The Christmas Clock and A Song For My Mother - Kat Martin Page 0,59
at him and felt the tug of a small, slow smile. “Willie deserved it.”
Ham looked down at her and grinned. “Yeah, he did.”
Katie's smile widened. Turning away, she gazed wistfully up at the tree house. “I guess we better go home and tell your dad what happened.”
Ham nodded, looking a little glum.
“Whatever he says, you're the best friend I've ever had.”
Ham just smiled but as they walked back down the sidewalk, she thought that his chest puffed out a little.
Reed picked up Marly exactly on time. She wasn't really surprised. The sheriff seemed an efficient sort of man. She wondered if he was really as steady and dependable as he seemed, the kind of man she had never really known.
Probably not.
In her experience, none of them were what they appeared to be. Except maybe Burly. The man was a womanizing loser when she had married him and that never changed. She had never expected it would. But she had been desperate to escape her life in Dreyerville and Burly had been her only hope.
“You ready?” Reed asked as he stood in the living room next to the door. Winnie stood a few feet away, a big smile on her face.
“As I'll ever be,” Marly said mildly. But looking up at the handsome sheriff, she had to admit to feeling a little jolt of excitement.
As Reed opened the door, he turned back to Winnie. “We won't be too late.”
“Don't be silly. Katie's fine here with me. Gives us a little more time to enjoy each other's company. You two stay out as late as you want.”
Reed nodded. “Thanks, Winnie.”
Marly felt his hand at her waist, guiding her through the door and across the porch. It was an old-fashioned gesture she found oddly charming. “I don't suppose we're going in the patrol car.”
A corner of his mouth edged up. He had a very nice mouth. “I don't suppose.”
Instead, he guided her toward a brown Chevy station wagon and held open the passenger-side door. Once she was settled, he rounded the car and slid behind the wheel. With his dark hair and suntanned skin, he looked good tonight in a pair of jeans and a yellow oxford-cloth, button-down shirt.
As she studied his profile, the solid jaw and nicely carved features, she felt a little flutter beneath her ribs. She tried to remember when that had last happened but it had been too many years.
“So where are we going?” she asked.
He smiled, cast her a glance. “I made us a reservation at Barneys. You remember it, don't you?”
A slight pucker formed between her eyes as she tried to recall. “Is that the place out by the lake?”
“That's it. Good food. Not too fancy. I thought you might like looking out at the water.”
“That sounds great.” She leaned back in her seat. “Katie told me what happened today with Ham. Being the sheriff, I'm sure you weren't happy to have your son throwing punches.”
“I gave him what for, I can tell you.”
“I know it wasn't the best idea but I appreciate the way he stood up for Katie.”
Reed sighed. “The truth is, Willie Sanders is a bully. From what Katie said, he deserved a good smack in the nose.”
“What about the mayor? Will he be a problem for you?”
“I talked to him, told him the circumstances. I guess Willie had left out a few of the details. The mayor wasn't happy with his son's behavior. He said he'd talk to him again. I told him I'd already talked to Ham. In the end, we agreed it was best to let kids be kids.”
Marly found herself smiling. “Ham's been wonderful to Katie.”
“He's a good boy.”
She noticed the confident way Reed handled the car and thought that this was probably his general approach to life. “I have a hunch you have a lot to do with Ham's behavior.”
“I hope so. After his mother died, I tried to do my best but it wasn't always easy.”
“Believe me, I know. Being a single parent takes a lot of hard work.”
Reed slowed to make the turn onto the highway leading out to the lake. “What about you? I don't suppose you've tried talking to your mom.”
She straightened, feeling suddenly defensive. “Why would I? I tried to talk to her for years before I left home. She never wanted to hear what I had to say.”
“Things are different now. Virgil is dead. Winnie hasn't suffered one of his beatings for years.''