Page 38 of Texas-Sized Secrets

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“MR. BRYSON.” What did he call a man who wasn’t his real father? “It’s me, Reed.” Coming to his stepfather in the middle of the night wasn’t something he relished, but he didn’t have many choices.

After the attorney dropped him off at Mona’s truck, Reed had tried to find a bail bondsman, but the closest one was in Amarillo. The thought of spending an hour on the road to and from was more than Reed could stomach. Every minute Mona was in that jail was a minute too long. He knew how much she hated going to Arty for the money, thus his plea to the only other man he knew who might have that kind of money lying around.

“Reed?” Will Bryson opened the door, his graying hair standing on end as though he’d just risen from his bed. “What’s the matter?”

“I need help.”

“Come in.” He motioned toward the living room. “Your mother’s still sleeping. I’d like to keep it that way, if we can.”

“Good, I’d rather not worry her.” Reed took a deep breath and launched in. “My boss, Mona Grainger, has been arrested and I need one hundred thousand dollars to bail her out of jail tonight.”

In the process of taking a seat in the leather armchair, Will Bryson sat down hard, his eyes wide. “What did you say?”

Reed’s gut twisted. “Miss Grainger’s been arrested and I need money to bail her out. I’ll pay you back as soon as she’s cleared of the charges.”

“On what grounds was she arrested?”

Here it went. Reed stared across at his stepfather. “Suspicion of murder.”

The man’s face paled. “Did she kill someone?”

“No.” Reed stood. Coming here was a mistake.

“How do you know she didn’t? How do you know that if you bail her out she won’t kill again?”

“Because I know. Mona Grainger is not a killer.”

“Did you see who killed the man?”

“No.” Reed pushed a hand through his hair and dropped it to his side. “Never mind. Thanks for letting me in. I can show myself out.”

“Reed.” His stepfather followed him to the door and laid a hand on his arm when he reached for the knob. “I’m just trying to understand.”

“That’s just it. Sometimes you can’t understand everything, you have to go with your heart. You have to care enough about someone to believe in them. Even in uncertain circumstances.” Reed shook off William Bryson’s hand and left, closing the door behind him. As far as he was concerned, his stepfather had failed him yet again.

Which didn’t solve his immediate problem.

Reed turned his truck toward the nearest convenience store, where he borrowed a phone book and looked up Arty Grainger’s number. With his last bit of change, he dialed from the pay phone on the corner.

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SOMETIME AFTER ONEin the morning, Mona must have fallen asleep on the dirty bare mattress. Even before she heard the metal jingle of keys, thunder woke her, banging loud enough to rattle the light fixtures in her cell.

“You can go.” Parker Lee held the bars open, a sneer curling the edge of his lip all the way up to the flare of his nose. “Just don’t leave town. If I had my way, I’d keep you locked up until your trial.”

Mona ignored him, too tired to care enough to form an appropriate response.

Reed stood on the other side of the room, his lips pressed together in a tight line.

Even during the darkest hours of her despair, she’d known he’d somehow come through for her.

Tears welled in her eyes and clogged her throat. She collected her belongings from the deputy and walked outside into a blasting wind, hanging on tightly to her control and the hem of her dress.

When she normally would have taken the driver’s seat, she knew better and headed for the passenger side.

Reed was there before her to open the door and hand her up into the seat.

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