Page 90 of Weight of Guilt

“I’ve got seven clients on the book. If I move one, I move all seven. Nora has to work until four, and Marlowe’s got the lunch rush. We all talked about it last night. Remember?”

Her mother’s memory hadn’t been that great in recent years.

“So it’s me here with Christian and the FBI agent? You’re all leaving me?”

Wren wanted to bring up the fact that their mom had emotionally and mentally left Wren and her sisters all alone to deal with life after Christian disappeared. She wanted to remind her mom that she’d had to navigate single motherhood with only her sisters’ help.

But she didn’t bring those facts up. Not now. They wouldn’t help the situation.

“It’s you and Dad. He said he’d come out first thing.” Wren waited to see how her mother would react. “You won’t be by yourself.”

Wren had responsibilities. She had bills to pay and a son to take care of.

She only hoped she was doing the right thing.

Chapter

Forty-Five

After Nash let Tank out and fed him, he walked the property line around the Lovelesses’s land.

He found nothing of concern—which should have made him feel better.

Afterward, he went back to their house and knocked on the door. Wren let him in and invited him to eat some breakfast.

As they all sat at the table, Christian ate as if somebody might come take his food from him. His mother filled the plate with eggs and bacon twice. She watched as he pushed one piece of bacon and a small amount of eggs to the side of his plate, almost as if he were saving them.

He caught her watching and shrugged. “I . . . I don’t know what I’m doing. I just feel like I should keep a little for later.”

She forced a smile. “That’s okay. I’m just glad to see you eating.”

Finally, Wren stood to leave.

“I’ll walk you out.” Nash had been wanting a moment alone with her so they could chat. But he didn’t want to call a lot of attention to it and get people worried.

They told everyone goodbye before stepping outside.

“Luke texted me about a couple of things,” Nash started. “First, he saw the footage from the hospital.”

“And?” Her eyes widened with anticipation.

“And . . . the man who talked to that nurse had his head down the whole time, his cap blocking his face.”

She frowned. “On purpose?”

“Most likely.”

She blew out a breath. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“I was hoping for more.”

“Me too.” She shifted. “What else?”

“Luke and his deputy dug up the treaty box. It was right where Marlowe said it would be.”

“So Christian remembered the spot.”

“He remembered a spot.” Nash paused. “It was actually about twelve feet from where he was digging. Other side of the barn corner.”