Ignoring that last shot, Brogan asked, “Do you understand that if he keeps drinking, he’s going to die?”
“Now you pretend to care, just because you have your fancy friends around you?”
Wade snickered, elbowed Gloria, and said, “I didn’t know we were fancy.”
Putting his arm around Pixie, Brogan said, “I called Officer Jansen Flynn. He’s on his way.”
Ruth’s eyes flared. “Why would you involve a cop?”
“Because this house was vacant,” Wade said. “You’re trespassing.”
“And,” Marlow said, striding up the driveway, “I told you to leave and never return. Yet here you are.” She smiled her serene corporate smile. “Big, big mistake.”
“You can’t start threatening me! This isn’t your property.”
“It isn’t yours, either,” Marlow said.
When she started forward, Cort put a hand on her shoulder. “Brogan can handle it.”
Unconvinced, Marlow looked at Pixie, and then gave Brogana longer look. Whatever she saw, she conceded with a small nod and took her place beside Cort.
To face his stepmother, Brogan stepped apart from the others. “I want you out of my life, Ruth.” She started to protest, but Brogan spoke over her. “Brian may not live. Even if he does pull through this time, and you continue the same way, he won’t last long. You have two choices. Go home to him, take two months to figure out your shit, and then get out of Connie’s house.”
“Two months?” she screeched. “You bastard, you—”
“Or,”Brogan said, his voice firm, “I can tell Erin to start eviction proceedings in the morning. Brian is going to be in extended care for a while either way, so it’s up to you.”
To Pixie’s mind, his offer was more than generous.
Sneering, Ruth said, “Or I can tell you to go to hell! Maybe Shayna’s grandma and grandpa will feel a little more generous.”
Marlow laughed. “Aren’t you the grandma? Oh, wait, you mean my in-laws? I already spoke to them. Believe me, they want nothing to do with you. In fact, they’re now determined to bring the full force of the law against you.”
Ruth’s jaw dropped, and then she seemed to shrivel.
For the first time since meeting her, Pixie saw the woman’s vulnerability. Knowing Brogan would see it, too, Pixie got close to him again, slipped her hand into his, and leaned into his side.
She badly wanted to get him alone, yet that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
What followed was mass confusion. Ruth started shouting loudly enough to bring out other neighbors, even though the houses weren’t spaced close together. Gloria meandered off to explain to them what was going on.
Officer Flynn arrived, and after asking a lot of questions, he arrested Ruthie and put her in the back of his car. Wade gothold of old Floyd, who admitted he didn’t know how Ruthie had gotten in. He’d quickly figured out that she was bad news and hadn’t been back to see her.
Once the officer drove away, Brogan faced Marlow. “You actually spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Heddings?”
“Don’t be angry,” Marlow said. “Sandra called me, as she sometimes does, and the conversation came about naturally.”
Lifting his brows, Brogan asked, “How exactly did that happen?”
“She asked how we were doing, and then she asked about Pixie and Andy, what they were up to these days, and one thing led to another.”
Cort, standing beside Marlow, gave a slight smile. “She refrains from asking about me.”
Pixie covered her mouth to hide her amusement.
Brogan didn’t bother doing the same. Grinning, he said, “I guess I can understand that.”
“Well, I can’t,” Marlow complained. “He’s my husband now.”
