Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
"It all depends on the women," Kincaid says.
"And it's all or nothing?"
He shakes his head.
"No. If women want to stay at Juniper House, we will continue to provide security and resources."
"And if Juliet chooses to go to work instead of staying here?"
"Then Juliet gets to make her own life choices, and we can't fight her on that. Protecting her and forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do makes us no better than the abusers, even if it's for her own good," Kincaid says. "We aren't in the business of keeping prisoners and taking freedoms away from women."
"Yes, sir," I say, understanding this but also knowing it's a fine line between fully protecting her and trapping her.
"I'll let everyone know what the decision is as soon as I know," Kincaid says. "Meeting dismissed."
The scrape of chairs on the concrete floor fills the room, but no one moves faster than I do.
I tug open the heavy conference room doors and look in the direction I left Juliet. My heart pumps faster when I see the sofa filled with kids rather than Juliet sitting there.
"Kitchen," Gigi says with a chuckle as she walks past me, as if she knows my entire life story.
I look to my left, seeing the flash of her hair as she walks toward the sink.
Relief washes over me, and I take a few deep breaths so I won't seem as crazed as I feel when I step into her line of sight.
Maybe I'm seeing more in her response at the sight of me than is actually there, but she glances over her shoulder at me, her face transforming into a bright smile.
She doesn't stop what she's doing, which appears to be helping Emmalyn make lunch, but she seems happier with me around.
I'm not one to picture myself in any sort of domestic relationship, but it doesn't stop my mind from seeing her in a kitchen we share, a place where she's happy and safe and free from the fear she has been living with for so long.
I know I can't be the one to give her a life that looks like that, but she deserves one, nonetheless.
"We're just about done," she says.
I stand to the side, waiting to speak with her, my eyes tracking every move she makes.
She doesn't seem completely unnatural in the kitchen, and there really isn't a way to mess up fruits, vegetables, and sandwiches, but she also seems to be a little out of her element, deferring to Emmalyn with a handful of questions.
I get the sneaking suspicion that she's afraid she's going to mess up or disappoint the other woman.
Em is patient, giving her the information she asks for and directing her on what to do next.
When the meal is prepared and sitting on one of the long tables in the kitchen, I watch her take a step back and look at it with such pride.
She gives a hundred percent, no matter what she's doing, and that says a lot about her character, considering the sacrifices she’s had to make to stay safe for so long.
I can't help but wonder if she feels like all the energy until this point has been wasted, considering Whitmore has been in prison up until the last eighteen months.
Does she wish she had stayed closer to home until he was released and then changed her life?
Does she regret even coming to New Mexico?
Maybe she thinks this last move is what triggered her ex into action.
I know Kincaid shared what has happened recently, but I doubt they told her about his obsession in prison, because it would serve no purpose other than to make her more fearful.
She glances at me again, her smile growing, and it's a vast difference from the terrified and trembling woman I left in the living room an hour ago.
Em walks past, winking at me as if she knows just how grateful I am to her for helping Juliet settle by giving her something else to focus on.
"Hungry?" Em asks.
"Not right now," I tell her, looking over her shoulder at Juliet.
We have a lot to discuss, and since I have no way of knowing which direction she'll go, I'd like to get it over with so preparations can be made either way.
"We'll have something a little more adult-friendly for dinner," Em assures me.
"Nothing wrong with sandwiches," I assure her as she walks away.
"Hey," Juliet says as she steps closer.
"We need to talk," I tell her, wishing I had the ability to approach shit in a softer way when her smile immediately vanishes.
Chapter 38
Juliet
"It's busy in here," I say when I step out of the kitchen.
Kids of all ages run around, laughing and playing without a care in the world. Amelia seems to be the oldest, and a handful are still in diapers.
Gigi and several other women mingle about, making corrections when needed, but overall it looks like controlled chaos.