AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dania leaned back and pretended to doze as she studied him. Brett was a sentimental guy, even to the point of hanging on to his grandmother’s house and clothes. Dania’s vision of him changed yet again. They’d turned the page in their relationship, and he had become her lifeline, her port in the storm that had claimed her life and taken away her husband. “Brett...”
He took his eyes off the road long enough to glance over at her. “What?”
“I’m incredibly grateful that you’re doing this.” The words seemed inadequate compared to how she felt.
“It’s okay. I should have been here when you were arrested and went to trial. Besides, helping you is what Matt would want me to do.”
She’d felt so alone since Matthew had died. But now... She looked at Brett. A warmth filled her, and hope swelled within her chest. They were going to pull this off and track down the real culprit. “How long do you think you’ll be at the Tylers’?”
“However long it takes to get Walter to calm down. I’ll also ask him about Matt’s cell phone, laptop, and planner. If he has them and won’t let me see them, I’ll resort to getting a warrant, but I’d like to keep things friendly if I can.”
“That would be great.” Seeing Matthew’s notes in his planner would be so nice... Seeing her son would be even better. “I wish I could go with you.”
“You want to see your little boy?”
To stop the sudden swell of emotion that filled her chest and caught in her throat, she bit her lips together and nodded.
“I’ll make sure to talk with him and see how he’s doing.”
“Thanks.” The picture she’d torn from the paper was still inside her bra. She placed her hand over it as if giving her child a hug.
“You know, Matt’s parents may have treated both you and Matt badly, but I don’t think they would do that to your son.” He glanced at her, then returned his eyes to the road. “I’m sure they see Matt in him. Jacob is their do-over, and they’ll take good care of him.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” How could she make Brett understand her fears? “They may pretend affection for Jacob because he’s their grandchild, but he ismyson. He has Black blood in him. Because of the feud between our families, I’m afraid at some point, Walter might blame my son like he blamed me.”
“What are you talking about?” Surprise threaded Brett’s words.
“Have you ever heard of the range war between the Blacks and the Tylers?”
“I can’t recall.” Brett stole another look at her.
She explained the history of the feud to him. When she finished, she fell quiet. Had she told him too much or not enough?
“This kind of sheds some light on why Walter was so against you.”
“And my family. Anyway, I don’t want my child to have to take that same punishment from Walter. Jacob is just a little boy and wouldn’t understand.”
“I think I know what you’re talking about.” He lifted a shoulder. “You don’t want Walter to blame Jacob for being a descendant of the Blacks or for Matt choosing to marry you.”
She caught her breath as she realized that in some way, that was exactly what she’d done to Brett. She’d blamed him for what his father had done. Guilt for how she’d treated him in the past smacked her in the chest. “For years, I’ve looked at you with the same type of stigma. I’m so, so sorry.” She’d never really seen the two prejudices as the same before. Now they stood side-by-side, and she couldn’t help but see the similarities. Someday, somehow, she’d make it up to him.
“It’s all right.” He kept his focus on the road.
They passed the sign that read Welcome to Bear Claw. How she wished they’d come from the north. They would have driven by her and Matthew’s place. But could she have handled that? Probably not. Best they came from the south, away from the home where she’d been happy and where she’d lost everything that had given her life purpose.
She gazed at Brett and hoped with all her might that together they could make things right.
Chapter Fifteen
Talking to his boss andfeeding Gabe a line that he’d never found Dania, even though she sat in the front seat, ate at Brett’s gut. And he was so tired. Bone-weary tired. Relieved that most of the people in his sleepy town hadn’t awakened yet, he slowly drove through the empty streets that in a few hours would come alive with kids going to school and grown-ups heading to work.
“Gran’s house is on the other side of town in a cul-de-sac. Grandpa built it in the early 1960s, a gold-brick split-level. He died before I was born, but his presence is felt in the framework.” He didn’t know why he’d told Dania that other than to fill the quiet space of nothing being said for a while. “Where did you grow up?”
She didn’t say anything.
It could be that the subject of her mother’s death was still too raw between them. Brett glanced at her. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
Dania stared out the passenger window. “For part of my life, I grew up here. After my mother died, my father and I moved to Bozeman.”
