Page 125 of The Wreckage of Us

“Yes,” I agreed. “She looks so much like you.”

“She looks like Hazel,” she corrected, fiddling with her hands. “When Hazel was a baby, she had those big eyes too.”

“Wait, so how do you and Big Paw know each other?” I asked, bewildered.

“Holly and I’ve been visiting her quite a bit over the past few months,” he explained.

“Yeah, he’s been a pain in my ass,” Jean joked.

“And she’s been a pain in mine, always has throughout the years.”

“Years?” I asked.

Jean nodded. “We’d crossed paths many moons ago, when I was a teenager. I was pregnant with Hazel and on my own when I came to Eres. I was running from a troubled childhood, and when I got here, Holly and Big Paw took me in with arms wide open.”

“It seems to be what they do,” I said.

“Yeah, but I didn’t make it easy for them. I got involved with your mother and father, and I made a few choices I shouldn’t have after Hazel was born. I started hanging out with Sarah and Ray, and they introduced me to Charlie, and we all know how that ended up.” She gestured around her and frowned.

All this time I’d blamed Hazel’s mother for the beast that Charlie was, but it seemed as if my parents were the ones responsible for bringing Charlie and Jean together.

“You can only go up from here,” I said, hoping to give her a splash of hope.

She rubbed her hand up and down her arm nervously. “I want to do right; that’s all.”

“Which is why we’re here,” Big Paw said. “We need your help.”

She snickered. “No offense, Big Paw, but I’m not really able to help people much with my current situation.” She gestured around her again.

“But you can do what you can from where you are,” he said, clasping his hands together. “He threatened your daughters.”

Jean’s eyes widened, and she gave Big Paw a panicked look. “How so?”

“He’s forcing Hazel to give him all of her income, controlling her relationships, saying he’ll burn down the ranch, and threatening to do harm to her and Rosie if she doesn’t obey. He’s been beating up Garrett, too, pretty bad.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she shook her head. “I got her in a terrible place. I should’ve never gotten involved with Charlie. He shouldn’t be able to hurt my girl, but that’s how he is.” She wiped a few tears from her eyes and swallowed hard. “I don’t get how I can help, though.”

“That’s easy,” Big Paw said. “If there’s one person who knows Charlie, it’s you. You know how his messed-up brain works. You know his plans, his drops, his ... everything. So I need you to tell us some things to help catch him. We need to get him locked up, and this time, he won’t have anyone to take the fall for him. This time, he’s on his own, and this time, we’ll make sure it sticks.”

A moment of silence passed by as Jean lowered her brows. She clasped her hands together and nodded once. “I’ll tell you anything you need to know.”

And she did exactly that.

She gave us all that she could until it was time for her to leave the space. As she stood up from her chair, she looked my way. “You love my daughter?”

“Yes, ma’am, I do.”

“Can you do me a favor and treat her well? She deserves someone who treats her well.”

“I promise,” I told her. “And thank you for your help. You have no clue how much this means to us.”

“I’ve been a terrible mother. I’ve been messed up more than I’ve been clean, but getting off drugs in here has made me very clear minded. I want to do what’s right. If I can help you, I’ll do whatever I can. If it keeps my girls safe, I’ll do anything. If you could tell Hazel I’m sorry—for everything—that would mean a lot to me.”

“You really love your daughters, don’t you?”

“I do. I’ve never been a good mother, but I’ve always had the most amazing girl. I just couldn’t realize it when my head was fogged. Please tell her I’m sorry.”

“You should reach out to her yourself.”

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