Road to Redemption - Michelle Dalton Page 0,14

in its centre.

Ray’s body shuddered as his memories tore at his conscience. Had she possibly been trying to tell him she was pregnant? Oh dear God! That would have changed everything.

A wave crashed and ran to his feet, splashing over his trainers and up his legs. The briny water was cold compared to the warmth in the air and tugged Ray back to the present.

Regret was his worst enemy, and he had so much of this. He should have fought harder, gone to his pa and ma; they would have helped him keep Mina safe. But back then he’d been too much of a coward to make a stronger stance and had lost everything.

Even if that beauty on the back of the horse was his, she was better off without him.

Twisting abruptly in the sand, Ray made his way up to his quarters. The guys had lit a bonfire in the pit and were sitting around, chatting and enjoying a well-known easy meal.

“Hey bro, there’s a boerieroll with your name on it.” Cyril waved him over.

Ray nodded and shook off the ghosts of his past as he sat on the wooden bench, accepting the sausage on a bread roll. “Thanks.”

This was where he now belonged—amongst the riff-raff of society, because that was what he had chosen to become. He had no rights.

I am safe. I am stronger than my need! I am in control.

It did no one any good to remain stuck in his past; that would only lead him down the cliff. Perhaps he could ask Vestra if she was open for one-on-one counselling? He needed an ear, guidance, and someone to catch him should he fall.

“There’s a letter on your bed, by the way. Mr Meintjies dropped it off soon after you went for your run,” Cyril added.

Ray’s stomach flipped and he swallowed his bite of food, which dropped like lead into his stomach.

5

“Ma, you need to talk him out of it.” Mina paced with her phone against her ear. Derek had called half an hour before, letting her know he was bringing her mom for a visit and that he wanted to see Raymond.

“Bokkie, I can’t. We all knew this day would come. I didn’t think it’d be like this but … look, Derek has a right to visit his son and Raymond to receive visitors, just like all your other inmates.” Her mother’s voice stern yet loving drifted into her ear.

“Please, I can’t have anyone here know about me and Ray. Lullu has no idea, and I’d prefer to keep it that way,” Mina pleaded.

“You haven’t told her?”

“I don’t have to. I won’t upend my daughter’s life, especially not before nationals,” Mina bit back. The memory of Sunday afternoon still fresh in her mind. Lullu had taken her usual galivant on Boesman. She’d walked over to join her daughter to watch the sunset. That was when she’d seen him. Down on the beach. She’d heard he loved to run—that hadn’t changed. But what caught her off guard was the plethora of emotions and sensations which invaded her body and heart when she’d looked down and seen Raymond standing there, looking at Lullu. He’d been topless in only shorts and trainers—his body as beautiful and strong as she remembered.

“Tell him he can see his Ray, but not to come near the house this time.” Bile, fear, and pure stubbornness rode her words harder than a jockey racing his steed.

“You tell him yourself. Just like her father, she has a right to the truth. Besides, how’s Derek going to be able to visit and not see Lullu? You know how close they are.”

“Bloody hell, Ma! Derek cannot come to visit Lullu, and that’s final.” Mina exclaimed as she turned to find her daughter standing at the door of her study. Dark brown eyes gazed at her surreptitiously.

Shit!

“I’ve got to go. We’ll talk about this in the morning.” Mina ended the call and slowly placed her phone on her desk.

“It’s rude to eavesdrop, lovie.” Mina folded her arms across her chest.

“I wasn’t. I got home from school and was looking for you, then heard you speaking of Oupa. Why can’t he see me?”

Mina fell into her office chair and groaned as she wiped a hand down her face. It wasn’t enough her abalone had been poached, or that she’d run in to Ray—now her daughter had caught wind of the one thing she was desperately trying to protect her from.

“Oupa can see you. You just heard parts of a