Page 90 of Awakening the Sheriff

Auden took my earlobe between his teeth, his hot breath making my skin pebble. “If that’s news to you, you haven’t been paying attention.”

“I haven’t heard you propose.”

He tipped my chin up, and our eyes met. The love radiating from his made my heart skip a beat. “When the time comes, I’ll be on one knee, baby. Don’t you worry.”

I wasn’t worried at all. Not with this man next to me.

32

KEATON

To be happy, I had one more dreaded task to check off my list.

I’d been putting it off for weeks, preferring to spend time with Auden and rebuild my relationship with Byron, hoping to find some peace in my life. But the lies Mandy had fed Byron still festered in my chest, a wound that wouldn’t heal until I confronted her. And since it was her weekend tomorrow, I couldn’t procrastinate any longer.

“Byron, Milton, can you come in here for a moment?”

They both shuffled into the room, their expressions guarded. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to ask them. “I know this might be difficult, but do you want to go stay with your mom for the weekend? Technically, it’s her turn to have you, but the choice is yours.”

Byron narrowed his eyes, his jaw clenched. “No,” he said in a tone that made his feelings crystal clear. “I’m not sure I’ll ever trust her again after what she did to me.”

“I respect that, Byron. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

Milton glanced between his brother and me. “I don’t want to go either. I wanna support Byron.”

Byron looked at Milton with gratitude. “You don’t have to do that, Milt. Don’t feel obligated.”

Milton shook his head. “I don’t, but if Mom could lie to you so easily, she might do it to me too. I don’t want to go alone. I want you with me when I go.”

The determination in his voice surprised me, and a swell of pride for my younger son filled me. Byron placed a hand on Milton’s shoulder, and they exchanged a look that spoke volumes. It was a rare moment of unity between my boys, and my heart expanded with joy. This connection would be their strength in the face of Mandy’s deceit, and it warmed me to see them standing together.

“Okay,” I said softly. “You don’t have to go this weekend. We’ll figure something out.”

If the boys weren’t going, I had to tell Mandy. Then I might as well get the whole confrontation out of the way. But not alone. I needed Auden’s support.

When I called him, Auden picked up after the first ring. “The boys don’t wanna go to Mandy this weekend.”

“I’ll go with you to talk to Mandy. We won’t tell her the kids aren’t coming, so she’ll be home when we get there. You can confront her, and I’ll be there to back you up.”

“Thank you.” Relief washed over me. “But what about Milton and Byron? I don’t feel comfortable leaving them home alone.”

Auden thought for a moment. “Why not have them stay with my parents at the farm? It would give them a chance to get to know each other.”

“Would your parents be okay with that?” I asked. He was so sweet to offer.

“They’d love some time to get to know your boys. But let me check with them to make sure they have nothing else going on this weekend.”

Auden had been correct; his parents were more than happy to take Byron and Milton for the night. And when I asked the boys if they’d be okay with it and explained it was so Auden and I could talk to their mom, they agreed. “Auden’s mom is nice,” Milton said. Then he frowned. “If she’s Auden’s mom, does that make her my step-grandma?”

“I suppose so.”

“Do you think Grandpa and Grandma Perry would be upset if we called Auden’s parents grandma and grandpa too?”

My heart overflowed with joy. “No, buddy, I think they’d love that. They’re happy you guys have a set of grandparents now that live nearby.”

Mandy’s parents had never warmed up to the kids and hadn’t seen them in years.

When we pulled up in Auden’s truck that Friday afternoon after school, Wilbert and Cora stood outside, waiting for us. The boys were a little shy when they got out, but Auden’s parents weren’t bothered by it. Besides, Auden’s father had a surprise for Byron—all with our permission, of course.

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