Carmen said.
“Well, not really,” Jessica said, feeling suddenly defensive. “That’s actually a dangerous situation.”
Carmen snorted. “If you say so.”
Jessica had been bitterly disappointed by Casey’s hasty departure. There was so much she’d wanted to ask him, but what would be the point? It was probably best to hide out the rest of the weekend.
As if reading her mind, Carmen said, “So are we allowed to leave the premises of the hotel this weekend? Or are we trapped here while you hide from Sheriff Long?”
“Which Sheriff Long would you be referring to?” Jessica asked. “The Sheriff Long who pulled me over this morning? Or the former Sheriff Long who happens to be Hope’s daddy? Because I’m hiding from them both.”
“Sheriff Long is my daddy?”
Carmen gasped. Jessica’s throat closed up. They both turned to face Hope, who stood in the doorway. How long had she been there?
* * *
Casey sat on a fancy chair that was too small for his large frame and stared into his beer. He was dazed. The clinking plates, laughter, and conversations around him were muted, as if he wore earmuffs.
One funeral reception should have been enough. But now he had to suffer through a private family gathering at the Village Château. Mavis would have hated all the fuss.
Someone poked him in the arm. “You all right, pardner?”
JD gazed at him with concern.
“I’m just sad about Aunt Mavis,” Casey said, but really, he was completely distracted with thoughts of Jessica. He’d had to leave the fellowship hall without even saying good-bye, much less getting any answers.
“Liar,” JD said.
“Pardon?”
“It’s not Mavis you’re missing.”
“Why are you even here? This is a private gathering for family only,” Casey said. “And I am sad about Mavis.”
“I know you are. But that’s not why you’re moping around. And I think we’re related in some way or other.”
He was not moping. Although seeing as how he was crammed into this chair in a corner, staring out the window with a warm beer in one hand and a plate of untouched food in the other, he could see how a fella might think he was.
Dammit. It had been twelve years. He should be over this teenage shit by now. But seeing Jess had brought on a rush of emotions he couldn’t quite sort out. They’d talked about getting married, for Christ’s sake. She’d just needed to get her mama to come around. Then they were going to live happily ever after. Stupid teenage stuff.
But it had seemed real.
He took a sip of beer but had trouble getting it to go down.
“Unless there are two red Porsches in Big Verde, she’s right here at the Village Château,” JD said.
Casey’s heart sped up. “Are you sure? I figured she’d gone back to Houston right after the funeral.”
“I didn’t hear her say she was going to do that,” JD said. “I heard you ask her if she was sticking around long, and she said she wasn’t. That’s pretty vague. Maybe she’s heading back tomorrow.”
Casey’s heart started pounding again. Like nearly out of his chest.
“I think I’ll head to the bar for a drink,” he said.
You could see the lobby of the hotel from the restaurant’s bar. She’d have to come down eventually, even if it was tomorrow morning…
“There’s an open bar right here,” JD said with a grin, nodding at the bartender doling out booze in the corner of the room. “But you go do whatever it is you’ve got to do.”
Chapter Six
Jessica sat at the bar, sipping a margarita and trying to catch a buzz. After settling Hope down, she’d asked Carmen what the hell she was supposed to do now. And Carmen had said, “Get drunk.”
Normally, she’d have blown that off and set herself about fixing everything. But these were not normal times.
So here she sat.
It had been a huge mistake to bring Hope to Big Verde. Carmen was right. Nobody was coming to take anybody away. She should have let her stay with Carmen in Houston. But the last thing her mom had said was Take care of Hope.
Her mom. She’d die all over again if she knew Jessica had blabbed about Wade Long being Hope’s father right in front of Hope! Maybe Hope would forget about it.
She caught the bartender’s eye and raised her empty glass. He nodded and began measuring ingredients into the blender.
Hope wouldn’t forget about it.
She’d been so excited and confused by what she’d heard that she couldn’t even eat her dinner. And Hope lived for food.
Carmen had gone on and