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“Scott?” Momma rounded on him like a dog approaching a squirrel, finger extended. “You sleazy, good-for-nothing slimeball! Howdareyou cheat on my daughter!”
“Cheat? We were on a break!”
“This isn’tFriends, and you’re not Ross! Charlotte was always too good for you. Dumping her is the biggest mistake you’ll ever make in your miserable little life, believe me it is!”
He held up his hands protectively as she cornered him against the car. “Yes ma’am, Mrs. Owens! I know! That’s why I’m here to get her back!”
“You…” Momma froze with another round of insults on her tongue, then turned to look at me. “Sweet pea?”
“It’s complicated,” I said. Then I shook my head. “Wait, no it’s not. He wants to get back together. I don’t.”
“You haven’t thought about it yet,” Scott said weakly.
“Nothing to think about.”
Momma resumed her verbal assault on my ex.
Dad slowly approached, glancing at the scene behind me. “Afternoon. What’s going on, here?”
“These people are kidnapping us!” the judge shouted. “Call the state police! Threatening a judge is a Class C felony!”
Dad glanced at me. “Is this true?”
I winced. “Nowthisis complicated.”
“Then you’d better explain it to me,” he repeated.
I knew my dad. He had the look in his eye that said he was deciding how much action to take. He was a small-town sheriff. He couldn’t walk away from a judge being threatened, no matter how corrupt he was.
If he stays, he’s a dead man. The Copperheads would be here any minute.
I took his arm and led him back to the station wagon. “There’s a lot of corruption in this town.”
“So I’ve heard,” Dad said skeptically.
“But you can’t get involved,” I quickly added. “Not yet. Not now. Listen to me carefully, Dad: get in the car and drive back to the motel. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Why?” Momma asked, turning away from Scott. “What’s wrong, sweet pea?”
“You have to go with them,” Jayce insisted. He cupped my cheek in his hand and looked at me with sadness. “Please, Peaches. If you ever cared about me, even a tiny bit, you’ll listen to me.Leave.”
It was like Jayce had reached inside my chest and gave my heart a squeeze. My feelings of betrayal swirled against my feelings of caring, fighting a battle nobody could see. My throat was tight as I said, “I do care.”
“Ah hah!” Scott announced as if he’d revealed some massive cover-up. “So heisyour boyfriend!”
Jayce ignored him. “Go with your parents. Forget about the judge and the extra hours and whatever else may happen in this town. Start driving anddon’t look back.”
I wanted to listen to him. After almost three weeks in this God-forsaken town, the idea of jumping in my car and driving west felt like grabbing a life preserver. This was my chance.
“I can’t,” I whispered. “I can’t let you stay here and get yourself killed.”
Jayce’s expression hardened. “I have to stop him, Peaches. You know I do.”
“But you don’t!” I insisted. “It’s over. Your sister is gone. Save yourself.”
Jayce gestured around him. “It’s too late for that.”
“Please,” I said in a small voice. “Don’t throw your life away.”
