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“No.”
“All right. We’ll forget it for now.” His eyes became intense. “But someday, your brother’s got to find out, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.”
****
When the sheriff called Josh on his cell phone a few days later and asked to see him, it came as no surprise. For once, he wasn’t worried about what the other man wanted; Josh knew it pertained to Jesse Whitaker in some way.
Josh sat down in the older man’s office and without preamble asked, “Is Mandy okay?”
“Yeah, thanks to you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You did, son, and we both know it. I’m grateful, but we’ve got a couple of things to discuss.”
“Such as?”
“First I want you to know that I think you’d make a damn fine officer. Redwood Falls needs a few more men, and you’d make an excellent addition. Have you ever thought about law enforcement?”
Josh couldn’t help it; he busted out laughing. “No, sir. Can’t say as I have.”
“I’m not kidding you, son. I don’t know what you’ve got planned for your future, but you’ve got the temperament needed for the job.”
Josh thought about the man’s suggestion seriously for a moment. There was no doubt that he wouldn’t hate it. The idea certainly had an appeal. He’d like the respect the badge would give him; he was damn sick and tired of living beneath his father’s shadow. “I don’t have big, going away plans or anything like that. I know I’ve got to help my uncle with the ranch. But I need a paycheck as well. And obviously, I already know how to shoot. What exactly would it take? What are the requirements?”
“You’d need to be twenty-one, and you’d need sixty hours of college credit. That’s it. Well, and no priors.”
“You of all people know that I don’t have a record.”
“That I do, son.”
“I’ll have twenty-seven hours by the time I graduate in June.”
“Twenty-seven? That’s impressive. Mandy’s got nine, I think. How’d you manage that?”
Josh gave a mirthless laugh. “Grit and determination. A combination of advanced placement and dual credit. And a lot of luck.”
“I don’t think it’s been luck. You’re determined all right.”
“Could I get the rest through online classes?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Hmmm.” Josh nodded his head. It was definitely doable. He could take the classes while working full time at the feed store until he turned twenty-one. His aunt would probably worry, but except for Jesse-fucking-Whitaker, it wasn’t as if Redwood Falls had a lot of crime to worry about. “Let me think about it.”
“Okay, no rush. It’s your future, but like I said, we’d like to have you.”
“Okay.”
“Well, now for the other thing,” the sheriff hesitated.
Josh got a bad feeling in his gut and braced himself for what he was about to hear. “Is this about my father?”
“No.”
Josh let out a pent-up breath. “Then what?”
“I think it’s time you had a serious discussion with your cousin. With her testimony, we could put the rat bastard away for a long time. Mandy’s complaint won’t hold much water as it didn’t get to the real violent part, thank God, but we’ve got to do something before the little fucker hurts another girl.”
Josh took a deep breath and hung his head toward his spread knees. He knew what the sheriff was saying was true, and Josh knew he needed to talk to her again, but how in the hell could he convince Katie to do it? And how could he put her through it? Her reaction hadn’t been positive when he’d spoken to her the last time.
He lifted his head. “Yeah, okay. I’ll see what I can do and get back to you.” Josh stood up and so did the sheriff. They shook hands.
“I’m counting on you, Josh.”
****
The next few weeks passed in a blur of football games, homework, and hanging out with Josh and everyone in Ava’s garage. On Saturday, Hannah was studying for a history test and trying to get it over with because Josh was picking her up at eight. Her mind consumed with the Norman Conquest, she barely heard it when her mother tapped on her bedroom door and peeked in.
“Are you okay in here? I haven’t seen you practically all day.”
“I’m fine. I have a huge test on Monday.”
Janet McIntyre nodded her head and then just stood watching her.
“Is something wrong?” Hannah asked as she felt an arrow of nerves as she watched her unusually subdued mother and waited for an answer.
Her mom hesitated and then took a fortifying breath. “Cindy left town two days ago. She went with Chris Turner and they haven’t come back.”
Shock hit Hannah in the gut. “They just left?”
“You mustn’t tell anyone, Hannah. But you need to know what’s going on. I know you and Josh and even Katie are close, baby. It’s going to be difficult for awhile.”
Hannah was having difficulty believing that this was really happening. Chris Turner had nothing to speak of and Hannah didn’t think Cindy was in it for love. She’d sort of assumed that Cindy was trying to get Zach’s attention by having the affair at all. Zach might seem a little cold-blooded, but he was a businessman and that was a facade he’d had to show the world and maybe Cindy didn’t appreciate that. The affair had been bad, and Hannah remembered that her mom had told her that Zach would never forgive Cindy. But now, Hannah realized that all along, somewhere in her own subconscious, she assumed that it would all blow over. Hannah figured that Cindy would end the affair, and after a time, Zach would forgive her, if for nothing else, then he’d do it for the baby.
But leaving town with Chris Turner? What the hell? How stupid could one woman be? As soon as she had the thought, Hannah felt a pang of remorse, because the man was Josh’s father. But just as quickly, she realized that Josh wasn’t like his father, he wasn’t anything like his father, and she had nothing to feel remorseful about, at least, not in that aspect. Cindy was proving herself to be stupid.
“This is going to be bad. Zach got drunk last night in the study while he was unloading to your dad. He?
?s extremely angry. Jeff thinks he’s more angry than hurt. Zach wants that baby. He’ll fight for custody after it’s born.”
“He’s going to get a divorce already?”
“Not yet. Texas won’t grant a divorce when there’s a pregnancy involved. The baby has to be born first.”
“Oh my God. I can’t believe this. I knew she was cheating on him—but crap, mom. And I don’t know what to say to Zach—how to act—what to do.”
“You don’t need to say anything. He’s not going to want to discuss it. You know how he is. Jeff told him last night that he would tell us that Cindy was gone. So Zach knows we know. That’s enough.”
“Okay.”
Her mother walked over and brushed a hand over Hannah’s forehead and stroked her hair. “I’m sorry that you’re having to go through this. I know you must feel torn in two, stuck in the middle of all this.”
“Yeah.”
“Try to remember that Josh has nothing to do with this, and remember baby, we know that as well. We like Josh.”
Hannah smiled shakily at her mother. Thank God for that. Hannah’s thoughts turned from what her brother was going through, and went back to Josh. Unease spread through her. Josh’s long and sad history with his dad made it unpredictable how he would react to the news of the man leaving town. Would Josh be glad he was gone? Or would he feel abandoned? Whatever he felt, Hannah was convinced it would be something more that he’d have to struggle with.
Chapter Eleven
As Josh smothered her mouth with his, fireworks exploded in Hannah’s brain, her senses overwhelmed with his scent, his touch, and his taste.
When he’d picked her up that night, he hadn’t said anything, just put her in his truck with a grim expression, and then he’d driven straight to the washout near the abandoned wooden bridge. From the look on his face, Hannah realized that Josh knew his father had left town, and her heart bled for him. As he’d parked the truck and cut the engine, the inky blackness of the night had swirled around them and encompassed them within the confines of the vehicle. His head had dropped to the steering wheel and Hannah reached out with one hand to touch his shoulder. “Are you okay?” she asked, not able to disguise her worry.
