Page 21 of Lone Star Country Protector
“I would have heard something if an arrest had been made,” Blakely reassured. Which didn’t mean she would necessarily know if the officers had a suspect.
“It’s awful to think there’s a possibility that I might lose you too,” Bethany said.
Blakely put an arm around her younger sister. “I’m not planning on going anywhere.” A tear fell, leaving a stain on Blakely’s pajama bottoms. “Hey. I’m serious. I’m here, and I don’t want you to worry. Okay?”
“You and Chase are all I’ve got left,” Bethany said under her breath.
“Are you and Greg getting a divorce?”
Bethany exhaled a long, slow breath. Didn’t speak.
“Okay, you have to tell me what happened with him,” Blakely urged.
“He had an affair,” she stated before giving in to quiet sobs.
The fact Blakely had just been nice to Greg, comforting him, caused bile to rise in her throat. She should have given him a piece of her mind instead. Once again, she was reminded those closest to you would only end up hurting you in the end.
“I’m so sorry, sweetie,” she whispered to her sister as she stroked her hair.
“Someone from work,” Bethany said.
“He confessed this to you last night?”
“That would have been better,” she said. “But, no, I found out because she texted him while he was in the bathroom.” A few sniffles quieted Bethany for several beats. “She wassextinghim while he was on a date night with hiswife. How cliché am I now? Married young. Had a child young. Husband cheated. Divorced before thirty-one.”
“You two seemed to have it all,” Blakely said. “There’s nothing wrong with you wanting to believe the fairy tale.”
“Except for the fact the traditional fairy tale is as outdated as I feel,” Bethany said. “I didn’t finish my degree. What kind of job am I going to be able to get to support myself and Chase?”
“Greg will pay child support,” Blakely reminded. “He might not have been around for Chase, but Greg loves his son and trusted that you were taking care of Chase’s needs. There’s no way he’ll leave you in a bad situation. Besides, the last time I spoke to him business was thriving.”
“Can I trust anything the man says?”
Good question. One Blakely didn’t want to touch. “The love you shared with Greg was real. And he obviously doesn’t want to lose you. I’m not saying you should forgive him or go back. Those are your decisions, and I’ll support you no matter what. But he’ll take care of you either way.”
“Yeah?” Bethany asked with no sign of hope in her voice. Then, she added, “Who takes care of you?”
Blakely didn’t have a good answer to her sister’s question. Until recently, she hadn’t given it a thought. Milestone birthdays had a way of sneaking up on you. Turning thirty had caused her to assess her life. Career was on track. Actually, she was doing better than she’d expected there. Personal life?
No one had it all. Right?
Except maybe someone like Dalton. The man was sharp, had a sense of humor and looks that could kill.
Thinking about last night, she regretted the last word.
“It doesn’t sound like Greg to cheat,” Blakely said. How well did she know her brother-in-law?
Bethany shrugged. “People change, I guess.” She blew out a breath. “I should have seen it coming. All those late nights at the office, ‘working.’” She hooked her fingers in air quotes.
“Did he offer an explanation?” Blakely asked. As awful as this was, it was taking her mind off her own trouble.
“For cheating or working late?”
“Working late,” she confirmed.
“There was always an excuse.” Bethany leaned her headto one side, resting it on her fist as she propped her elbow up on the back of the sofa.
“I thought he hired someone to be his right-hand person last year,” Blakely continued.
