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Marin came and placed a hip on the side of the chair. Kristy’s eyes lingered on the casual way my hand rested on her thigh.
“So, how did this happen?”
She bit the inside of her cheek. “The things you said yesterday at the gala,” she started. “How long have you known?”
I shrugged. “I’ve suspected for years. But I never had proof. Still don’t.”
“I do,” she stated very matter-of-factly. “You aren’t the only one fed up with him. A deputy on the mainland contacted me a year or so ago, and we’ve been working on a case against him ever since.”
My eyes widened. “Against your own husband? Why?”
She looked down at the floor. “I think you know the answer to that. He treats me very differently in front of you. Everyone else gets to see the real Hayes and it’s not the fairytale I imagined.”
I let out a sigh. Unfortunately, it seemed she had learned the true nature of her husband a little too late. “Why now?” I asked.
“He was going to fire you, Macon,” she explained. “Or worse.”
Or worse…
Meaning he would have pinned his crimes on me. It could have been me sitting in that jail cell.
I tried not to think about that one too long.
“We had enough to back up your claims and then some. Bribes, drug smuggling—yeah, he’s in serious trouble.”
“I can’t believe—” I breathed out a sigh of relief before looking up at her. “Thank you.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Thank you. If you hadn’t taken that first step”—her lip quivered—“I’m not sure I would have ever gotten the courage.”
“So, what’s next?” Marin asked. Her voice was gentle and supportive.
“I don’t know.” She sniffled. “But I’m leaving. I can’t stay here.”
“Your parents?” I guessed.
She nodded, and I knew it was a good choice for her, for her kids.
For all of us.
She didn’t stay long after that. She tried to apologize, tried to say she was sorry for all the hurt she had caused.
But I told her it was in the past.
I’d found my one good thing.
Now, hopefully, she could find hers.
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Marin asked after we watched her pull away.
“Yeah,” I said confidently, “I think so.”
“So, no selling ice cream then?”
I grinned, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “Not yet. But there’s always retirement.”
She laughed. “Good, ’cause I can’t think of a sexy nickname for an ice cream man.”
My brow rose. “What’s this? I have a sexy nickname?”
