Lakeside Redemption. Lisa Jordan

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СКАЧАТЬ the back of his neck. “Would you care to explain? I thought Kyle had been killed by a drunk driver.”

      She dashed a trembling hand across her mouth and tugged on the hem of her shirt. “Maybe you should sit.”

      With the weight of her words pressing him down, he slumped against the back of the couch and stared at her.

      Zoe sat on the edge of the chair across from him. She bore little resemblance to the lighthearted girl from college. Right now she appeared weighted down with a burden too heavy for anyone to carry.

      She cupped her knees and straightened her arms. Exhaling loudly, she raised her chin, trapping his gaze. “I partied a lot in high school.”

      He never did get into the drinking scene, even with his buddies on the force. Then after what he went through with Val... “I’m kind of surprised you didn’t mention this years ago. Did you drink in college?”

      “No. A friend of mine almost died at a party during my senior year. A group of us ended up getting arrested for underage drinking. After they bailed me out, my parents gave me a choice—get my act together and make something of my future, or they were going to send me away to some sort of reform school. I chose Plan A.”

      He never would have pegged Zoe as a party girl, but he knew all about appearances being deceiving.

      His bones seemed to have melted under his skin, leaving him feeling weary and way older than his thirty-two years. He scrubbed a hand over his face, then looked at her. “What happened to Kyle?”

      “On the night of my twenty-third birthday, Kyle and I went out with friends for a few drinks. I didn’t want to. I hadn’t slept well the night before, and I had worked all day. I was afraid if I started drinking, I’d end up down that same path, but Kyle insisted. That first drink tasted so good, and the second one went down even easier. Kyle kept pounding back shots and ended up wasted. I got into an argument with my brother on the phone about when we’d be back. He had been watching our son—”

      Sully held up a hand. “Whoa. Slow down. You have a kid?”

      Her eyes widened. “You didn’t know?”

      He shook his head. How would he?

      Scarlet crept across her cheeks. “Yeah, I got pregnant my junior year of college. I left Bartlett to take care of Griffin. He’s nine. And he’s absolutely perfect. Nothing like his mother.”

      “So you and Kyle ended up getting married?”

      The blush deepened. Zoe dropped her eyes to her lap and shook her head. “Kyle wanted to wait. Anyway, we left the club. Kyle was in no condition to drive. I truly thought I was okay. Otherwise I never would have gotten behind the wheel.”

      How many times had he heard that during his years on the force? Why didn’t people get it? Even after one drink, they shouldn’t drive.

      “We were a block from my parents’ house when a guy ran a red light and crashed into us. I hit my head and blacked out. I woke up in the hospital and learned Kyle was dead.”

      “You didn’t know you were responsible?”

      She shook her head. “I was unconscious and couldn’t give consent for the blood alcohol test, but the officer on the scene suspected alcohol was involved. He subpoenaed my clinical blood test that the hospital had administered.” She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and swallowed. “My blood alcohol content came back over the legal limit. I didn’t cause the accident, but the prosecution argued my reflexes were diminished. Kyle’s parents had a lot of money and could afford the best attorneys. They tried to use my past offenses against me.”

      “Your juvenile records can’t be used against you.”

      “The judge ordered their remarks to be stricken from the records, but they succeeded in swaying the jury’s opinion. I was found guilty of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence. I served four years at VWCI.”

      Vanderfield Women’s Correctional Institute.

      Caleb leaned an elbow on the arm of the couch and pressed his fist against his lips as he processed Zoe’s words.

      Not only had he witnessed his wife destroying their lives with her choices, but he’d spent years arresting people suspected of driving under the influence. He heard their excuses, their pleas, and listened to their lawyers argue in court in their defense. They deserved to be held accountable for their actions.

      And now Zoe had just told him she was like one of those people he’d arrested more times than he could remember.

      His beautiful Zoe with the eyes that peered deep into his heart. His beautiful Zoe with the laugh that allowed him to fall in love with her over and over again.

      His friend was dead because of her decision to get behind the wheel.

      He simply couldn’t wrap his head around it.

      No, not his beautiful Zoe.

      He’d walked into Canine Companions hoping she could help him out with the wayward puppy probably eating his couch right now. He didn’t expect any of this.

      He leaned forward, braced his elbows on his knees and rubbed his hands together. “I’m not going to lie, Zoe, this has...thrown me for a loop. Man, I did not expect it in a million years.”

      “I understand.” She stood and moved toward the door. “Thanks for coming in. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

      “Hold up. I said it threw me for a loop. Sit back down. I’m not leaving just yet.”

      Zoe hesitated. She glanced at the door. A look he could only describe as yearning crossed over her face. Did she wish she could throw it open and run from the room?

      “You were great with Ella and Ava last weekend at the park. I know they’d enjoy learning from you.”

      “But?”

      He filled his lungs, then released the air in a long burst. “But the thing is, my ex-wife was an alcoholic who walked out on our marriage and our daughters to shack up with some guy she met on the internet.”

      “I’m sorry, Sully. I understand. I do. I’d love the opportunity to work with you and your daughters, but I get your hesitation. If it makes a difference, I’ve spent the past year at Agape House—a transitional home for women released from prison started by my family. I’ve been given a second chance, and I’m not going to mess it up this time. A couple of weeks ago, I moved into my family’s cabin by the lake. I’m determined to prove I can get my act together.”

      Though Zoe professed to be sober, how could he be sure she wouldn’t stray back into that old lifestyle?

      However, they shared something in common—he, too, had lost everything and struggled daily with trying to earn back those pieces of his soul that had been chipped away and traded until redemption seemed like an almost unachievable hope.

       Chapter Three

      Could she really do this?

      Zoe СКАЧАТЬ