Page 32 of All I Want for Christmas

“I never would have done any of that shit,” he said in a low growl.

“I know,” I said. And I knew Rose did too, but I wasn’t about to say so.

“You said the business is doin’ well,” he said, staring at the wall again. “She doin’ okay with money?”

“She and Joe aren’t rich, by any means, but they’re doin’ okay.”

He nodded. “Everything else goin’ okay? She runnin’ into any problems with Mike and the kids?”

“Actually…”

He turned to look at me. His eyes were cold as ice, but I knew it wasn’t directed at me.

“Mike’s case still hasn’t gone to trial, and Rose is having to split custody with his parents. They’re being buttheads about the whole thing and makin’ everyone’s lives miserable, especially the kids. I think his parents see ’em as a trophy to show off to their friends, instead of wanting to be with them. Mikey was sick this weekend and his grandparents still made him go to church. Plus, they’re just not good with kids. They won’t let them make any noise or a mess. They’re just too militaristic. They’re the kind ofpeople who are better having their grandkids for a few hours at a time, not days at a time. The whole thing has Rose pretty upset.”

“So why doesn’t Rose have custody?”

“Mike has to either sign it over to Rose or they have to wait until he’s convicted and then work it out, although a mediator told Rose they’ll likely keep the same arrangement.”

He tapped the table once with his index finger. “So, the ideal arrangement would be for Rose to have full custody and see Mike’s parents less often.”

“In a perfect world, yes. It’s what Violet wanted.”

The mention of Violet’s name seemed to stir something in him. He fisted his hand then said, “I’ll take care of it.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean you’ll take care of it?”

He looked into my eyes with a glare that brooked no argument. “Exactly what I said: I’ll take care of it.”

He tapped his finger again, glancing over at Carter for several seconds before turning back to me. He no longer looked angry, but he didn’t look jovial. “I’ll take care of the Jed situation too.”

“What?” Carter cried out, nearly jumping off his seat.

“How?” I asked at the same time.

“You don’t need to worry about the how,” Skeeter said, ignoring Carter. “But I’m asking for something in return.”

I wasn’t exactly surprised, but I was a little disappointed. I’d hoped he’d do it because Jed had been his friend since childhood, not to use his friend’s freedom as a bargaining tool. “What?”

He cocked a brow. “You’re askin’ what? You’re not just agreein’?”

“I’m not foolish enough to agree to just anything,” I sassed back. “I’ve heard the story about Rumpelstiltskin.”

He gave me a questioning look, then turned to Carter.

“Just go with it,” Carter said with a grin.

Skeeter gave me a hard stare. “What I’m about to ask stays between you, me, and Carter. You can’t tell Jed, and you definitely can’t tell Rose or Joe. If you do, the whole deal’s off.”

“I’m listening…” I said hesitantly. I wasn’t sure I could agree to keeping a secret from the people closest to me, but I was willing to hear him out.

“I’ll make Jed’s questioning go away, but in return, you’ll send a report with photos once a month.”

I gave him a leery glance. “What kind of report?”

“About Rose.” He paused. “And the baby. It has to be handwritten—no computer printout to leave a trace. It needs to be at least one page long, preferably more, with details about their lives.” His eyes narrowed. “And I’ll expect updates about the situation regarding her niece and nephew.”

Was I betraying Rose if I agreed to such a thing? It felt like I was, but at the same time, I understood why he was asking. He could ask Rose for the details, and she’d gladly give them, but he wouldn’t do that to her. He wanted her to be free. But I didn’t mind being tied to him by this thin chain. Not if it guaranteed that Jed—and likely Rose—would be safe.

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