Page 49 of The Other Side

“Why not? I’ll take you.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Sure, I can.”

Thea shook her head. “Family issues.”

“Oh,” Hadley drawled. “I can’t believe it’s that bad.”

“It’s that bad,” Thea whispered.

“If they treat their family like that, I’d hate to see what they do to their enemies.” Hadley looked around, and the silence settled between them. “I still want to help.”

“That’s incredibly nice of you, but it’s dangerous.” Thea waved a hand over her injured face.

Hadley leaned forward. “If you want to see her and help her, I’ll help make it happen.”

Tilting her head, Thea studied Hadley. They were practically strangers, and half of the dangerous truth had just been detailed for the police. “Why would you do that?”

Hadley shrugged. “If my mom was in bad shape, I’d do anything to be with her. If there was any way to help her, I would do it. My sister went above and beyond to help Mom and me. She put herself in danger to make sure we were cared for. After I found out what she did, I realized I would have done the same if I’d been given the chance.”

“Who’s your sister?”

“Cheyenne.”

“Is she okay now?”

Hadley smiled. “She’s great. Everything worked out, but she dealt with a lot of terrible things to keep us safe. And that’s what’s important–protecting the people we love.”

“I would do anything for my mom,” Thea whispered.

Hadley rested a hand on top of Thea’s. “Me too. Having my sister to help me was an answer to prayer. If you don’t have anyone else, you have me.”

Hope and fear bloomed rapidly in Thea’s thoughts. Could she see and help her mom? What would she have to do to make it happen? “I won’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask. I volunteered.”

Thea looked at Hadley’s hand resting over hers. She’d been through some rough times in her life–times when she hadn’t expected to pull out of the pit. But God had held her hand through all of those dark times. Had He sent Hadley to guide her through this limbo between fear and grief?

“Maybe I need to help her in a different way. If she could just get her doctor to set up the treatment plan, maybe you could help get her there and I could help pay for it.”

“Sure, but do you have the money for that?” Hadley asked.

Thea let out a sarcastic laugh. “I don’t have much. Even less now that I’ll be getting a hefty hospital bill, but I’ve been training horses for years, and I saved every penny I could. I had plenty of time off to come here, but I didn’t expect to stay this long. My boss is understanding because I’ve never asked for anything, but I need to get back soon.”

“Why don’t you work here while you’re stuck?” Hadley asked.

“How?” Thea pointed to her injured ankle.

“We can always use extra hands around here. We can talk to Ava and Mr. Chambers about it. He’s the owner, and she’s his granddaughter. Ava’s pregnancy hasn’t been easy, and I’m sure she could use some help when she’s not feeling well and wants to just rest. Her morning sickness is brutal sometimes.”

“I’d love that. I need to earn my keep here, too.”

“You said you train horses? I bet Jess and Brett would love to have you at the barn too.”

Thea grimaced. “I’m not sure Jess will want my help.”

“Sure she would!”

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