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They continued on to the house with her in the lead. When they neared the porch, Jared grabbed her arm just above the elbow and swung her around to face him. “Is Simon staying here in the house with you?”
Her eyes narrowed on her husband's face. “Why wouldn't he stay in the house? We lived here under the same roof for years, and you didn't care.”
“You weren't my wife back then.”
And there it was. After everything they'd been through, he didn't trust her. Anger burned in her gut. She blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. If he didn't trust her, she didn't feel the need to trust him.
“Simon says you paid Trish to say she was pregnant,” Beth said. “Is that true?”
Jared openly gaped at her. “Are you serious?”
“I didn't believe him at first, but now I realize I don't know you. Answer the question. Did you pay Trish to keep us from getting married?”
“Why would I do that?”
The fact he still hadn't answered her question bothered her. If he didn't pay Trish, why wouldn't he tell her? Why not just deny it?
“Just seems odd,” she said. “You refused to set foot on this ranch for years. You didn't even come for your father's funeral. Yet you show up when Simon and I are about to get married and take the ranch from you.”
“I came to stop you from making the worst mistake of your life.”
“Maybe you had a back-up plan. Trish. You paid her to stop the wedding in case you couldn't.”
He shook his head. “That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.”
“Dumber than you thinking I would shack up with your brother? I don't think so.”
“I never said you were shacking up with my—”
“We both know what you were saying, Jared. To accuse me of doing something like that when you know I was a virgin until recently is laughable.”
She clenched her fists, fuming mad now. How dare he insinuate she would fall back in with his brother when they were married? He had a lot of nerve.
She added, “I think you should leave. Go back to Boston where you belong.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” He glared at her. “I need to make some calls first. Then I'll go and you won’t have to worry about seeing me ever again. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the den.”
“Well, I'll be outside working.”
“Fine,” he said before charging up the steps to the front door.
She yelled at his back. “Fine!”
Tears pricked her eyes, but she told herself it was anger. Just anger. She was not going to cry over Jared Wilder ever again. He didn't trust her; he didn't love her. There was nothing left to be said on the subject. If he didn't divorce her soon, she would divorce him.
Then everyone could get on with their lives.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Jared!”
The urgent scream struck a chord of dread within his chest. Beth sounded terrified. He dropped his cell phone on the den floor and ran through the house looking for her. His heart thundered in his chest, racing faster than his feet.
“Jared, help!”
He burst into the kitchen and stopped cold. Heart in his throat, he was not prepared for what awaited him. Delta was on the floor with Beth hunched over her. She had two fingers on the housekeeper's throat, obviously checking for a pulse. He froze at the sight of a tragedy in the making. A dark memory crashed into him and knocked the breath from his lungs. It was his worst nightmare; Delta had fallen just like his mother.
“Help me!” Beth shouted over her shoulder at him.
