Page 93 of Surly Sheriff
“You got tears in your eyes, Momma. Are you sad?”
Oh, Jack …
She fell to her knees and hugged her son close, swallowing back the tears.I’m so, so sorry, Jack.“Just a bit of dust in Momma’s eyes.”
“Rae?” Oliver touched her shoulder, and she glanced up at him. “How about I take Jack to meet my daughter, Molly” — he pointed to the children’s section where a curly-haired girl kneeled on a beanbag before the low table — “while you and Bella talk?”
She swiped a finger under her eye, not surprised when it came back wet, and looked at Jack. “Would you like to go play with Molly? Maybe she can help you find the puppy puzzle on the shelf? And maybe, as a special treat for being the bestest boy ever, Momma can buy it for you?”
Jack nodded eagerly. “Okay, Momma.”
“Good.” She dropped a kiss on the tip of his nose, pushed to her feet, and watched Jack walk away with Oliver.
“Your son will be fine with Oliver,” a woman said, drawing up beside her.
Rae turned to face the person. It was Oliver’s wife. “I know.”
“Not so sure if you’ll be fine after Bella’s done with you.”
She looked past the woman but couldn’t find her sister-in-law.
“In the office,” Sunny said.
Rae nodded and made her way through the store. “Hey,” she whispered, stopping inside the doorway.
Bella spun around. “So. You’re back.”
The statement didn’t require an answer, and Rae gave none.
“With a kid.”
Again, no reply needed.
“Is he Beau’s?” Bella asked, clenching and unclenching her hands.
Rae shifted her feet. “Yes.”
Bella surged forward and shoved her palms against Rae’s shoulder. “How could you?”
Rae staggered back into the hallway. “I—”
But Bella gave her no opportunity to talk. “You destroyed my brother,” she said in a fierce whisper, her face mere inches from Rae’s. “It would’ve been kinder to put a bullet through his heart. He searched for you, Raegan. Days,weekswent by, until Nate hauled his ass back from Florida. He hardly slept, he certainly didn’t eat, just drank and worried himself into a stupor. And that’s when he got the PI’s report and discovered—”
“What?” Beau had gone to Florida? And …PI?“Beau hired a private investigator to look for me?”
“Yes. And discovered that every pitiful little thing you told him about your past was nothing but a pack of lies. Poor Rae, a victim of abuse. Poor Rae, scared of the dark. Poor Rae—”
“Stop,” Rae cried out, holding up her hand. “Just … stop.” She sagged against the wall. “What did the PI tell Beau?”
Bella threw her arms in the air. “The truth. There was no sister in the picture. And nograndfather,” she spat. “Just Raegan Williams living her good life inTexas. Guess it was sad when your mommy and daddy died in that fire when you were frickingeighteen.”
Oh, Beau. How you must hate me?
“I’m sorry, Bella.”
“Pfft.Sorry doesn’t cover walking out on your husband. And worse” — Bella narrowed her eyes, taking a step closer — “keeping hischildfrom him.”
Rae pulled away from the wall. “I didn’t know I was pregnant till months later,” she whispered.
