said, my voice kind of trailing off. It hadn’t exactly been a normal call—it didn’t feel like business talk, but I didn’t have anything concrete to demonstrate this.
“Yeah?” Emily said, a hint of curiosity in her voice. “What did you think?”
“I mean, he seems thorough and serious. Said that he’d set up a meeting soon. If you’re happy with him, I’m happy with him.”
“Oh, you’ll be more than happy with him.”
The hell? Did you get me a private investigator or a private investigator?
“He’s not only great at his job, but he’s also as handsome as they come,” she said, and I could practically hear her swooning over the phone. Emily never really hid when she found a guy attractive, for better and for worse. “I never did anything with him, but I would be lying if I said that I never fantasized about it.”
“Well, that’s great, I’m sure the hunk of a P.I. can’t wait to sleep with a crazy, divorced single mom who lives by herself with her one-year-old and her dog.”
At that, I looked outside. It was not late, and the sun was still out, but if I let this turn into one of our typical phone calls, I wouldn’t get a chance to have our afternoon walk with Bucky and Charlotte during the daylight. So I kept talking but started to prep Charlotte for a walk.
“Oh stop, you’re still hot and you still got a lot going for you. Even if you do live in the middle of nowhere.”
“I’m telling you, it’s the best decision I ever made in my life,” I said as I lifted Charlotte up. “You quickly learn living out here what you need and what you don’t need, and you don’t waste time with frivolous things like I did in Miami.”
The hitch in Emily’s voice was exactly what I would have done when I was married. In a sense, at the time, I had it all. An executive job, a hot husband, a house with a gate, a sports car, international travel at least three times a year—for pleasure, not for business—enough money to do whatever we wanted…and yet, I was fucking miserable.
Emily wasn’t quite as miserable as I was, save for when Sean was chasing her around, so the lifestyle made more sense for her, but it also gave her a bit of a blind spot and made it tough for her to recognize that the rural world was majestic, tough in the right ways, and fulfilling.
“But…but it’s so cold over there!”
“Nothing’s perfect,” I said as I opened the front door. And, interestingly enough, no, it wasn’t that cold today. Maybe by Florida standards, but not by Breckenridge standards.
“Wait, are you going outside right now? Alone?”
“I have Bucky. And if I really need it, I have my rifle.”
“A rifle?”
I laughed my ass off. Emily truly was the definition of lavish city girl. I loved her to death, but the mere thought of her camping, let alone using a rifle, was the stuff of comedy.
“Yeah, in case bears or cougars or assholes come by.”
“Oh my God, Kelly!” she said, and we both shared a laugh. Times had changed us, but at least we could still share the laugh. “Do you know how to use it?”
“It’s not for show,” I said. “Maybe I’ll use it on this Liam guy if he winds up failing at the job.”
“Oh Jesus, you’re such a mountain girl, Kelly,” Emily said with a laugh. “But I suppose the good news for you is that Liam never once even smiled at me flirtatiously, let alone did anything that would make me think we were about to get it on. So if you’re that worried about sleeping with him, he won’t give you the chance.”
My breath hitched.
“Is this one of those reverse psychology moments where you’re saying this so I’ll be into him, and then he’ll be into me, and then we’ll be happily ever after, the end?”
“No, no, he genuinely
