The Texan's Return. Karen Whiddon

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СКАЧАТЬ June to the empty chair across from Eli, Hailey helped her get settled. Eli shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. Tom continued devouring his meal, while Tara pretended a sudden interest in her fingernails.

      June didn’t appear to notice the silence. She took a second swig of her orange juice. “This would go great with some champagne,” she muttered.

      Hailey hurriedly fixed a plate, careful not to put too much food on it. June rarely ate while nursing a hangover. For whatever reason, food seemed to appeal to her only when she’d started drinking. When she had a buzz, as she called it. The kids were used to it; over the years this had become their normal.

      Able to remember a time—Before—when her mother hadn’t been like this, Hailey had never grown accustomed to her mother slurping down wine or bourbon or beer—whatever she could get—her eyes growing shiny, her words slurring as she took staggering steps toward the fridge or television, holding on to the wall.

      She used to say she drank to dull her agony. These days, she drank because she was addicted, an alcoholic. Hailey wanted to get her help, but she didn’t know how. She also knew her mother had to want help before she could begin the process of changing. June wasn’t there yet. Hailey didn’t know if she’d ever be.

      “What’s this about a boyfriend?” June’s gaze sharpened, as she picked the peas out of her casserole. “Hallelujah, if you finally got one. It’s got to have been forever since you got la—”

      “Mother.” Firmly, Hailey interrupted. She knew what June had been about to say, but there was no way she wanted any of the kids to hear it. “I don’t have a boyfriend. Not at all.”

      Frowning in confusion, June looked from Hailey to Tara and back again. “But I thought I heard...”

      “He’s from the past,” Eli put in, no doubt trying to be helpful and completely unaware he was making things worse. “An old high school boyfriend.”

      Hearing this, June dropped her fork with a clatter. “What?” Eyes narrowed to slits, she glared at Eli before transferring her focus to Hailey. “You only had one boyfriend in high school that I know of. What are you doing talking to Mac Morrison after what he did to our family?”

      Great. Now Hailey felt obligated to defend him. “First up, Mac didn’t do anything to anyone. And second...” Then she closed her mouth, not sure exactly what she could say that wouldn’t cause her mom to vent an explosion of rage or descend into a black hole of self-pity. Either one would be considered a good enough reason to get drunk, as if June needed a reason.

      “You were saying?” Arms crossed, chin up and dinner forgotten, June appeared spoiling for a fight. Hailey’s heart ached as she remembered the woman her mother used to be. Though it had been a long time, Hailey had never lost hope of someday getting that woman back.

      “Nothing.” Ducking her head, Hailey resorted to a ploy from childhood. “Aren’t you going to eat? You need to get something in your stomach if you want to feel better.”

      June glared. Then she shoved her plate away so hard she jostled Eli’s glass, spilling milk all over the table. Eli jumped up and grabbed a paper towel to try to mop it up. “I ain’t eating this slop,” she declared. “And don’t try to change the subject.”

      Tom scraped the last bit of macaroni off his plate and mumbled an excuse before fleeing the room. Eli shot Hailey a panicked look. Shifting side to side, he appeared torn between following his brother or staying to support his oldest sister. Meanwhile, Tara made it plain she wasn’t going anywhere. She kicked back in her chair and watched the verbal exchange with interest.

      Hailey knew this was her mother’s disease, not hers. At least not the mother she used to be. “I really think you should—”

      “No.” June’s tone had the petulance of a small child. Eli finally decided he’d had enough and rushed out of the kitchen without a word.

      Watching him go, Hailey sighed. Her mother’s lips tightened, which meant she’d noticed.

      “Mother, please.” Trying again, Hailey gingerly moved June’s plate closer to her. “At least try to eat a little.”

      “Not until you promise me you won’t go see that Mac Morrison.”

      Though Hailey had already decided she wouldn’t, for whatever reason her mother’s dictate made her want to jump in the car and drive over there. He’d called her a coward. She wasn’t. There was no way she could manage all she did and let fear rule her life.

      Yet the possibility of seeing Mac’s father terrified her. Because she wasn’t sure what she might do. What if she lost control and let out the primal, long-buried part of her that thirsted for vengeance? She didn’t think she would, but the sad truth was that the possibility would always be there, lurking underneath the polite veneer of manners.

      Gus Morrison had not only taken her sister’s life, he’d destroyed Hailey’s, too.

      “That man ruined my life,” June continued. “There’s no way I want any daughter of mine hanging around someone like that. Consider our family’s reputation.”

      Since this statement so boggled the mind, Hailey wasn’t sure how to respond. Did June not think staggering around town, slurring her words and passing out in bars had any bearing on what people thought of their family?

      Once again, Hailey knew better than to comment. She had no plans to escalate anything. Her first consideration always had to be of her brothers and sister.

      Her lack of response seemed to have caused June to lose interest—or her train of thought. She dropped back into her chair with a thud, slid her plate over in front of her and took a couple of rapid bites. “You really believed you loved that boy,” she commented, not raising her eyes from her food. “Head over heels. Aaron and I were sure the two of you would be married someday.”

      Surprising how that truth could still hurt. Rather than talk about Mac, Hailey changed the subject to her stepfather, Aaron. He’d taken off in the middle of the fallout and chaos after Brenda’s death.

      “Do you ever hear from him, Mom?” Hailey asked in a conversational tone. “I know you two never finalized a divorce or anything.”

      “Why would we do that?” June’s tone regained its former sharpness. “Someday we might get back together. Stranger things have happened.”

      And there you had it. June alternated between a dark sort of reality and some bizarre fantasyland. If Aaron hadn’t reappeared after ten years, Hailey sort of doubted he would.

      Of course, Mac had returned. Who knew, maybe her mother was on to something. Now Hailey just had to figure out whether or not to tell her about the most recent murder.

      In the end, she decided to stay quiet. The way June carried on, Hailey figured it’d be better if she didn’t know, at least for now. She’d gather the kids upstairs and fill them all in. After they were aware, then and only then would Hailey discuss it with her mother. That way, everyone would be prepared to deal with June’s reaction, whatever that may be.

       Chapter 3

      Mac hadn’t gotten much sleep СКАЧАТЬ