Emma's Heart (Brides of Theron 3) Read Free

would. 
    Emma had managed to save a good bit of money while in foster care from working any job she could find. So, when the time came to leave the only life she had known, she had enough money to set out on her own. It was her dream to move to Florida.  Once she was free, she bought a bus ticket and moved there to start a new life. She had never been on vacation in her entire life and always dreamed of visiting Disney World.
                  She settled herself in Orlando, Florida.  At the first opportunity, she went on her first visit to Disney World. It was the best time she had ever had in her life. She went on the rides, and walked through the parks just like a small child in awe. There were so many things to do and see, and she wasn’t going to leave until she saw every last bit of the grounds. She even managed to buy herself a couple of souvenirs to remember her visit. But, as it always did, the real world came back to slap her in the face. She quickly ran out of money, and needed a job in the worst way.
    It didn’t take her long to find a job waitressing. She had been working in Sammy and Beth’s diner for six years now. Over time, Sammy and Beth became the only true family that she had ever known. Sammy and Beth had been married for over thirty years.  They lost their only daughter, Katie, at the tender age of seven to cancer. They were constantly looking out for Emma and making sure that she had everything that she needed. At first it was uncomfortable having two people worrying about her like they did, but eventually she got used to it and accepted it, eventually letting down her guard. She had built a wall to protect herself from what had happened to her when she was still in one of her many foster homes.
     
    On the second day of working at the diner, Beth found Emma in the bathroom of the diner cleaning herself up by the sink.  Emma jumped when she heard Beth say “Emma, what are you doing?” Beth was looking wide eyed at the open book bag full of personal care items on the bathroom counter. “Don’t you have a place to stay honey?” 
    Emma didn’t want to be caught like this. “Actually, I don’t yet.” She looked down, away from Beth, and shook her head in shame, “I have no money, and I can’t rent anything without a deposit.  I have to wait until I get paid.  I didn’t want to ask you and Sammy for an advance because, it’s just not right. After all, we just met.” 
    Beth was quiet for just a moment.  “You know, Sammy and I own a few apartments just a couple of blocks from here.  The tenant we had in the efficiency just moved out.  It is small, and rent is pretty reasonable.  The guy left it a mess, but it has a bit of furniture and the basic kitchen stuff.  I think that maybe if you agree to clean it up, we can forget about a deposit.  What do you say?”
    “Beth, that’s just way too good to be true.  You don’t even know anything about me.  We just met just a couple of days ago.” Tears began to form in her eyes. “How do you know that I won’t just screw you over too?” she said as she wiped a falling tear with her finger.
    Emma saw Beth nod her head a bit and smile, “I have a good feeling about you, honey.  I just think that you might be down on your luck and might need a bit of help finding your feet.”  She watched as Beth approached her slowly, reaching out to give her a tight hug.  They spent an hour together sitting on the bathroom floor coming to an arrangement with the apartment.  Emma would work for room and board until she made enough to pay the rent.  Then they talked about what Emma had been through in her short life, and the obstacles she had overcome. 
    She told Beth that at the age of sixteen one of her foster fathers had broken her right arm when she tried to run away from his sexual advances. Luckily for Emma, his wife had come home unexpectedly, and had caught him in the act of assaulting her in their kitchen. She was removed