Page 26 of Under Pink Skies

“I was surprised to hear that my uncle left town a while back.”

Ludgate’s face revealed nothing as he tucked his hat further into the crook of his elbow, readjusting his shoulders.

“Not before he lifted cash from the Roadhouse’s main till.”

I let out a harsh laugh that held no humor. “Doesn’t surprise me. He was never a stand-up guy.”

“That’s putting it generously.”

“Well, in case you weren’t aware, he died. About a year ago now.”

Ludgate nodded. “Can’t say I’m sad about that.”

We stood there staring at each other. I was grateful Ludgate didn’t offer his sympathies. Out of everyone in Watford, he was most likely to understand.

Ludgate had done what he could for me. As a kid, I hadn’t been willing to formally come forward with abuse allegations against my uncle, and Ludgate’s hands had been tied. I believed my uncle when he told me everyone hated me and no one would believe the word of some scrawny kid over a person they already feared.

“Have you seen her yet?” Ludgate finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I inhaled deeply, fixing my vision on a point behind his head.

“Yeah, I’ve seen her. Lucas and I just left Watford General.”

“Did she tell you what happened the other night?”

My gaze snapped back to his.

“What happened?” I demanded, my fingers twitching at my side. Though I knew I didn’t have a right to ask anything about her life, it didn’t stop me from wanting to defend her. Ludgate’s mouth twitched, almost like he wanted to smile, but he schooled his expression back into neutrality before I fully deciphered it.

“Malcolm’s not doing well, Connor. Hasn’t been in his right mind since Tilly died. He finds solace at the bottom of a bottle more nights than not.”

I closed my eyes as several emotions flooded me at once. A dagger in my chest would have hurt less than the knowledge that Abbie had most likely been doing everything on her own for years on end.

Alcoholism was a brutal beast that ravaged souls and tore families apart. I would know. I slipped my right hand into the pocket of my jeans, fiddling with my sobriety coin as I waited for Ludgate to continue.

“I’m probably not supposed to tell you this,” Ludgate muttered, his eyes flickering to the office door. “But my retirement is only a year away, so screw it. Two nights ago, Malcolm lost it. Publicly. Most folks around here had assumed he’d turned into a recluse. But you know how people talk. Malcolm was throwing bottles, screaming at passersby, asking where his wife was. Turned his anger toward Abbie. My partner and I stepped in before it escalated, but . . .”

“Christ,” I muttered, dragging a palm down the side of my face.

“We took him into custody that night, allowing Abbie a night of peace to get her bearings back. But it’s getting worse by the day. He’s in a bad way, Connor. I know it’s none of my business, but I’m worried about her.”

“She shouldn’t have to deal with this on her own,” I said.

Ludgate’s eyes flashed with something that looked an awful lot like anger.

“No, Connor, she shouldn’t have to. But she’s done a mighty fine job of keeping the store afloat since Malcolm became indisposed.”

“I don’t doubt that.”

Ludgate frowned. “I don’t mean to pry, or to put more on your plate, but you should check on her. She’s as stubborn as a bull, that girl of yours.”

I forced a tight smile, even though something in my chest cracked right down the middle.

“She’s not my girl anymore.”

Ludgate let out a boisterous laugh. The sound shocked me.

“She’s always been your girl, Harvey. Never stopped. Even when you left, she never stopped waiting for you.”

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