[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.You can’t use someone’s faith to blackmail them.I won’t let him.” Even though she’d let him come damn close to doing just that.“I still can’t believe what Craig did.” She shook her head with a humorless laugh.“It’s hard to think that I once thought of Autumn Leaves as the safest place in the world, while he was still the sheriff, nonetheless.”“You can’t always predict what people will do.Nicole wasn’t like that when I first met her.”“That’s a scary thought.”“Yes, it is.”However, for the moment, Rebecca thought, they were safe, everyone she loved.She’d be grateful, and do everything she could possibly do for it to stay that way.Even against her own fears.She turned to Callie, leaning over to kiss her.Without so many words, assuring each other that the safe place they’d built between them still existed, something that no one could take away.Chapter TenBetty LaRue hadn’t hosted the Saturday brunch in a long time, and she seemed to want to make up for that omission, serving food that would have been enough for twice as many people.Traditionally, the brunch was taking place without kids.Callie was grateful that Betty had made an exception, because she understood how important it was for Rebecca to keep both her daughters close.Maggie had calmed down a little, back to her familiar shy persona.Callie and Rebecca had both agreed to watch her closely though for any signs of distress.It could have almost been an adventure, if it hadn’t been for Craig being an idiot and firing the gun in the hotel room.Francine had to cancel, so the number came down to six people, Betty, Roz, Callie and Rebecca, Dina and Maggie.As Betty poured a cup of hot chocolate for Maggie, coffee for the rest of them, she gave Callie a hesitant smile.Callie, feeling very forgiving towards everyone and everything after last night, smiled back at her as she accepted her cup.Talking wasn’t all she and Rebecca had done.“There’s something you wanted to tell me,” Rebecca said when Dina had taken Maggie outside.It might have been a bit provocative with the others still around, but Betty didn’t seem to mind.“Yeah, but first of all, Callie, I know I owe you an apology.I shouldn’t have hit you.”“You did what?” Roz coughed.“No, you shouldn’t have,” Callie agreed.“You know it wasn’t just that.Personally, I can forgive you, but I need to know where I stand with you.Both me and Rebecca.About Reynolds—”Betty made a face.“God, I’m sorry about that.I mean—I know I’m doing this wrong, but he shouldn’t have used a moment like this to come at you with his own issues.I talked to a cousin of mine this week.Reynolds worked there for a couple of years before he kind of disappeared.” She shrugged, obviously still uncomfortable with the subject.“It appears that he was involved with…a boy.Not a minor, but still.There was talk, and he left, was trying to get himself together.Here he is now.”“Jesus,” Roz said.“No one knew about this?”“Rebecca, I’m sure Father Langdon didn’t.”Callie shook her head, feeling sick all of a sudden.So this was where all the hate came from.While Betty seemed on the right track, some of the good people in town would use this as an example.Reynolds probably wasn’t half aware of the damage he was doing, or if he was, he didn’t care.“He’s got a lot of gall to tell me…” Rebecca didn’t finish the sentence as Maggie and Dina returned this moment.“Father Langdon needs to know about this.I’m going to see him.”“Can I come with you?” Betty asked with a sideways look to Callie.“Sure.I’ll see if I can get a phone number and ask him to meet us.”At least, unlike Nicole, Betty seemed to want to make amends for real.Callie had to give her that.It was a start.* * * *“Thank you for meeting us on such short notice.”“I’m glad to see you again so soon.” Father Langdon smiled.“Actually, I’ve been meaning to call you, Rebecca, but you seemed to have some urgent news.”His smile vanished soon when Betty and Rebecca gave an account of Father Reynolds’ conduct in the recent past.“I wanted to come and talk to you before anything becomes official,” Rebecca said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]