Letting Go (Triple Eight Ranch) - By Mary Beth Lee Page 0,24
curiosity as Clarissa looked at her mother for the first time in three years. She looked worse than last time. Skinnier. Harder. Clarissa waited for her mother to answer.
“I saw you on the noon news, and I headed straight here from the city,” she said.
Of course she did. Clarissa could only imagine the thoughts Tammy Jo had when she’d seen her darling daughter on the TV surrounded by the good people of Stearns.
“Everyone, this is my momma, Tammy Jo Dye.”
She proceeded to introduce the woman who’d given birth to her to everyone present. Even the sheriff. She hoped God wouldn’t strike her down for that one. In fact, she was a little surprised the sheriff didn’t recognize her mother. Tammy Jo had been in trouble with the law for as long as Clarissa could remember. Somehow she didn’t figure anything had changed.
She didn’t want Mackenzie exposed to the woman.
Only one way to make that happen, but it was going to be ugly. Couldn’t be helped. How had she ever thought her slate could be clean?
“Sheriff, if you don’t mind running me and my momma back into town, I sure would be appreciative.”
“Nonsense,” Susie Dillon said, stepping in to play what Clarissa figured would be gracious hostess.
“No, really, it’s for the best,” Clarissa said, refusing to look at Jed, trying her hardest not to look at the door where Mackenzie was standing pressed against the glass. If she looked at either of them, her resolve would break. Everything in her warred against leaving them.
There weren’t many places left unscathed by the storm, but Clarissa figured she could take her mother to the local Allsups, share a fried burrito or two and send her on her way or leave with her if she needed to.
The thought broke her heart.
Only the sheriff threw a kink in that plan. “No can do, Miss Dye. Curfew starts in thirty minutes. Probably best to find your momma someplace to stay tonight. I’m real sorry about that.”
So was she. He had no idea how sorry she was.
“Well then,” Susie said, “we’ve got room....”
Paul Dillon came to the rescue. “We’ve got room out in the bunkhouse, Clarissa. You and your momma can stay there tonight. You’ve obviously got lots to talk about.”
Clarissa wanted to thank the man, hug him for understanding. Jed still looked puzzled, but he trusted her. He said goodbye to the sheriff and then walked with her and her mother to the bunkhouse to make sure everything was okay. Such a good guy. She couldn’t fall for him.
It was funny, really. The bunkhouse was nicer than most of the places she’d lived in her life. Certainly safer. Other than the presence of Tammy Jo Dye.
Her mother’s face never changed from that of serene maternal instinct, but Clarissa saw the fire in her eyes, and she knew the minute Jed left them alone, Tammy would have plenty to say.
One night. She could do this.
Jed promised he’d bring out supper, and Clarissa nodded, said thank you and refused to accompany him outside where he would ask questions. She had nothing to share where Tammy Jo was concerned. Nothing.
When she closed the door, she rounded on the woman who called herself mother. “Okay, Tammy Jo, spill.”
Tammy sat at the small table set up by a back window and met her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Clarissa. I wasn’t lying. I saw you on the news today. You were crying, standing in the middle of a mess. I got a ride here as quickly as I could. Only, just like the sheriff said, the National Guard wouldn’t let me in. I insisted. You obviously needed me.”
Needed her. That was a laugh
“You mean you saw me standing next to an obviously wealthy man, crying, and you thought there’s a score.”
“That’s no way to talk to your mother.”
Red, hot anger rushed through her, and Clarissa said the words she should’ve spoken years before.
“You quit being my mother the day you dropped me at Gran’s instead of kicking your boyfriend out of your life for good.”
Her mother looked away then. “You’re still holding that against me?”
“I was thirteen. If you hadn’t walked in when you did...”
“It’s been fifteen years, Clarissa, and Gary’s long gone. I was wrong. I know that. I know I hurt you. You’ve got to believe me. Let me try to make things right between us. Please.”
Tammy’s tears coupled with empty words did nothing to change Clarissa’s mind or her heart. Her mother had pulled a