Free The Edge of Heaven by TERESA HILL

said."
    "Somebody told me Sam's been here since he was fourteen or fifteen?"
    "That's right." Emma frowned at the third column on her side, making minute adjustments to the lights, seemingly concentrating on nothing but that. "Rachel talks about the first time she ever saw him, when she was thirteen, and he's two years older than she is. So he would have been fifteen. Why?"
    He shrugged. "It's a long time to stay in one town."
    "Not really. Rachel was born here. Her father. Her aunts. And they're all still here. I know it sounds odd to a lot of people these days, but they've all stayed close to home. All except my Aunt Ann. What about you? Your family doesn't know how to stay in one place?"
    "Last I heard, they were right where I left 'em," he said.
    "And when was that? The last time you heard from them?"
    He tucked the end of the last strand on his side into place and suddenly wished he weren't done. "Almost eight years ago."
    She paused and looked at him. "Rye? How can you not speak to your family for eight years?"
    "We're not exactly close," he said evasively.
    "Siblings?" She went back to fiddling with her lights, but he thought one more time that she knew.
    "I was an only child," he said. He'd been raised that way, hadn't been told otherwise until he was fifteen.
    "Oh. I can't imagine that. I can't imagine being without my family."
    "Well, you didn't have a family like mine," he said, hoping he didn't sound as bitter as he still felt at times.
    "Mine's not exactly your typical American family, either," she said, still working diligently, still not looking at him.
    "I know. Sorry. I didn't mean to imply that everything's been easy for you." Hell, no way it could have been. She said her father had beat her mother, and somehow she'd come to be adopted by the people she now called her parents.
    "We all need people we can count on," she said.
    "Do we?"
    "Yes," she insisted, getting to her feet and handing him what was left of her strand of lights to put up the last column.
    He could reach the top much easier than she could. She wasn't that tall, and she might be strong, but if anyone wanted to hurt her... It made him mad all of a sudden. All this talk about family, but look at the shape she was in, counting on someone like him to take care of her.
    "Who exactly are you counting on right now, Emma? Where is this wonderful family of yours when you need them?"
    "You don't know what you're talking about."
    "What's to know? Look at you." He did, finally. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, but he knew where the bruise was. "Your ex-boyfriend hit you and now he's calling here and scaring you half to death. If Sam McRae's such a fabulous father, where the hell is he?"
    "He doesn't know Mark hit me. If he did, he'd be here in a second."
    "So why haven't you told him? He's your family now. He's supposed to be the one you can count on when things get tough."
    "I do." She crossed her arms, looking like she was stubborn enough that it would take a bulldozer to move her. "He's always been here for me."
    "But not now? Come on? I know how scared you are." And he knew about needing people and having them turn their backs on you. He knew about how ugly life could get.
    "He needs to be there right now."
    "Because your aunt's having trouble with her baby?" He finished with the damned lights. What was he supposed to do now?
    "No, because if her baby comes now, it may well die."
    "Which would be bad," he admitted. "But you're his daughter, and you need him."
    "I happen to think there are other people who need him more."
    "How can that possibly be?"
    She rolled her eyes and groaned, then said, "Where are your keys?"
    "What?"
    "The keys to your truck? Do you have them with you?"
    "Yes." He pulled them out of his pocket and held them up. "So?"
    "So, we're going somewhere. You can drive. Just let me get my purse and lock up the house."
    "Where are we going?"
    "I'm through trying to tell you about why Sam isn't here. I'm going to show you."
    "Show