Page 37 of Tactical Revival

“You don’t need to thank me. Matty deserves better.”

“I agree. And to have you come to his defense like that—even with as distraught as he was—you have to know that it meant a lot.”

“I’m glad. Chad has no right to talk to either of you that way.” And if he’d put his hands on the boy, I would have dragged him outside and made him regret every moment of it. Though I keep that part to myself because letting Margot know just how much rage I have bottled up isn’t what she needs.

She needs stability. Safety. Not anger. This woman and her son have seen enough of that for lifetimes.

“He certainly seems to think he can.” She shakes her head. “Anyway, I just wanted to thank you again. You didn’t have to do that, and you stepped up in a big way.”

“I won’t ever let anyone speak to you or Matty that way.”

She smiles, and the bell downstairs dings. Margot glances over her shoulder, and I hate that I know she’s about to walk away from me. But before she does, she crosses over and stretches up to press her lips to my cheek.

I’m stunned.

Frozen in place.

My stomach twists into knots, and as she pulls away, I have to actively fight the desire to reach forward and crush her body against mine as I steal the kiss I’ve desperately wanted from the moment I first laid eyes on her.

But before I can respond, she’s already gone, shutting my door gently behind her.

CHAPTER 10

Margot

As I write a check for the final bill owed, I lean back in my chair and smile.

Monday morning came quickly, and even Matty seemed to be in better spirits this morning despite everything that happened with Chad. Of course, hearing from Beckett that she’s taking the case in front of a judge to ask for it to be dropped entirely—and has high hopes that it will be—certainly helped.

Chad has no grounds to ask for partial custody when he signed away his rights.

Add to that his infidelity and the mountain of debt he left behind? According to her, he has literally no grounds, and the only reason he was able to get a lawyer to take it on in the first place was because he was sleeping with her.

I open a spreadsheet and make one final note about the deduction, then stare at the number left. It’s what I owe Jaxson, and even though the number I owe is just as high now as it was before, knowing it’s him I’m paying back versus multiple companies makes it easier to breathe.

The bell at my front desk dings, so I get to my feet and head into the foyer, a smile on my face. It fades as soon as I see the woman on the other side. Lanetti’s mother looks beyond nervous as she fiddles with the strap of her purse.

“Patty, what can I do for you?”

Her swollen, red eyes narrow on me, but she doesn’t speak right away. Instead, she takes a deep, steadying breath. “I would like to speak to you about my daughter.”

“Of course. How are you holding up?”

“Not well,” she replies. “As you can imagine.”

“I can.”

Her expression hardens. “Can you?”

“Not entirely, but if anything were to happen to Matty?—”

“Yes, sweet Matty. If anything were to happen to him, I imagine the entire town would be in an uproar. But because it’s my girl. Because—” Tears start streaming down her face.

“Patty, what’s going on?” I come around the desk and wrap an arm around her shoulders, then guide her over towards the couch to sit down.

She sits, and I drop down beside her, keeping my arm around her. I’ve known Patty Ester a long time. And even though we have a significant age difference, we’ve always gotten along.

“I found Lanetti’s journal and thought it might be helpful, so I gave it to Sheriff Vick. I should have read it first, but I was so happy to find something—anything.” She chokes up.

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