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Dana waited at the curb for her mother to go safely inside. But suddenly Vivian turned on her heel and marched back to the car.
With a nod toward the children in the back seat, she motioned Dana out on the sidewalk. “Years ago, Zach never called or wrote you about why he left town so fast. I don’t know why he didn’t—he must have been so angry. And I—I’ve been afraid. Afraid he knew who was behind it. Afraid you’d never forgive me if you found out.” She reached out and gripped Dana’s hands. “I was terrified when he showed up in town again.”
“What are you talking about?” Even as Dana said the words, a cold feeling spread through her.
Vivian’s eyes welled up with tears. “Your dad and I married way too young, and we had a hard life. Not much money—scrimping to save every nickel. I wanted so much more for you, Dana—such a bright little thing you were, with so much promise. I—I was afraid you’d end up like me. And then that handsome, no-account boy came into town and you fell head over heels for him. I knew that...”
Realization hit Dana like a heavy blow to her heart. “It was you.”
“His mother was just a barmaid...they drifted all over. What kind of life could he have given you? I just wanted him to leave town before...”
Pulling her hands away, Dana jammed them in her pockets. “What did you do?”
Vivian lowered her head. “One of the deputies was a good friend of mine back in high school. I told him everything, and he said Zach was a born troublemaker. He said he’d take care of it and no one would ever know. Zach and his mom were gone the next day.”
Closing her eyes, Dana tried to imagine what she might have done if her own daughter were at risk and hoped she would never have been so cruel.
“Honey?”
She felt her mother lay a tentative hand on her sleeve, then opened her eyes. “Zach recently told me that deputy got really rough with him, Mom. He was just a kid, and the guy said he and his mom would face trumped-up charges and jail time if they stayed. Zach figured no one would ever believe his side of the story.”
“I never meant it to go that far.” Vivian’s voice broke. “God forgive me, I never wanted to hurt anyone.”
“Until now, I thought maybe Zach’s story was a fabrication. At least now I know the truth.”
“If you ever thought Zach wasn’t an honest man, you aren’t as smart as I thought,” Vivian said softly. “I thought I was protecting you, and now I see all the ways that I hurt you instead. If I could do it over again, I’d never interfere. Believe me, I’m so sorry.”
* * * *
WHEN THEY ARRIVED BACK at the ranch, Alex woke up Molly enough to take her up to her room, while Dana carried Katie into the guest room. The exhausted child barely stirred when Dana slipped off her shoes, socks, and dirty coveralls.
“We’ll give you a big bubble bath in the morning, sweetheart,” Dana murmured after kissing Katie’s forehead. “Right now, it’s better that you just sleep.”
In the kitchen, Dana glanced at the clock above the stove, then drew water for a pot of herbal tea. Nearly four o’clock in the morning, but her nerves still buzzed and her thoughts were still racing through the events of the night.
Alex appeared at the door. “I don’t think I can sleep, either,” he said, though there were dark shadows under his eyes.
Even in the subdued lighting of the single light above the kitchen sink, the angry red marks over his mouth and on his wrists made Dana want to weep. “Want some hot cocoa? I’ve got the teakettle on, and there are some packets in the cupboard.”
“Yeah. I’ll make it.” He brought out spoons and stoneware mugs for both of them, his motions tense and restless, then he wandered over to the window where he braced his hands on the sill and rested his forehead against the glass.
When the teakettle whistled and he didn’t move, Dana smiled to herself and made the cocoa and the tea, then brought them to the table. “I think you’re more tired than you thought, honey. Do you just want to go on up to bed?”
He stayed where he was. “I heard what Grandma said in the car, Mom. I just want you to know that I agree with you.”
Startled, Dana looked up from the tea bag she’d unwrapped. “About what?”
“I’ve been giving you a lot of grief about wanting to leave this ranch, but I’m not going to do that anymore. There’s way too much work here for just you and Ben, and I know Dad would have wanted us to keep the place. He always said he bought it hoping the Hathaways would stay here for generations.”
His voice was flat and filled with determination that surprised her, and when he finally came to the table, he no longer had that glint of teenage defiance in his eyes. Instead, there was just weary acceptance.
“But that’s not what you want.”
He bowed his head over his mug, stirring the cocoa as if it took every bit of his concentration. “It’s the right thing, Mom. I’ve screwed up everything so much. If I hadn’t—” His voice caught, and his head bowed even lower.
“Honey, I can’t think of one big mistake you’ve ever made. We...ah...won’t count that solo trip to town in the pickup when you were thirteen.”
She’d hoped for an answering grin, but he just stirred the cocoa, on and on and on. “Tell me what it is that you ever did that was so wrong.”
