Wrapping Up(20)

A sad Miranda sat with us guys with an icepack over her eye. The funniest thing was that not one person would ever believe she was hit by a stubborn turkey leg. Luckily, they were staying a couple days and it would be healed by the time they went home.

Conner, who always seemed to love this holiday as much as all of us, was preoccupied with texting someone on his phone. He had it on vibrate, so it wasn't bothering us, all except for the constant pulling it out of his pocket. "Who do you keep talkin' to?"

He quickly put the phone back in his pocket. "It's just a friend." I think he tried not to, but he looked over at his sister and she shook her head. Conner smiled but wouldn't say anything else.

"What's the big secret?" I usually stayed out of people's business, but I was intrigued.

Ty leaned forward. "Trust me when I say that you really don't want to know."

"Is it somethin' I should be concern over?" I knew Conner had problems in the past.

Conner shook his head, probably assuming that I was actually thinking the worst of him and I shouldn't have been doing that. "It ain't nothin' like that. I just have this friend that I enjoy spending time with. We're just friends, nothin' more."

"Because she's married." Miranda announced, causing everyone in the room to turn around with shocked faces.

Conner stood up and got in his sister's face. "Just friends. Leave it alone, Randa!" He picked up his drink and walked out on the porch to get away from all of us.

When Conner walked away, we all just sat there speechless. If anyone would get involved with a married person, it would have been Conner. I picked up my beer and headed out of the house to see if I could get some answers out of my younger cousin. I didn't want to pry, it was more to reassure myself that he wasn't going to be shot by some angry husband.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Why, so you can get all pissed at me too? Look there ain't nothin' goin' on that anyone has to worry about. Even if I did want it to, she would never be okay with it. She's just in a real bad situation and doesn't have anyone else she can trust."

"So, is this someone you met at meetings?" I knew that sponsors usually became good friends, but dating someone was highly frowned upon.

"No, since I know you aren't going to get off my back, I will tell you. It's Miranda's boss Amy. I'm not goin' to divulge her personal drama, but let’s just say she is in a very bad way and I am the only one that knows the truth."

"And how did you get to be that lucky guy?"

Conner looked out into the yard and let out a laugh before explaining. "I guess it started when I first moved there. She came over after having a fight with her husband. I happened to be really sick and she sat up with me until I pissed her off. We weren't exactly friends, but a while later, after a night out, I found her in a parking lot all upset. I took her somewhere to be safe and she told me enough for me to be concerned. After that she started confiding in me. I don't think it was because I was ever her first choice, it was just that I already knew."

Conner was concerned about someone other than himself…this was serious.

"I never pegged you as the kind of guy that was just friends with a woman."

He shook his head and laughed. "Neither did I, but even if I wanted somethin' else, it would never happen."

"So, this is the woman that helped with that Heather girl problem?" The drama in the last year between Ty and Miranda and their boys could have all been avoided if that woman from Ty's past wouldn't have set things up to ruin their marriage. Ty had never strayed from his wife and almost lost his family due to some jealous ex.

"Yeah, and that is a whole different story that we need a bottle of whiskey to talk about."

Savanna had already filled me in on what Conner actually did. I have to say, he is either the bravest or stupidest person I knew.

"They're never goin' to forgot what you've done for them." Conner had gone and seduced that woman to get the truth out of her, to save his sisters marriage. I don't know a lot of men that would sacrifice themselves like that, especially one that never seemed to be that happy about Ty and Miranda being together. I don't know what changed his mind, but he and Ty had mended fences and things were back to how they'd always been.

"I made a promise to my father that I would take care of my sister. I wanted to be mad at Ty, but I knew about his plan and that it was all for Miranda and I also saw his face that night. He didn't want anything to do with that stupid bitch. When he called me all messed up that night, I just knew somethin' wasn't right."

"Even if you didn't do that, I think they would have just worked through it. Those two can’t live without each other."