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Sydney, it’s Dad. Your mother’s in the hospital in Branson. I’m catching a flight and bringing Duke home to you.
Chapter Twenty
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Doug Cartwright, the county sheriff, said. “I can’t arrest the man when he gets off the plane. He took his own son away. That’s not a crime.”
Sam took a sip of his coffee. He and Sydney sat with Doug at Rena’s Coffee Shop. Sam had called Doug after Sydney had told him about Roy’s voicemail.
Now what? Sam drummed his fingers on the table until a jolt went through him. “Hey, stealing’s a crime around here.”
“Sure is,” Doug said.
“He took Sydney’s purse money from her barrel race.”
“That’s a horse of a different color,” Doug said. “Tell me more.”
Sydney’s hand touched his arm. “No, Sam.”
“No, what?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t have my father arrested and thrown in jail. I won’t press charges for the money.”
Is she serious? Smoke threatened to come right out his ears. “Are you kidding, Syd? That’s all we’ve got.”
Tears welled in Sydney’s eyes. “He’s my father. And he’s bringing Duke back.”
“Jesus H. Christ.”
“He’ll have an explanation, I’m sure of it. My mother’s in the hospital. I don’t even know what’s wrong with her. I’m worried.”
“Worried? After what they did?”
“They’re still my parents.”
“Sydney, they’ve been lying to you your whole life.”
“I know, I know.” She sniffed. “And I’m sure they thought they had a good reason.”
“Fuck their good reasons. Did they have a good reason for taking your son away? For stealing your money?”
“I’m sure they thought they did.”
Doug’s police radio buzzed. “Excuse me,” he said and headed to another table.
Sam said nothing, just stared at the beautiful woman who’d stolen his heart—and his son. How could he reconcile any of this? And now she was turning a blind eye to her father’s theft. How could she? After all her parents had done? All the lies? How could she get past all that?
How could anyone get past that?
Sam shook his head slowly. How could he get past Sydney’s lies?
As if reading his mind, she said, “I never actually lied to you, Sam.”
Well, she had him there. She didn’t lie. She just didn’t tell him, first about the child five years ago, and then about her engagement to Rod Kyle.
Nope, she wasn’t getting away with that one. “Omission is betrayal. Case closed.” He stood.
Doug walked back toward the table. “I have to get going. Are we done here?”
Sam looked down at Sydney. “You’re not pressing charges?”
