Page 76 of The Hermit on the Hill

"Love you, too, sweetie." She didn't let me go, though. "Your father and I made a mistake when we refused to pay for your college education. It took us a few years to figure it out, and when we realized we'd truly lost you,…" She pressed her lips together, eyes damp. "We went the opposite direction with May and just paid for as much education as she wanted, no matter what major she chose. I want you to know we weren't playing favorites. We were just trying to do what was best for you and we…" She rubbed her hands on her slacks. "We messed up, Jenna."

It had hurt, years ago, when I'd realized they were footing the bill for all the different degrees May started and didn't finish. I eventually decided it was because she was the baby of the family, and I let it go.

"I know, Mom. You've never played favorites."

She and my dad had been equally hard on all of us in their own way.

"Well, I want to pay off your student loans for you, Jenna. I should have done it years ago and now that you're going to be a mother…"

"You don't have to do that." I pressed a hand to my chest to ease the odd ache there.

"I do. Please let me do this for you. You don't need anything for this baby, so let this be my gift to you."

"Mom, I—"

"No strings." She stood. "This is me righting a wrong."

I wasn't sure I believed her, but I also couldn't turn her down, not when she looked on the verge of tears. Not to mention that having those loans paid off would be a tremendous relief.

"Thank you, Mom."

She pulled me in for another quick hug, sniffling, before she let me go. "You go home and get some sleep if you want to. You look exhausted, and everyone will understand."

My exhaustion was more emotional than physical, the product of a broken heart and an afternoon of forcing a happiness I didn't feel.

"I'm okay. I just need a few minutes to recharge."

She pressed a kiss to my cheek and left.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Sam

Iheard the truck pull down the driveway and set aside the packing tape to grab my gun. When I stepped onto my front porch and saw two trucks in my driveway, both filled with men, I lifted the gun and aimed.

"Put that thing away." Cody hopped out of the first truck. "I can see from here it's a tranq gun."

I pulled the tranq gun away from my shoulder and looked it over. "I could still take you down."

"You can't do shit until my brother gives you the ammo. And I'm a hell of a lot bigger than a bobcat."

Jared pulled a live catch cage from the back of his truck. "Thought we were just setting the trap today?"

"That bobcat shows up when I least expect him," I said. "If you give me the ammo, I might get him without the cage."

"Put the gun down." George hefted a large bucket from the bed of the second truck. "Unless you want it covered in maple syrup."

"Save it for after we set the trap," Jared said. "I need him to show me where the cat hangs out."

I walked down the steps toward those chuckleheads. It would have been a hell of a lot easier to just kill the cat, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It's not like Catrick had done anything wrong.

I couldn't risk him hurting my son, but bobcats didn't attack humans, not even children, unless they were rabid, so I couldn't justify doing more than vaccinating the pest against rabies. A decision that had required me swallowing my pride and asking Jared for help.

Once I'd explained why I wanted to do it, he hadn't yelled or questioned me. He'd just agreed to help, arranged a time, and hung up.

"You look like hell," Noah said. "Being a heartless asshole rough on you?"

"I've been busy."

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