Page 73 of River Justice

She stopped at the door and turned back to look at HH. He too had changed. He seemed older, and she felt bad about that. Maybe when he healed more, he wouldn’t look so afraid for her. “Yes?”

“Just...enjoy yourself.”

She smiled her thanks, knowing he was going to tell her to be careful but had stopped himself. “There’s Pickett,” she said at the sound of a car horn. “He’s taking me over to the ranch.”

HOLDENWATCHEDHERGO,his heart breaking. He’d wanted to hug her to him, to not let her out of his sight, but she was too old for a hug from him, and that had never been their relationship even if he could have hugged her with his injuries.

He’d been given another chance—not just raising a child, but also establishing a relationship with her. He’d been afraid of making the same mistakes he’d made with his own children. Now he’d already jeopardized her life. He couldn’t keep worrying about messing her up. He told himself that he’d already done the worst.

“She’ll be fine,” Elaine said, coming into the room as Holly Jo went out the front door of the Stafford house in her jeans and boots and Western shirt and hat. “Children are resilient. I would imagine that once you live through something like that, you grow stronger. At least, that’s what I hope for her.”

“We almost lost her,” he said, voice breaking with emotion.

She nodded and stepped to him to cover his hand with her own. “We almost lost you as well.”

He scoffed, hating to think how he’d let his temper get the best of him. It was a wonder he hadn’t gotten the sheriff and Holly Jo killed. “Am I ever going to learn?”

“Are any of us?” She smiled down at him. “Maybe you are, though. You accepted Charlotte’s offer. That seems like a huge step.”

He groaned, remembering his reaction when Elaine had told him about Charlotte’s offer. Live in the Stafford Ranch house? What had Lottie been thinking? His first impulse was to turn her down flat.

“You would be doing Charlotte a favor,” Elaine had said. “She won’t be there. I think she might be trying to make up for the past a little. Would you deny her that?”

He’d groused for a while, but it had been Brand who’d convinced him his mother had been sincere in her offer. “The house is pretty much empty and right next door to your ranch,” Brand had said. “It might be a way of putting all that old animosity between the two families to rest. I really wish you’d take her up on her offer. Ryder and I will be around occasionally, but that’s about it. She’s let go of the staff.”

“This is your chance to get to know your son, a working rancher like you,” Elaine had said, and he’d finally agreed.

Lottie wouldn’t be there, but he knew he would see her everywhere in the home her husband had made for her—the home the two of them should have had together. The first day he’d walked in after finally being released from the hospital, he’d been anxious. But to his surprise, he didn’t see Lottie here like he’d thought he would. It was as if she’d left nothing of herself behind.

“Cooper called to see how you were,” Elaine said now. “I told him you were getting crankier by the day. He said that was a good sign, and you must be going to live. Tilly’s so happy that we accepted her mother’s offer to stay here.”

“She have any idea where Charlotte went?” Holden asked.

Elaine shook her head. “No one seems to know or how long she will be gone. She told me she needed some time away.”

Holden realized that Elaine and Charlotte were a lot closer than he’d ever imagined—or paid enough attention to notice. It surprised him. “The way our house is coming up, we shouldn’t be here long. How will you let Charlotte know we’ve moved out when that happens?”

Elaine shrugged. “I guess she’ll hear about it somehow. I doubt she’s worried about it.” With that, she left the room, making him think the two weren’t that close after all.

His Lottie. He wasn’t ready to see her. Not yet. He wasn’t even sure when he would be ready—if ever—to dig through the ashes of his house, let alone his and Lottie’s tragic love-hate relationship. So much had happened over the years. He just wasn’t sure they could ever find their way back to each other.

But even as he thought it, there was that damned sliver of hope that still burned inside him as if nothing could kill it. Not betrayal or lies, or even bullets.

*

BIRDIECAMEOUTof the hotel and stopped short as she saw who was standing next to her SUV, apparently waiting for her. She’d been upset when she heard that Charlotte Stafford had turned her house over to the McKennas and left town. She’d thought it was to avoid making good on what she’d said she owed Birdie.

So seeing her waiting next to her SUV came as a surprise. Birdie took a breath, straightened and walked over to her. She’d been waiting for this for a very long time.

“If you came here to get me to stop looking for my father’s killer and her accomplice, you’re wasting your time,” Birdie said.

Charlotte shook her head. “I’ve heard about what a determined, strong woman you are. I wouldn’t presume to try to change your mind. The only thing I want from you is honesty. Are you using Brand to get to me?”

It was the last thing Birdie had expected her to say. She frowned in surprise. “I love your son.” She realized that she hadn’t even admitted it to herself until that moment. “It has nothing to do with wanting to see my father’s killer behind bars—even if it’s you.”

The woman rancher nodded gravely. Birdie saw her swallow and look away for a moment before she turned back. “I’m sorry about your father.” Before she could respond to that, Charlotte said the last thing Birdie expected. “I’m sorry I married him. I’m sorry he died. I’m sorry I was the one to take him away from you. I’ve already called the sheriff. I’m turning myself in. If Holly Jo’s kidnapping taught me anything, it’s time to do what is right.”

“You’re telling me you killed him.” She couldn’t help being shocked to have Charlotte admit it. “What about your accomplice? Someone had to help you get him into that well.”

---