I drop to my ass, snapping the box closed with a pop. “Well, shit.”
Nan ruffles my hair, like she used to do when I was a kid. “Don’t worry, she’ll come around. You just surprised her, that’s all.”
My shoulders droop. “Or, the idea of marrying me again scares the hell out of her so badly that she had to run away.”
I almost trip over my own feet trying to get up the steps at Aunt Delores’s. My heart thumps an irregular beat, and my lungs are tight and stubbornly not taking oxygen from the air—or so it seems.
I push through the front door and stagger to the kitchen, fighting to pull myself together. This shouldn’t bother me so badly. It makes sense. Trudi wanted the pregnancy reveal, or lack thereof, on camera for ratings. Of course she’d want a proposal on film. It would be the perfect follow-up to Arianne’s exit stage left.
I yank the cabinet door open and grab a glass, pushing it under the tap. I guzzle the almost ice cold well-water until movement in the corner of my eye has me spewing it across the linoleum.
I cough, wiping my chin with the back of my arm. “What are you doing here?”
Arianne steps out of the laundry room that connects the kitchen to Aunt Delores’s bedroom. She’s got hold of Aunt Delores by the sleeve of her shirt, pointing a gun to the back of her head.
An image of what will happen to Aunt Delores if Arianne pulls the trigger freezes me from the inside out.
Arianne waves the barrel of her nine millimeter toward me. “You and I are taking a ride.”
I hold up my hands. “I’m not armed, and neither is Aunt Delores. She’s never done anything to you. Don’t hurt her. Please. I’ll—I’ll go wherever you want.”
“You think you people can humiliate me in front of the world? No. You’re not allowed. Plus, Buck’s never going to want me as long as you’re around. So, we’re going to fix that.”
I swallow. “Okay. Let’s just go and leave her here.”
Aunt Delores stares at the wall behind me, her eyebrows wrinkling and straightening, over and over. She looks from me to the wall and back. And again.
She must be having a panic attack.
The front door shuts. I close my eyes.
Great.
Let’s just add one more person into the mix for this crazy bitch to kill.
Buck calls out, “Lou. Lou, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that there. Where are you?”
I bite my lip. Maybe he’ll leave. Please, God. Let him go. I’m pissed, but I don’t want him hurt.
He rounds the corner into the kitchen. I try to shake my head, because he probably can’t see her from where he is. But he just keeps on coming.
Idiot man.
“Lou. We need to talk about that proposal.”
Arianne screeches. “You proposed?”
Buck’s eyes widen and his brows rise almost to his hairline. “Arianne. What are you—”
Arianne pushes Aunt Delores further into the kitchen. “I’m here to take control of our destiny. Since you don’t seem to understand how this is supposed to go, I’m going to fix it.”
Buck props his hands at his waist. “Aw, this is bullshit, Arianne. Put that gun away before you do something you’ll regret.”
“No.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Loula Mae and I are going to talk a little about stealing people’s fiancés.”
I nod. “Sure. C’mon. We can go. Let’s get outta here. I don’t much want to be in the same room with that asshole, anyway.”
Arianne shoots me side eyes for a second. “Asshole? But he just said he proposed.”
Proposal my ass. “Yeah, he did. But I left him on his knee holding out that stupid ring box. He only did it for the cameras and fucking ratings. It’s a bunch of crap is what it is. If he and that Perky Trudi think I’ll fall for that shit, they’re both out of their damned minds.”
Buck looks out the window, his jaw ticking.
Arianne’s gaze darts from him to me and back. Her eyes soften as she stares at him. “Aw, Buck. Don’t listen to her. You aren’t out of your mind, Baby. She’s nothing. You don’t want her anyway. I’ll make you happy. I love you.”
She can have him. Right now, I need to get Aunt Delores out of danger and this woman out of the house. I cast about for some sort of solution. If only Aunt Delores weren’t at the wrong end of that pistol.
I lean against the counter, crossing my arms. Fuck it. I’ll just brazen this shit out. I turn on the tap and refill my glass.
“Are we going? If not, I think I’ll have a bath. Aunt Delores, you need to be sure to take your medication before you hit the sack.” There, maybe Arianne will feel a bit of sympathy for a sick, old woman.