AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“HAVEYOUTALKEDto Mother?” Tilly asked after her sister told her about what had happened as the two sat in their apartment. Cooper and Tilly had missed most of the excitement, awakened in his far wing of the McKenna house by the explosion.
Oakley shook her head and curled deeper into the corner of the couch. “I really doubt she wants to talk to me. She did send the family lawyer down to the sheriff’s office to make sure I wasn’t arrested. But Holden’s lawyer was already there.”
“That surprises me about Mother sending her lawyer,” her sister said.
“You still haven’t heard from her?” Oakley guessed. Tilly shook her head.
“I sent her a wedding invitation, but she hasn’t responded. I didn’t really expect her to.”
Oakley heard the catch in her sister’s voice and knew she was hurt. It amazed her that she’d want their mother at the wedding, given the way their mother felt about Tilly marrying a McKenna.
“You’re still going to be my maid of honor, though, right?”
“Of course.” Unless she was in jail. But it didn’t look like that was going to happen. Even CH4 wasn’t filing charges.
“So you and Pickett, huh?”
She smiled. “He saved my life.” Her cell phone rang. “It’s the sheriff.”
Tilly looked at her wide-eyed. “I thought you said they weren’t going to arrest you?”
Oakley shrugged and took the call.
“Your brother is asking to see you,” Stuart said. “I understand if you don’t want to—”
“Oh, but I do want to see him. I’m in town. I’ll be right there.” She glanced at her sister as she disconnected. “CJ wants to see me.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Probably not,” she admitted as she put on her jacket. But she was curious why he’d asked to see her. Because he had no one else?
She walked the couple of blocks to the sheriff’s department, glad Stuart was back. But she wasn’t prepared to see him looking so pale, his arms still covered with bandages. She tapped at his door and he rose to take her down the hall to lockup.
“How are you?” she asked.
“Recovering. I’ll be fine.”
She wondered about that. After everything she’d been through, almost dying twice, she had changed. Every moment felt precious. Would he be fine after everything he’d gone through?
Stuart studied her for a moment before he opened the door to the cells. “Can I trust you not to try to kill him?”
“No.”
“Okay, then you’ll just have to see him behind bars,” he said. “You sure about this?”
She nodded even as she felt a shiver of anxiety at the thought of seeing CJ—even behind bars—as the sheriff opened the door into lockup. “Last cell at the end. Just push this button when you’ve had enough,” he said and closed the door behind him.
“Well, if it isn’t my sister come to visit me,” CJ said at the end of the short line of cells. “About time.” She couldn’t see him until she walked a few steps. He’d been lying on a bunk.
Now that she was here, she couldn’t work up the anger she’d felt for so long. In its place was just an empty, sad space. She stared at him. The cell with its bars diminished his size and took away his power.
“You always said I’d end up behind bars,” he said as he rose slowly from the cot and ambled over to the bars. “I thought it was just wishful thinking on your part. But...” He held his arms out to encompass his surroundings. “Guess you were right, sis.”
“I’m only here because you asked to see me. Why?” she asked.
“Why?” He laughed. “You put me in here. You ruined my life because you couldn’t mind your own business. That’s why. I wanted you to see what you’ve done to me.”
She shook her head, not surprised that he saw it that way. “Never your fault, huh, CJ? You shot me. You tried to have me killed again. But not your fault.”
