Page 97 of Surly Sheriff
Grateful for the distraction, he turned his attention to Jack, only now noticing the puzzle pieces scattered across the table, the edge already done. A quick look at the lid revealed a large picture of an excavator, with two smaller construction vehicle images on the side. A three in one, and Jack was building the bulldozer. “I do.”
“You want to help me?”
“I’d like that very much. If it’s okay with your momma?” he added, giving Rae a side-eye.
She shrugged and muttered, “Sure.” She turned back to the stove and lifted the meat from its packaging and dropped it in the pan. Her arm muscles flexed as she broke the ground beef apart with a long-pronged fork, mumbling something incoherent.
“I didn’t catch that.”
Her huff was audible. “I said you can stay for supper.”
“We’re having ’etti,” Jack piped up.
“Sounds delicious.” He pulled out a chair.
“Uncle Chance said Momma’s ’etti’s the best ever.”
His stomach lurched. “Uncle Chance?” There was another man in their lives?
“CJ and Carly’s daddy.” Jack picked up a puzzle piece and held it out to Beau. “This piece goes there,” he said, pointing to the top right. “I don’t have a daddy.”
Oh, kid. You do. But now was not the time for the big reveal, and Beau dutifully positioned the piece. “Are CJ and Carly your friends?” Had Rae and this Chance man broken up? Was that why she came here? And what sort of name was Chance?
“Uh-huh. But they live in ’Mosa Beach.”
Beach?Had she been in Florida all this time? He shook his head. No. Her vehicle tags were from California.
Jack handed Beau another piece. “Do you know where this piece fits?”
It was a section showing blue sky and two teeth from the excavator bucket. “Here?”
“That’s very good, Mister Beau.”
“Thank you, Jack.” Beau fitted the piece and handed one to the kid. “Maybeyoucan tell me wherethisone goes?”
“That’s easy.” Jack slotted it next to the one he’d just placed.
“Were you and CJ and Carly friends for a long time?”
A lid clattered. Rae spun around and stalked over to the table. “Chance and hiswife, Aubrey, are friends of mine.”
Beau’s eyes flew to meet hers.
“CJ’s several years older than Jack,” she continued, “and Carly was born a month before Jack. And ’Mosa Beach isHermosa Beach.” She drew in a puff of air. “California. We lived there for the last four years.”
“I want to go back to ’Mosa Beach, but Momma says we live here now.”
“You’ll make friends, Jack,” Rae murmured, running her hand over his hair. “Like Molly.”
“No. Don’t want to go back to that place. That nasty lady made you cry.”
Oh, Bella.
Rae sat on the chair next to Jack. “Molly doesn’t live there, Jack.”
“She doesn’t?”
“No. She was just visiting with her mom and dad. Like you and me. Molly lives on a farm with lots of animals, and Mister Oliver said you can visit anytime.”
