“Woman, have you lost your mind? You don’t handle a shotgun that way. You could have accidently shot one of us.”
“My pap taught me how to handle a gun.”
When both men’s eyes narrowed at her, she gave them a sinister smile.
Dustin returned it with a friendly grin. “I forgot how much I like you. You fucked up when you let her get away.” His eyes traveled down her body. “How do you feel about being with a younger man?”
Sutton made gagging noises.
Dustin’s grin slipped. “That wasn’t nice.”
“The only thing worse, in my opinion, than being with a younger man would be to be with a Porter.”
“What’s wrong with being with a Porter? You’re the one who lied and cheated on Tate. If you didn’t look so good naked before you wrapped up in that towel earlier, I wouldn’t even be interested.”
Sutton held her hand out to Tate. “Give me the gun.”
Tate took a step back, the gun held tightly in his hand. “Calm down. He’s joking.”
“No, I—”
“Shut up, Dustin, before I save Sutton the trouble.”
“I’m going.” He raised his hands up in surrender. “I left the bag of clothes I brought for you outside. Come to the bathroom, and I’ll give it to you.”
Tate nodded before following his brother back to the bedroom.
Sutton went into the kitchen to make herself a bowl of cereal. She was sitting at the table, eating, when Tate returned.
“You didn’t make me a bowl?”
“Why don’t you call one of your women to come and wait on you hand and foot?”
“A simple ‘no’ would have been good enough.”
Sutton watched as he made himself a bowl of cereal. He was pale and moved stiffly. His overpowering presence made him seem better than he actually was. When she saw him almost drop the gallon of milk, she stood up.
“Sit down. I’ll make it for you.” Her fingers accidently touched his when she took the milk from him.
“Thanks.” He sat down at the table as she finished making the cereal for him then set the bowl down in front of him.
“Do you need another pain pill?”
“I already took it when I was in the bathroom.”
Sutton nodded as she sat back down.
“How did you meet your husband?”
She paused with the cereal-filled spoon halfway to her mouth, assessing him. His face was neutral, as if he was just trying to make conversation. Sutton ate her cereal as she decided if she wanted to answer his question.
“Come on. I’m bored being cooped up.”
“So, you want me to discuss my marriage to entertain you?”
“I want you to tell me about your life because I’m interested.” The sincerity in his voice broke her resolve not to discuss her disastrous marriage.
“I met Scott when I was selling pharmaceutical supplies. He was a doctor on my route.”
“Was it love at first sight?”
“No, he actually asked me out several times before I agreed to go out with him. At first, I wasn’t interested. He seemed to be pompous, letting the prestige of his position go to his head. One night, I gave in and went out with him.” She took another bite of her cereal as she remembered back to the time when she had first started dating him.
“He seemed to loosen up while we were dating. He had a sense of humor that was wickedly funny, and I didn’t feel as lonely when I was with him. He asked me to marry him on Valentine’s Day. I thought it was romantic and that he loved me, so I said yes.”
“You thought?”
“Looking back, I think I was more of a challenge than anything else.”
“That had to hurt.”
Sutton pushed her bowl of cereal away, no longer hungry. “It wasn’t the first time. Seems men only want me as long as it takes them to catch me.”
Tate’s spoon dropped into his bowl of cereal. “That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is. I was the tiebreaker between you and Cash. With Scott, I was a trophy.”
“A trophy?”
“I found out later that the two other doctors in his practice, who had asked me out and I refused, had a bet on who could make me change my mind.”
“The fucker told you this?”
Sutton nodded. “When I told him I wanted a divorce.”
“It’s a good thing he’s dead,” he said grimly.
She stood up, going to the sink to place her dirty bowl, and then went to the front door.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Sutton …”
“The conversation is over. I don’t want to talk about my marriage anymore. I don’t want to talk about my past with you, either. It makes me sick to my stomach that I was a fool twice in my life.”
“I didn’t fool you—” Tate rose to face her angrily.
“Yes, you did!” she screamed at him, losing control. “You lied to me. You told me you would always be there for me, Tate! Remember? I loved you with every breath in my body, and all you were concerned about was getting one up on Cash. I was always there when you needed me. I was there when your parents were drowned. I helped you with your brothers and Rachel. I helped you pass your college entrance exams even though you had no intention of going. I protected you from my father. Even after we broke up, I watched out for you.”
Tate’s face went pale. “What are you talking about?”
“When Greer was put in jail for selling drugs to an undercover cop, I read about it in the paper. I contacted Diamond and told her I would pay her any additional fees she wanted, but I wanted Greer out of jail.”
“Why didn’t she tell us?”
“Because I told her not to. Even now, I’m protecting you by letting you hide out here, despite that someone else could be killed.” She gave a hysterical laugh. “I never stopped being there for you, but you were never there when I needed you. Ever. Not when my parents and I fought over you, not when I was missing my family and Treepoint so badly I married a man who abused me, and you sure as hell weren’t there when I needed you the most—the day my daughter died.”
Chapter 15
Sutton flung open the door, jumped off the porch and ran into the woods, not noticing her feet being torn up by the gravel driveway or the sticks and brambles in the woods. Running from her past, Tate, and the day she had had lost her precious eleven-month-old daughter.
She came to a stop halfway up the mountain, holding her stomach, gasping, trying to catch her breath. Sobs escaped as she threw herself down next to a tree. Holding her knees, she laid her head back on the tree as she tried to regain control.
She had been determined not to tell anyone about Valentine. When her anger at Tate had opened the floodgates, she hadn’t been able to push back her words. Even as she was screaming at Tate, her mind was telling her to shut up.
“Sassy pants …”
“Don’t call me that.”
She sat there helplessly as Tate walked forward, squatting down in front of her. His hand reached out to cup her cheek, his large palm rough and calloused, yet the gentleness in his touch gave her the strength to stifle the cries coming from her throat.
“I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you go …”
Sutton’s eyes jerked up to his; the pain he was no longer trying to hide hit her with the force of a punch to the stomach.
“I would have killed Cash over any other woman I loved, the way I loved you, but I knew you would give up your dreams up for me. I would have gotten you pregnant and kept you on the mountain. I wanted your dreams to come true, not to be sacrificed for me.
“When you left town after graduation, I almost went after you. The only thing stopping me was wanting you to have the life you deserved. I told myself that I would give you your freedom until my family was grown. Then I would drag you back to Treepoint.”
“You never came for me,” she hiccupped, unable to stop crying.
“I did,” he said, tears brimming in his eyes. “I gave you enough time to graduate and work a few years, long enough to decide which life you would prefer. I tracked you down in San Diego and waited outside where you worked. I sat there all day, waiting for you to come out. I had bought a new outfit so I wouldn’t embarrass you when you saw me.
“When you came out, you looked so beautiful I couldn’t move. Then, a red sports car pulled in, and a man got out, holding the door for you. I could tell he had money. He was dressed in an expensive suit with his hair all slicked back. You kissed him before getting in the car. I saw the ring on your finger and knew you were going to marry him.
“How could I compete with him? The pants I had on didn’t cost as much as those fancy shoes he wore. I couldn’t give you the house or the money or life he could, so I left. I was jealous and angry, but I left because you were living the life I thought you wanted and deserved. If I had any idea you needed me, I would have been there. I swear, Sutton, I would have been there for you.” He sat down next to her, placing his arm around her shoulder then pulling her to him until her head lay on his shoulder.
They sat there quietly for hours, each regretting the missed opportunities. She believed Lisa’s lies, and Tate had believed he couldn’t measure up. Neither of them had faith in the love they had found that one special summer.