Page 75 of The Cowboy's Second Chance Bride

I chuckled. “You need me to help you get away from me?” I picked her up and carried her to the bench.

“Yeah, it’s a new fresh kind of hell. I get so frustrated with you for not telling me things. Is losing this award a big deal?”

I wanted to tell her it wasn’t, but she’d see through that right away. “Yeah, it is. They don’t give it out every year, just when someone does outstanding work, and we were being recognized for our work on school safety. Paul’s pissed because it would have helped with the launch of the new division and the app. I’m more pissed because I think Hitchens had his hand in this. Not giving it to me because I don’t deserve it? Fine. But don’t take it away because of outside pressure.” I bent and kissed her on the forehead. “But I’ll go away, and then you can miss me when I’m gone.”

She swatted my arm and still looked pouty.

“Babe, seriously, Paul will brief us when he knows more.” I kissed the pout right off her lips.

Then I walked over to get Cricket. When we were coming back, we arrived just in time to see a woman slap Sabrina across the face and witness Sabrina return it with a punch.

ChapterTwenty-Nine

SABRINA

Iwas sitting there, minding my own business, waiting for Cal and Cricket to come, when a woman approached me. I’d seen her when we came out of the doctor’s office, and she’d given me a filthy look. She waited for Cal to walk away before she approached. At first, she just stood near me and stared—or more like glared.

I ignored her. What else was I supposed to do? I scrolled through my watch, checking messages, but scrolling on a watch was its own sort of torture. Cori had sent some photos. They were pictures of us at the community center and line dancing, and they showed a closeness, a bond. More than our attraction.

There was one with Cal, me, and Jace that reminded me the way we’d been in college. The divide starting with that event in Vegas could no longer be seen. The beauty we’d had in college existed today, and the only thing to change was our age.

“I know who you are.” The woman moved to stand to the side of the bench, like she’d been trying to look at my phone.

Damn, my situational awareness blows.

“And exactly who do you think I am?” I shouldn’t have asked, because I could smell the anger rolling off her and knew that was trouble.

“You’re one of those assholes that did that program at the community center.”

“And that’s bad because…?”

Shut your mouth, Sabrina. I should have excused myself and hobbled away. Put space and some crutches between us.

“Because you all walk around like you live a good life when you don’t. You ain’t any better than the rest of us. That man of yours has it all wrong. Showing a girl some attention ain’t bad. Sometimes they mean yes when they say no.”

I felt a flare of pride when she called Cal my “man,” but it had been extinguished quickly with the next remark. “You’re a woman, and you’re saying that?” I asked. “Not to sound cliché, but no means no. It literally means to refuse, not sorta kinda agree.”

A kid Rod’s age walked up and stood next to her. He had a sucker in his mouth and a red mark on his cheek.

“Well, that nurse said yes to my sister’s boy, and then when she thinks she’s too good for him, she tells the poh-leece that he’s harassing her.”

It took me a moment to connect the pieces, but I believed she was talking about Casey.

“All he wanted to do was give her some good attention. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.” She pointed to her kid. “And this one gets in trouble at school just for exercising his amendment rights. All he did was say the truth. That feral Jamison kid jumped him and marked up his face. He’s as worthless as his father.”

So this was the kid who’d hassled Rod. It totally made sense. I’d had enough. There was no point in engaging in a conversation with this person. I pushed to a stand, got my crutches underneath me, and was three steps away before she rushed to stand in front of me.

“What? You don’t like what I have to say? You think because you live out on a fancy ranch you are better than me—than us?”

This woman was all over the place with her accusations. I didn’t know anything about her, yet it was hard not to make assumptions. What I did know was I needed to get away.

“Please step aside.” I used my firm teacher’s voice, but it didn’t work.

She put her finger in my face. “You think you can just do what you want, say what you want, without repercussions? My nephew was arrested. My kid is in trouble, and he’s only in second grade. And it’s all because of you all thinking yer better than us, that we’re here to serve you.”

“You ever think that it’s a you problem?”

Before it left my mouth, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes were crazy with anger, and up close, I smelled whiskey on her breath. But apparently, I was exactly who she accused me of being, because I’d just said what I wanted to say.

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