Page 93 of Tell Me Something True

“Who didn’t?”

“His family. They didn’t know anything about you. Had never heard of you before. And not one of them knew you were together for so long while Miles lived in Pittsburgh.”

It was like a blow straight to the heart. One that stole her breath. Had her wanting to curl into herself. Protect herself.

Instead, she waited. Head high, chin lifted, shoulders back.

Because Kat’s expression told Tabitha what came next was going to hurt even worse.

And she’d be damned if she let it take her down.

“He said he didn’t tell them because it wasn’t important enough to share with anyone.”

A sound tried to rise in her throat, denial and pain, but she pressed her lips together. Hard.

“As I said…” But she had to stop. Clear her throat to get rid of that lingering tightness. Had to take a deep breath in and hold it for the count of five to gather her thoughts. “As I said, I appreciate the warning.”

Kat’s eyebrows rose. “Appreciation is all well and good. But what are you going to do about it?”

“I have no idea.” And that had to be one of the most honest things she’d said all day. “All I do know is that I moved to Mount Laurel to make a life for myself. For. My. Self,” she repeated, voice shaking, hands fisted, fully in her very own Gone with the Wind, as God is my witness moment. “And I’m not about to let anyone, not even stupidly handsome, great in bed, ass-looks-amazing-in-his-uniform-pants Assistant Chief Jennings chase me out of town.”

Instead of applause, Kat’s mouth quirked just the slightest bit in both amusement for, and acknowledgement of, Tabitha’s dramatic response. “Not sure he’d stoop to that. But you’re right about the stupidly handsome bit.”

“Right? It’s just unfair.”

“Life often is.” She paused, once more studying Tabitha in that all-seeing, narrowed eye way that had all of Tabitha’s self-protective instincts screaming. “You can be pissed at him, you know.”

Tabitha’s stomach turned. Her breathing quickened. “He has a right to his feelings.”

Even if those feelings were hurtful and mean and dismissive.

“He does,” Kat agreed. “But that doesn’t give him the right to be a dick.”

Tabitha’s laugh was a short, humorless sound. “I’m guessing he thinks the things I’ve done give him every right to be a dick.”

“Do you think the things you’ve done give him that right?”

“Some of them.”

“All I’m saying is that you can feel bad about your mistakes and be pissed at Miles. They’re not mutually exclusive. He deserves it. He can handle it.” Kat glanced back at Ian who was now lying on his back, his legs up on the doorframe, reading a different book than the one he’d had earlier. She took a step closer to Tabitha. Lowered her voice. “And no matter how pissed he might be right back at you, he would never take it out on you.”

Easy to read once again.

Tabitha wanted to avert her gaze from Kat’s all-seeing one. Wanted to duck her head in shame. She wanted to hide.

But she was tired of hiding.

And, by God, she had nothing to be ashamed of.

It was past time she started believing that.

“Mom!” Ian called, and Kat turned and must have given him the mother of all mother looks because he scrambled to course correct. “I mean… excuse me, Mom? What does a-u-t-o-g-r-a-p-h spell?”

“Autograph.” She turned to Tabitha. “I have to go.”

“It was nice meeting you.”After a small hesitation—or moment of pondering—Kat gave a tiny nod. “Yeah. You, too.”

Tabitha grinned. “Wow. I feel like I just won a prize. I get the feeling you don’t say you’re happy to meet many people.”

---