Free Songbird (A Sinclair Story #1) by Jaymin Eve

me,
I’m a big girl and I’ve been on my own since I was thirteen.” She paused. “No,
in all honesty I’ve been on my own since I was born, if you don’t count two
brief years where I had a sister.” She growled out her last words. “But you’re
right, we are from two very different worlds, and this could only end in
disaster.”
    She
turned then and left the room.

 
    Nathan wanted to punch
himself in the face as he watched her march out. She was strong, but he’d seen
the hurt in her eyes. Why the hell was he being such a good guy now? He wanted
her more than he wanted his next breath, but his track record at sticking
around was not the best. And for some reason he never wanted to be the reason
those sapphire eyes filled with pain. Better to not get involved. The Sinclairs
were really good at breaking things, and he could already tell that Melodee had
already had enough people try to break her.

 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter 5

 
 
    The night was uneventful.
Miguel checked in a few times, the last to announce the arrival of the foal. ‘A
prize winning colt’, he’d said proudly. Melodee stayed quiet after her
embarrassing episode of flirting upstairs. Jewel kept her busy, she was unsettled
through the night, and Melodee was getting the distinct impression that she had
a pacifier normally. She was trying to suck on anything that came near her little
rosebud lips.
    In
the early hours of the morning, when the storm sounded like it was dying down, Melodee
had just finished feeding Jewel and was walking slowly up and down the fire-lit
room, patting her back.
    “It’s
okay, baby girl,” she murmured against Jewel’s whimpering. It was too cold to
leave the warmth and she was trying not to wake the men. They’d been up and
down with the foal and were exhausted. “Do you have a sore belly, sweet?”
    Her
voice seemed to soothe her, along with the rhythm of walking. Jewel hiccupped a
few times, her blue eyes wet with unshed tears. Melodee couldn’t stop herself
from pulling her close and hugging her tight. Something about children got to
Melodee in a way nothing else ever could. Truly the only time humans were
allowed to be innocent. Well, not all children, but it should be the time for
innocence.
    “You
really want to keep her, Dee?” Nathan’s husky tones startled her. He’d taken to
calling her Dee and she couldn’t get him to stop. At least it wasn’t Mel; that
had been her mother’s pet name for her, and when she’d used it bad things would
happen.
    “It’s
impossible,” Melodee sighed. “They would never let me. Plus, I’m sure she has
family somewhere.”
    “And
if she doesn’t?” He repeated her words from earlier as he sat up on the couch.
Melodee’s eyes were drawn to the way his broad shoulders filled out the light
gray sweatshirt he wore. “They will take her into the foster system.”
    Melodee’s
features tightened as fear and fury simultaneously flooded her. “We can’t let
that happen, Nathan.”
    His
eyes sought hers until they clashed. “Trust me,” Melodee said, “there are too
many bad foster families.”
    “What
happened to you?” Nathan said. He pulled himself from the couch and moved to
tower over the two of them.
    Melodee
shrugged. “Selfish women with perverted husbands.” Her tone was light,
throwaway. “I know it’s not always like that. Others from the home said they
found wonderful families. But my experience was worlds from that.”
    “Are
you telling me that you were … abused?” He choked a little on the last word.
    Melodee
smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Let’s just call it attempted abuse. I
should be grateful that my useless parents at least gave me the skills to
defend myself. Even at thirteen.”
    Nathan
reached out and captured her free hand. “We will not let that happen to Jewel.”
    When
Jewel was finally asleep, Melodee sat on the couch, keeping the little girl
against her shoulder. Nathan sank in next to her. He was