Page 96 of Decoding Emma

Asher placed his hand on my leg.Heat followed, as it always did.My body recognized his touch and reacted.As they continued to chat about Doug, I thought back to the call from my parents a week ago.

They’d heard about Tri-O-Tech’s troubles from the news, and they were concerned.My father started pressuring me to make a statement, to come home and work from him.I couldn’t hide how upset they were making me.Asher took my phone out of my hand and calmly explained that no, Emma didn’t need to address the press.No, she wasn’t going to testify because the FBI had confessions.No, she wasn’t going to be homeless because she had him.Then he ended the call.

I’d stared at Asher before I burst out laughing as I pictured the outrage on my parents’ faces when he told them off and hung up.He did what I’d intended to do.

Asher was so good for me.I placed my hand over his and squeezed.He glanced at me and winked.

“Hey, Miles,” Lucas said.“Did you finish the paperwork for the forensic accountant?”

A more pleasant topic, in my opinion.

“Yeah.She’s arriving Monday, right?”

“Yes.I’ll meet her in the lobby and take her up to your office so you can get her all set up.”

“Forensic accountant?”I asked.“Don’t you have one on retainer?”

Lucas shook his head.“We don’t need one full time.But in this case, we’re buying one of our small supply companies, and something is fishy in their books, so I want a full forensic analysis before I agree to the purchase.”

That made sense.I hoped the forensic accountant was a male because I could see a woman being overwhelmed by Lucas.

“Once an accountant, always an accountant,” Josh commented.

“You got that right.”Lucas grinned.

I loved this camaraderie.The group had folded me into their team, and I didn’t mind it at all.No one here ever made me feel inferior.

“You okay?”Asher whispered in her ear.

“Fine.I’m just happy to be in such good company.”

“I like to think of them as a found family.”

My heart stuttered.“I like that.Found family.”

“And you’re a part of it.”

“Yes, I am.”My life had improved for the better, and I was no longer afraid of being social.I was happy to be a part of this found family and to have them in my life.

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