Page 40 of Recklessly Rogue

“You think you can bully Christopher into being a good guy?” I ask.

“I think we can make it easier for Christopher tobehavelike a good guy, than it is to behave like an asshole,” Mandy says. “We might not be able to change his heart, but we can make it damned uncomfortable toactlike a dickhead. And that’s what we need, right? For him to treat April well, no matter how he actually feels. She’s not going to stay married to him. She doesn’t need him to love her. She just needs him to not be abusive toward her or Elliot.”

I nod. “Christopher cares enough about what you think of him?”

Ada laughs lightly. “Christopher probably barely knows who the three of us are. But we know people who know people Christopher does care about. If the right people tell someone who matters to him the right information, it can influence him.”

“And you would do that?” I ask.

“Of course. Even if we didn’t know and like April, men abusing women and children is not something that’s going to stand in Emerald,” Ada says.

Mandy and Cecelia both nod.

“There are a lot of people in this town I don’t like,” Cecelia says. “But there are none who are going to publicly defend an abuser. I can confidently say that.”

“None who willpubliclydefend one,” I say. “Are there some who will privately support him?”

“Well, that’s the thing about a small town,” Cecelia says with a smile. “It’s damned near impossible to keep things private here.”

I think about that and realize that these three women know this town far better than I do and I should defer to their expertise. “Okay, if you say we can keep April safe while she’s working at Dick’s, I’ll keep it open.”

“How about you keep it open because it’s the right thing to do for everyone who needs it to be open?” Mandy asks. “And you trust us that April will be safe there because we say she’ll be safe there?”

I study them again for a long moment. I always get to call the shots and people always assume I know what I’m doing and that I’m right. Until now. Here in Emerald, I’m meeting resistance every time I try to make a decision.

“Your husband really drives you so crazy that you’ll help me keep Dick’s open so he has a place to go in the mornings?” I ask Mandy.

Mandy shakes her head. “My husband has been diagnosed with clinical depression. His medication and therapy help, but he needs to get out of the house, have hobbies, see his friends, feel like he’s a part of a group. Going to Dick’s is good for him.”

Well, damn. Fine. Dick’s stays open.

Closing it down was probably extreme anyway. But it was supposed to just be a bar. Now it’s…something else. I’m not entirely sure I understand all of it, but I’ll deal with it. Like I always do. Emerald, Ohio, can’t be more of a handful than the Cara royal family.

Probably.

“But Bendoesdrive me crazy enough that I’ll help you,” Ada says, unapologetically. “I find him charming and interesting even after forty-two years together which means he’s very distracting when he’s around. So he needs to be out of the house when I’m trying to get work done.”

I arch both brows. Did she just tell me that she can’t keep her hands off her husband when he’s in the house with her?

She gives me a wink. “Yes, I mean that just how it sounds.”

I laugh. “Fine. I’ll keep it open.”

“Good boy,” Cecelia says.

“As if I really had a choice.”

The three women smile. We all know the truth.

“I guess I better get these cinnamon rolls down to the bar. We wouldn’t want Ben and Will to decide they miss their lovely wives.”

“Definitely not,” Ada agrees, starting for the porch steps.

“Be sure you go in the back door,” Mandy says as she turns to leave. “Don’t want the guys to see you coming in with them.”

“And donotsend any of them home before two p.m.!” Ada calls from the passenger side of the car they all rode over in.

I simply lift my hand and wave as they pull out of the driveway.

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