Page 8 of Dangerous Secrets
Anger that had been building for adecade boiled to the surface.Anger at Walker for leaving afterhe’d been released from prison.Anger at those in the community whohad been so willing to believe he was guilty.Anger at the justicesystem that had failed so badly.Suddenly furious, she paced,feeling like she barely had herself under control.She whirledaround to find Walker’s gaze still on her, his faceimpassive.
It was that lack of expression thattipped her over the edge.
She stalked toward him until she couldsee the dark gleam of his eyes.“‘Seems like?’That’s all theexplanation for being gone for eight years?Eight years whenwhoever framed you has walked free?Eight years when James gotolder and you only came back to see him die?”
Eight years when she’d missed him eachand every day.
“I don’t think the twoyears, three months, and seventeen days I was in prison should becounted in the total.That leaves roughly five and three-quarteryears you have a right to be angry about.”
“This isn’t a joke,Walker, and it isn’t about me.It’s about James and your brother.You turned your back on your family.”
“Believe me, I don’t thinkof it as a joke.But it is about you.Pop and Sawyer understood.You didn’t.”
“How could I understandwhen you never even had a simple conversation with me?You justleft.But don’t worry.I get it now.We were done and you moved on.We both moved on,” she added hastily.“You didn’t think you owed meanything, and I’m fine with that.”She forced herself not to breakeye contact at the lie.
He shook his head.“No, I do owe you.You deserved that conversation, Laney.But I didn’t know how toexplain, so I took the easy way out and didn’t try.”He blinkedslowly.“I’m sorry.”
“That doesn’t make it allbetter.I’m still angry.”
“I’m home, sweetheart.Youcan shoot that anger right here.”
“Don’t call me sweetheart,and don’t call me Laney.No one calls me that anymore.”She glaredat him.“You’re not important enough for me to waste that muchemotion on.”Another lie, and the worst part was they both knewit.
Callie followed Delaney when shecrossed to the door before turning to lob her partingshot.
“You don’t have much of arecord for sticking around so I, for one, won’t be surprised whenyou light out of here as soon as James is buried.
“Let’s do this: I’ll avoidyou as much as I can, you do the same.That way I can pretendyou’re still on a fishing boat in Alaska and forget you ever camehome.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Delaney stood in the kitchen where thebright sunlight streaming through the windows seemed incongruouswith the reality of the day.The morning after James’s death shouldbe gray and gloomy to match her mood.She intended to join Clarafor breakfast, but first things first.Delaney filled her mug withcoffee to fortify herself, then set Callie’s dish on the counter.The Cosequin and pain relief tablets were stuck into treats beforebeing planted in the kibble.Callie was cagey about taking hermeds, making sneakiness necessary.With the dish on the raisedtray, Callie moved with her stiff-jointed walk across the kitchen,showing she was feeling every one of her eleven years.She sniffedthe food and Delaney gave a sigh of relief that at least thismorning Callie was eating.
Delaney sipped from her mug whilestanding at the kitchen window gazing at her favorite view of theSierras with their soaring granite peaks capped with snow.PaybackMountain was the closest of those peaks, rising majestically totower over the valley, forming the perfect backdrop to the appletrees of the north orchard, planted on the mountain’s risingslopes.
Many of the trees had been planted byher great-grandparents.How many times had she looked at this sameview and spied James on a ladder, clippers in hand, pruningbranches in his deliberate way?
A quiet murmur of voices carriedthrough the open window.Sunday mornings were her and Clara’s timeto catch up and connect, and it was rare for others to join them.Adeep laugh sounded and her mood dipped even lower as she identifiedthe culprit.
She gave a fleeting thought toskipping breakfast and slipping out the front door to get a jumpstart on work that needed doing on the farm.But she wasn’t acoward and no way would she let Walker McGrath chase heroff.
Mug in hand, she went through theFrench doors and along the flagstone path to the pergola.The sweetfragrance and gorgeous lavender blooms of the wisteria covering theslatted roof didn’t offset the sight of Walker lounging in a chairacross the patio table from her grandmother.That he looked alllong-legged and gorgeous only stoked her temper.Which sizzledhotter because she didn’t want her heart to stumble when she sawhim.She didn’t want to feel all hot and bothered when he fixedthose sexy green eyes on her.
When she finally pried her gaze awayfrom his to glance at Clara, she had to stifle a groan becausedespite the grief seeming to weigh so heavily, her grandmother gavea small, pleased smile.
Walker rose to his feet, the sleevesof his deep blue Henley pushed up to his elbows, revealing thecorded strength of his arms.Okay, she got it.He was altogetheryummy, which meant she had to work extra hard to steel herselfagainst his magnetic pull so she didn’t do something stupid.Liketaking a bite out of his neck just to see if he tasted as good ashe looked.
If nothing else, her twenties hadtaught her to be more careful about revealing what was in herheart.
He raised an eyebrow at her hesitationand she had the uncomfortable feeling he knew exactly where hermind had gone.“Laney.”
She scowled at the nickname.He pulledanother chair to the table, placing it next to his, and gesturedfor her to sit.Not seeing much option, she took theseat.
A colored glass vase sat on the mosaictabletop and held pretty mariposa lily blooms.James had lovedmariposa lilies and had planted some in a bed near the house.Delaney knew her grandmother had picked them to honorhim.
While Delaney preferred to fill atravel mug with coffee and grab a piece of toast on her way out thedoor, Clara’s morning ritual was to sit down to a breakfast ofoatmeal topped with berries with her favorite Earl Grey tea and themorning paper.Over the past five years, James had frequentlyjoined her.Their late-in-life relationship made Delaney realizethat sometimes love really could overcome all obstacles.Theirs wasan exception that didn’t prove the rule.But, witnessing two of herfavorite people coming together had been beautiful towatch.
James wouldn’t join them on Sundaymornings, saying Delaney needed time with her grandmother—anotherinstance of him being insightful and astute.Sunday mornings becamehers to spend with Clara, time they made to catch up and take abreath before being swept up once again in the busyness of theirlives.
