Page 83 of Relentless

Harper crossed her arms, sidestepping again in her way.

“Well, I’m coming.”

“Harper,” Maeve responded, struggling to keep her temper even. “I’m going to need you to stay.”

“I’m coming,” Harper’s firm tone indicated that she wasn’t going to budge.

Maeve felt her capacity to argue dwindling. She left Harper behind and headed to her bedroom, where it only took a couple of minutes to pull on her snow gear. By the time she rounded the corner of the stairs into the living room, Harper was well into what seemed like a loaded conversation with Oakleigh. The young woman’s arms were crossed tightly to her chest as she listened intently to her mother lecturing in hushed tones.

Maeve was no idiot. She knew Harper would never let an opportunity pass if she could sow a thread of discord into the chaos.

There wasn’t time to do damage control.

She passed them by, heading out into the sub-zero temperatures. They followed her lead as she headed to the Jeep.

Bethany popped her head through the doorway. “Should I stay?”

“Look after Sawyer,” Maeve instructed. “I appreciate you, Bethany.”

While she trudged through the knee-deep snow drifts, she could hear Harper flinging underhanded jabs at her expense.

“Sure, she appreciates Bethany,” Harper sneered. “While you get what?”

“Blamed for everything,” Oakleigh muttered bitterly as she opened the driver’s door and climbed inside.

Maeve swung the door open in frustration, taking her place in the passenger’s seat.

“Actually — ” Oakleigh announced. Refusing to make eye contact, she slammed her finger into the ignition button. “I’d like mymomto sit there.”

It was an exercise in sheer pettiness.

“Oakleigh?” Maeve said calmly, trying to cut through the young woman’s attitude and remind her just who she was speaking to. “Is that really what you want?”

“Itismy car,” Oakleigh replied, her response as icy as the driving snow.

Instead of escalating the thick hostility between them, Maeve quietly pushed the door open. She couldn’t help but notice Harper’s smug smile as she slipped past her, taking her place next to Oakleigh.

Maeve settled into the back seat beside Crew, who offered an apologetic glance. Despite her own frustration, she gave his knee a motherly pat, hoping to reassure him that everything would be okay — although she was the one who could have used some reassurance.

Oakleigh took the icy road faster than Maeve would have preferred, yet she remained quiet.

“I guess it’s as good a time as any,” Harper chimed. “Oakleigh, your father has his job back at Pacific Crest.” Her voice bounced with excitement. “Head pastor, isn’t that fantastic?”

Oakleigh quietly kept her eyes on the road, but Maeve couldn’t help but notice that the young woman’s knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel.

“That’s great, Mom,” she said, her voice loaded with false optimism.

Harper exhaled contentedly as she continued. “I’m just over the moon at the thought of stepping back into ministry again.”

Maeve bristled.

Harper’s favorite phrase was still a trigger for her, digging deep into her old wounds.

“Oakleigh,” Harper dripped. “There’s still a place for you,whenyou’re ready.”

The uncomfortably heavy quietness blanketed the car once again.

They pulled onto the darkened Main Street, where the heavy snow was piling up in windows and doorways. The only lights to be seen were the ones shining from the windowsof Ruth’s Coffee Shop. Nearly every parking spot was taken except for the ones reserved for them. Oakleigh pulled into her space, and turned off the ignition.

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