Emma's Secret: A Novel by Steena Holmes Page A

at times, just like…
    He pushed the thought out of his mind. He’d never stop grieving the death of his child, but there was no sense bringing her into today’s conversation.
    “Well,” he continued, “Tiger whispered your name to me and all I heard was, ‘I’m me.’”
    Emmie shook her head. “That’s not what Tiger said.” She giggled as she sipped on the container of chocolate milk in front of her.
    Jack’s brow rose. “It’s not?”
    “Daddy, I wouldn’t say ‘I’m me,’ would I?” Emmie rested her elbow on the table and leaned her chin into the palm of her hand.
    Jack caught the way Peter cleared his throat. “Well, now, I’m not sure. Maybe Tiger heard you wrong?”
    Emmie glanced back at Jack. “Is that really what Tiger said?”
    Jack kept the smile off his face and nodded. “Scout’s honor.” He held up three fingers. “That’s where we got the name Emmie. Sure is close to Emma, though, isn’t it? Must be my bad hearing.” Jack winked.
    “That’s okay. Right, Daddy?”
    There was a hint of hesitation in her voice, and Jack winced. She was too young to be worried about things like that. And it wasn’t fair of him to put her in that position. Her real name was Emma. Not Emmie. He caught the look on Peter’s face, as if he were trying to figure out how to respond without hurting her feelings. It wasn’t right to put Peter in that position either.
    “Emma is a beautiful name. I think it’s the perfect name for a princess.” Jack reached for Emma’s hand and brought it to his lips. He laid a gentle kiss upon her palm, and she giggled.
    No matter what, she would always be his princess.

    Time stood still, and Peter had no idea what to say or how to react. A first for him. An image flashed in his mind of the first time he’d seen Jack.
    Peter had stood beside Megan, his arms encircling her waist in an attempt to keep her by his side. The screen door edged open, and Jack stepped through it. He was old and worn. Tears streaked down his face, and Peter could see the anguish in his eyes. He stared at them as if trying to tell them something, but whatever Jack had to say disappeared the moment Emma stepped out of the house.
    As soon as he saw her, he knew he’d recognize her anywhere. Her blonde hair, held in pigtails, framed a face that looked so much like Megan’s. His heart lurched. He didn’t expect this. He’d convinced himself that that day would be about accepting that Emma was really gone. After the way Detective Riley spoke to him on the phone, he’d been persuaded that this was the end to the small dream he’d held alive in his heart.
    When Detective Riley stopped them from running to Emma, it took everything inside Peter to stand still and allow the older man to say his good-byes. Peter would never forget his voice, the gruffness and loss the man struggled to mask. It hurt his heart to have the other man’s arms around his daughter, to see him place a kiss upon her forehead. He wanted to lash out, to protect his daughter the way he should have two years ago. But the look in Emma’s eyes stopped him. She loved the older man.
    Peter turned his gaze to Emma and Jack. He knew if Megan was here she’d have picked Emma up and taken her out of the store and back home within a heartbeat. And that had been his first reaction when Emma screamed.
    But it was the way she locked onto the older man and the smile on her face that had stopped him from reacting and set him instead to observing. She had actually laughed. It was a sound he wasn’t about to forget. For the first time since they’d brought her home, his daughter was happy, content. At peace.
    Maybe Jack wasn’t the monster they had made him out to be. Emma certainly didn’t think so, and he trusted her judgment, even if she was only five years old. He knew all about Stockholm syndrome, had read books on it late at night while the kids were in bed, but he didn’t think this was the case with Emma. They had never harmed