Confessing to the Cowboy - By Carla Cassidy Page 0,35

be much closer to identifying the guilty.

His cell phone jangled from his coat pocket and he pulled it out to see Mary’s number displayed. He frowned. Although he’d like to think she was just calling to hear his voice, maybe to thank him again for spending yesterday with them, he knew she had to be calling for something less personal. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time she’d called him...if ever.

“Mary?” he answered.

“Hi, Cameron. I was wondering if you could come by the café right now.”

Her voice sounded higher pitched than usual, strained as he’d never heard it before. “Sure. Is something wrong?”

There was a long hesitation and for a moment he thought the call had been dropped or she’d hung up. Just when he was about to hang up and call her back, she spoke, her voice a mere whisper.

“I need to talk to you. I think I might have some information that can help you in the investigation.”

Adrenaline pumped through him. “What kind of information?”

“I’ll talk to you when you get here.” She clicked off.

Cameron pocketed his phone and headed back to the office where his car was parked. Information? What kind of information could she possibly have now that she hadn’t had yesterday?

And why had she sounded so stressed? As if she were afraid not just of some unknown entity, but of him, as well?

* * *

Nervous tension paced Mary back and forth in her small living room, eating at her insides as she contemplated what she was about to do.

She was on the verge of destroying everything she’d worked so hard for over the past eight years. She would lose the café, the respect of everyone here in town, but worse than all of that, she was about to put herself in a position to lose her son forever.

She choked on a sob and swallowed it, knowing she had to be strong. She would not only have to be strong for herself, but also for Matt, who wouldn’t understand, who wouldn’t remember who and what they’d escaped so very long ago.

Although telling Cameron all of her secrets was the very last thing she wanted to do, she knew it was the right thing to do, the best thing she could do for her son and for the town they’d grown to love.

At least she could assure Matt a good future with somebody who cared about him. And, hopefully, someday Matt would be mature enough, understanding enough, to find forgiveness for her and her past actions someplace in his heart.

She finally sank down on the sofa, grateful that Matt was at Jimmy’s and Rusty was in charge of the café. Maybe after Cameron heard her story, he would lead her out of here through the back door, handcuffed with her head hanging in shame.

She straightened her slender shoulders and drew in a deep breath. No, not shame. She would never be ashamed of what she’d done even though it had been one of the worst things a human could do to another. Rather she would hold her head up high, not in pride, but rather in acceptance. She’d done what she’d had to do to protect herself, but more important, to protect her beloved son.

The nerves that had jangled inside her since she’d made the decision to call Cameron slowly calmed as she drew in another deep breath and embraced a final resignation.

Somehow she’d always known this day would come. She’d hoped it wouldn’t, but a small part inside her had known that she would have to answer for the split-second decision she’d made years before.

And now that day had come. There was no way to ignore the anniversary card or the frog with the crooked gold crown that had been delivered to Matt for his birthday. Somebody from her past had found her. She feared they were already meting out a form of justice to her, causing the deaths of the people who worked for her, the women who had been her friends.

She couldn’t live with the knowledge that she might be responsible for any more deaths. A knock on her door jangled the nerves that had so recently calmed.

“Mary, it’s me...Cameron.”

Tears filled her eyes at the sound of his deep, familiar voice. She got up from the sofa and quickly swiped the tears away. She wanted to be strong. She needed to be strong to get through what happened next.

She opened the door and gestured Cameron inside, unable to meet his gaze with hers.