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"Both Ethan and I believe that having you gone will speed up the process."
"If Gabe finds out about this, he'll be furious."
"That's why you're not going to say a word. Do you understand? If you even hint to him about this, the deal's off."
"Oh, yes. I definitely understand." She drew the check through her fingers. "Just tell me one thing. Exactly what do you think I'm doing to your brother that's so terrible?"
"I think you're taking advantage of him." . "How?"
His eyes narrowed. "Don't play games with me, lady, because I'll run you right over! Gabe's a rich man who's careless about his money. You want to take him for every penny he has, then set off for greener pastures."
"You know this for a fact?"
"Are you going to take the check or not?"
She gazed down at the check and wondered if the time would ever come when she could outrun her past. "Yes. Yes, I'm going to take it, Mr. Bonner. You bet your life I am."
She shoved the check into the pocket of her dress and turned toward the door, but his soft voice stopped her before she could leave.
"Mrs. Snopes, you won't like what happens if you try to screw me over on this."
Her fingers convulsed around the knob. "Believe me, Mr. Bonner, you're the last man on earth I'd screw."
She forced herself not to run from the room, but she was shaking by the time she reached the deck, where Jane and Kristy had abandoned their efforts to clean up and were sitting and talking.
The moment Jane saw Rachel, her expression grew wary. "What did he do?"
Rachel couldn't quite control the small quaver in her voice. "You'll have to ask him."
Jane rose and caught Rachel's hands in her own. "I'm sorry. The Bonners are—They're a family in every sense of the word. They'll fight the world for each other, but sometimes their loyalty blinds them."
The most Rachel could manage was a small nod.
"I'll try to talk to him again," Jane said.
"It won't do any good." She spotted Gabe's keys on the table, and she scooped them up. "I'm not feeling well. I'm sure Ethan won't mind driving Gabe back to the cottage. Come on, Edward, we have to go."
Edward protested Rachel's announcement, and Rosie fell apart when she realized she was losing her play companion. Her small face crumpled as Edward disengaged Horse from her hands. She reached out her arms for him or for the rabbit, Rachel wasn't sure which, and began to howl.
Edward gave her a clumsy pat on the head. "It's okay, Rosie. You're just having a bad day."
Rosie stopped crying, but her blue eyes brimmed with tears, and she regarded him with an expression so pitiful it could have melted stone.
Edward looked down at Horse. And then, to Rachel's astonishment, he handed the stuffed rabbit back to her.
Rosie clutched it to her tiny, heaving chest and gazed up at Edward with grateful eyes.
Rachel regarded her son with concern. "Are you sure about this, Edward?"
He hesitated for only a moment before he nodded. "I'm all grown-up now, Mom. Rosie needs Horse more than I do."
She smiled, squeezed his hand, and tried not to cry.
Gabe leaped out of Ethan's Camry before the car had even stopped and charged toward the front porch where Edward was constructing a lopsided log cabin from sticks he'd gathered. "Where's your mother?"
"I don't know. Inside, I guess." His gaze moved past Gabe to Ethan and Kristy, who were just getting out of the car.
Gabe began to walk toward the door only to stop as he saw the boy make a small gesture to the side, as if he were trying to pick up something that wasn't there. Then his arm fell back into his lap, and he gave a sigh that seemed to come from his toes.
