Letting Go (Triple Eight Ranch) - By Mary Beth Lee Page 0,46
ready to move back to town.
It was like a sign from God. She’d asked for His guidance and the apartment opened the next day. Jed would probably be happy not to have to drive her into town every day.
Only when she relived the kiss she thought maybe he wouldn’t be so happy after all.
She touched the urn on the window sill and said “Oh Momma,” only this time the words weren’t sad. They were full of hope for a future doing God’s will.
Jed walked in from morning chores, grabbed a cup of coffee and plopped into his chair at the kitchen table. Momma was on the phone, but he wasn’t paying too much attention. He was reliving last night. Clarissa had kissed him and everything felt right in his world.
He knew the fight wasn’t over, but he had to believe things were headed in the right direction. Praise the Lord.
Mackenzie was out in the front playing hopscotch, laughing and beautiful in the sun. Everything was working out.
He turned to talk to his father, tell him things were headed in the right direction where Clarissa was concerned, but something was wrong. Paul Dillon’s eyes looked horrified.
And then he heard his mother.
“Joan Anderson, I can’t believe you’d do this to our little girl. Of all people, I can’t believe you.”
When Jed drove her into town, Clarissa told him about the apartment. Instead of being happy for her, though, he said maybe that was for the best in a voice so matter of fact it concerned and hurt her.
When they got to the diner two people sat inside she didn’t recognize. Odd but not unheard of for Pete’s.
Only Jed did know them. His voice was hard when he stepped forward to address them.
“Abby, Donald.”
Clarissa watched Jed change from the person she knew to a stranger.
The man and woman sitting side by side looked to be about Paul and Susie Dillon’s age, but they wore an air of sadness about them. Clarissa wondered if that’s what she looked like before Jed and Mackenzie. Before all the Dillons. Before God performed the miracle of salvation in her life.
“Jed,” the woman said frowning at her. “We heard an unsavory story, but we needed to see for ourselves…”
A prickle of unease raced up Clarissa’s back.
“My sister Joan called to tell us you’d become close personal friends with a criminal.”
Oh no. Oh no. Clarissa’s heart dropped at the same time Jed’s back stiffened.
“You’ve been absent from our lives for almost five years, and you come back now because you’re worried about whom I might be dating?” His voice held an angry coldness Clarissa hadn’t heard from him. They were here because of her. Why? Oh, God, please, she prayed.
The woman blinked. “We stayed away to make things easier for Mackenzie, but we won’t stand by and let you subject her to someone with a criminal background. We’ve hired a lawyer….”
A lawyer. No, no, no. Clarissa’s heart broke.
“You need to leave,” Jed said, not sounding like himself at all.
The man finally spoke. “You left us no choice,” he said, and Jed pointed to the door.
“You need to leave now. Hire your lawyers, buy a judge, do whatever you think is right. I won’t listen to this.”
Buy a judge. They were horrible and wealthy, and…oh, God, please no.
The two who must be his ex in-laws stood. The woman who looked a lot like Joan Anderson only with perfectly coiffed hair, professional makeup and a stylist harrumphed, and they walked out of the diner.
Clarissa thanked God Mackenzie wasn’t there yet. The sweet child didn’t need this kind of turmoil in her life. She turned to Jed, saw him visibly relax for the first time since they’d gotten in the truck to come to town.
And it hit her then. “You knew. Someone told you they were here to stir trouble.”
He wiped his hand across his face and stared out the shiny glass windows, watching them get in a fancy pearlescent white Cadillac.
Once they were gone he acknowledged the truth. “Momma got a call from Mrs. Norene who heard from Miss Topkins who knew because Joan told her. She called Joan to confirm.”
Clarissa was so angry she could spit. “Joan Anderson is an evil woman.”
Jed groaned and closed his eyes. “She’s just doesn’t know when to quit.”
Alarm hit again. “They can use me to hurt you. To get Mackenzie.”
Jed blew out a breath. “No. They left us when Bethany checked out. No way can they convince a judge that they deserve anything where