Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
“Back then or now?” She glanced at him. He watched her and smiled when their gazes met.
“Either. Both.”
Devy shrugged. “This is where the action is, and the deck out back needs replacing. Crow doesn’t even let us step on it.”
“Why doesn’t Colt fix it?”
Dev shrugged. “Don’t know.” She looked down the street in the direction of her brother’s establishment. It was late, and most of the businesses had closed. The Lazy Lamb was still open and would be until last call. Then, she imagined, Colt would come home, crawl into bed, and start all over again in the morning.
Cordelia whined to go back inside. Before Devy could get up to open the door for her, Hayden got up and let the dog in.
When Hayden sat back down, Dev noticed he sat closer to her. Normally, she’d shy away or put distance between herself and another man because she wouldn’t want to upset Chad. This time, she didn’t move.
“I’m assuming she’s Crow’s?”
“Colt’s, actually, but she’s pretty obsessed with Maren. She’s been sleeping in her bed since we got here.”
“Dogs can help with grief.”
“Yeah. I like her. She sits with me during the day, when no one is home and I’m alone with my thoughts. She definitely helps.”
“Maybe I should look into getting Conor a dog.”
Devy nodded and leaned her head on her hands. “Can I ask about your wife?”
“It’s not what you’re probably thinking.” Hayden sighed. “Sofia was out one night with her cousin and friends for a bachelorette party. We lived about an hour from town, and I told her to call me when she was ready to come home. I didn’t want her to worry about getting home, and it’s not like we had Uber or anything. I wanted her to go out and have a good time with her friends. To let loose and enjoy the night.” Hayden paused.
“It was midnight when I started calling her. I think I must’ve called every five or ten minutes. Each call went to voicemail. The first couple of calls, I left her messages. Things like, ‘Hey, hon, I hope you’re having fun. Let me know when I should start heading your way.’ And then the frantic ones started. I was worried about her. After an hour, I hopped in my truck. About twenty miles from the ranch, I saw the flares, and then I was at the scene of this one-car accident, and I just knew. Like, deep down, I knew it was her, and my life was going to be changed forever the moment I got out of the truck.
“The car she was in had flipped and landed on the passenger side. She was gone by the time the medics arrived. The kick in the nuts is, Sofia was sober. Her cousin, the one driving, was well past the legal limit and walked away without a scratch.”
“Did she go to jail?”
Hayden shook his head. “I’m not sure there will even be a trial. If there is, I won’t be there. It’s one of the reasons we moved. Her family, they’re distraught and they don’t want their niece to go to jail for an accident. Whereas I want her to rot there for stealing away my son’s mother. We don’t see eye to eye, and that put a strain on our relationship. So, I quit my job, moved out of the house my father-in-law had built for us, and came home.”
“I’m sorry, Hayden.”
“Yeah, me too,” he said again. “It’s hardest on Conor. The decision to take him away from his grandparents, the life he had there. I just hope he makes friends here and can thrive.”
“Maren lost her best friend in this mess.”
Hayden looked at Devy. “Maybe her friend can come visit?”
“No, I don’t think that’ll be possible. Her mother is the other woman.”
“Ooh,” Hayden said, drawing out the ooh. “Shit.”
Devorah nodded. “It seems Maren and I are the only ones losing in this situation. I lost my husband, home, business. My friends. Everything I’d built is gone, and everyone knows my dirty laundry thanks to my so-called friend.”
Hayden sighed heavily. “Unfortunately, you’re right about ‘everyone.’”
Her eyes shot to his. “Everyone? Here too?”
He nodded.
“That’s just fucking lovely,” she said as she wiped angrily at the instant tears. “I can’t even escape to my childhood home without this shit following me.”
“I think people here will have your back.”
Devorah scoffed. “Yeah, something tells me my former classmates will take every opportunity to rub it in my face. I wasn’t exactly nice to most of them.”
“We were kids. Kids are assholes,” Hayden said with some laughter. “You gotta keep your head up. Don’t let anyone bring you down.”
“I’m pretty much at the bottom of the barrel, Hayden. I’m not sure how much lower I can go.”
“If it’s any consolation, I haven’t seen the video, and don’t plan to watch it.”