Emmitt's Treasure: Judgement of the Six Companion Series, book 2 by Melissa Haag Read Free Book Online

moved to step off the porch.  At the last minute, Michelle seemed to change her mind and quickly sat on a step.  She reached down and removed her shoes.  The boys quickly did the same.  When they were done, they held hands again and walked onto the grass.
    “It’s like they’ve never been outside before,” Jim said quietly.
    “I know.”
    “And you met her at a diner?”
    “Yeah, she’s running from someone.  I heard three names.  Blake, Richard, and David.  I knocked David out and helped her escape.  I think that...I think someone might have kept her inside.”
    “You mean locked up?”
    “I don’t know.  She didn’t have any bruises on her wrists or feet that I could see.  But that doesn’t mean anything, right?”
    Jim nodded slowly.  “If she’s not ready to share her past, it’s going to take some time to solve who she is and where she came from.”
    “Does any of that matter?  She’s here, and I’ll keep her safe.”
    “How can you keep her safe when you don’t know what to watch for?  You’ll need to figure out her past to protect her future.”
    He was right.
    We watched them walk around on the grass.  My heart broke for Michelle and whatever she’d suffered, and I hoped learning my secret wouldn’t add to it...or keep her from trusting me.
    After several minutes, Michelle looked up and caught us watching her and the boys.  She nervously cleared her throat and turned to her brothers.
    “What do you want to play?”
    “There’s no swing,” Liam said as he looked around the yard with a very serious expression.
    “We need a swing set,” Jim said to me.
    “Yep.”
    Michelle bent and plucked a blade of grass from the overgrown lawn.
    “We don’t need one to play.  Here.”  She handed each boy a blade of grass and proceeded to teach them how to make the most awful, piercing whistle using the grass, their thumbs, and cupped hands.
    “Sounds like you when you snore,” I said.
    “She knows my mating call,” Jim said with a grin.
    I smacked the back of his head then went to work cleaning the mower.  Jim assisted, if I could count handing me tools while he sat watching the three play as assisting.
    A while later, we both heard someone’s stomach growl.
    “I’m hungry,” Jim called out.  “Anyone else?”
    Aden immediately answered with a quiet, “Me.”
    “Keep working on him,” I said quietly to Jim as we stood.
    “You got it, brother.”
    We started toward the house.  The boys quickly stood and headed that way too, but Michelle was a little slower.  She frowned as she got to her feet.  With each distracted step she took, the frown marring her forehead increased.  When the boys hesitated, she motioned them ahead but bit her lip as she followed us to the porch.  Her brothers stopped to wait for her.  So did I.  She noticed and hurried to catch up.  Jim was already in his apartment, humming happily.
    Standing aside, I let them enter.  As she passed, I inhaled softly.  She was worrying heavily.  Did she think we didn’t have enough food?
    “Not sure what I’m hungry for,” Jim said.  He glanced back at Aden and nodded his head toward the fridge.  “Peanut butter and jelly?”
    Aden gave a slight shake of his head.  While Jim went back to staring at the contents of the fridge and teasing Aden to creep closer, I watched Michelle.  She was studying Jim and Aden intently.  I glanced at the pair and saw Aden standing beside Jim, looking into the fridge.  The little guy barely came to Jim’s thigh.  Was she worried about Jim?
    “I have some fish gill paste with broccoli,” Jim said just then.  “Does that sound good?”
    Maybe she did need to worry.
    Aden quickly shook his head.
    “Yeah, I don’t like it either,” Jim said.  “It’s Emmitt’s.  What about a ham and cheese sandwich?”
    Aden nodded enthusiastically, and Jim had him assist in making us all sandwiches.  The whole time Michelle kept a close eye on the pair.
    Before we