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Wayne’s hands clenched into fists. “She’s a good person. She has a decent amount of evidence that all this happened. And she’s not after your money.”
“I mean, it’s possible she’s the reason behind the fire at the Willow Grove,” Tracey said.
“So Alex has had a talking to you,” Wayne said, his nostrils flared.
“She was the only one staying there; she has issues with our family. It stands to reason that she had something to do with it.”
“That’s insane,” Wayne muttered. “She’s no arsonist. She’s just a person looking for answers. Like all of us.”
Cindy spread her hands across her knees. “Regardless of who she is, she’ll fade away. The thing that won’t go away, though, is this Michael situation. He’s back, and we need to make sure we figure out how to keep him. He’s my son. His leaving tore me apart.”
Wayne heaved a sigh. “I’ll take him out tomorrow.”
“I guess it’s true he won’t open up to me,” Cindy breathed.
Wayne stood on shaky knees. Cindy shook her head violently and said, “Don’t go yet, Wayne. I’m sorry. I know I’m difficult.” Her face grew long and shadowed. “Let me get you another drink. Just sit with me for a while. Make sure he doesn’t slip out the door and run back into the world.”
Wayne heard the fear behind her words. He returned to the chair as Cindy hustled up to grab a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen. In her absence, Tracey studied Wayne’s face for a long time.
“This girl is different for you, isn’t she?”
Wayne gave a lackluster shrug. “It’s true what Cindy says. Michael is our top priority.”
Tracey gave a light chuckle. “But I know better than most how hard it is to be alone. And here you’ve been, all on your own—without Tara, without Michael...”
Her eyes reflected the density of Wayne’s sadness as Cindy returned to the porch.
“Just give her a chance,” Wayne said under his breathe. “I don’t think you’ll regret it.”
Tracey and Cindy gave one another sisterly-looks, ones that Wayne couldn’t fully read. He tilted his glass, watching the ice cubes roll round and round.
“I just don’t know why we would welcome more chaos into the fold,” Cindy said softly.
“Don’t you think more love is never a bad thing?” Wayne returned. “And with all love comes a great deal of chaos.”
