“Ruby also really likes Hailey. Maybe she could put a flea in Hailey’s ear and get them to treat Cordy right.”
“She might already be doing that.”
Might.It was too slim a word, too weak an assurance. “Can you ask her?”
Chance hated meddling in his brother’s marriage. Ruby was part of the family… and yet she wasn’t. Her childhood wasn’t like theirs, so she’d never understand what went on between the brothers. It wasn’t an understanding Chance would wish on anyone, but it meant Ruby was outside their fucked-up circle.
“I’ll ask,” Quint said. “She’s probably already doing it.”
Ruby liked to manage things, that was for sure. The ease in Quint’s tone told Chance that things were good between his brother and his wife. At least for the moment. Which made Chance feel easier, too. Looked like Ruby showing up to help with the move had been a good thing.
He took one last look at Cordy, who was following a trail, her noodle dog happily trotting beside her. And that made him feel easy, too.
An hour later, Chance was dripping sweat and irrigation water, ready to kick that damn broken pivot until he felt better. “If this doesn’t work,” he told Quint, “I don’t know what to try next.”
“Let me turn on—” Quint broke off as he frowned into the distance. “Your woman is still walking. And now she’s walking toward the house.”
The warning in those words had Chance snapping to his feet. “Wait, are you sure?”
Quint gestured with his chin.
Sure enough, Cordy and her noodle dog were on a beeline for the main house.
Chance hadn’t told her she couldn’t go there. It had never occurred to him she might even try. He was an idiot, because it should have.
“He’s home.” Chance didn’t need to tell his brother who he meant.
“Where else would he be? Did you tell her about him?”
“Of course not.” Chance packed up as quick as he could. If he rushed, he could stop her before she reached the house.
“What are you doing? We’re not done,” Quint said.
“I’ve gotta stop her before she seeshim.”
“If she does meet Dad, he won’t do anything to her. He was never a mean drunk. Hell, he’s not even drunk anymore.”
Chance wanted to ask if Quint would let Ruby spend time with Dad, then thought better. Cordy couldn’t learn the truth about his father. That would only pull her into his mess, and Chance was trying to prevent that with everything he had. Look at how noble he’d been last night when he’d let her go to bed alone.
“I’m going to head her off,” Chance said, throwing the last of the tools into the side-by-side. “I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.”
“Head her off?” Quint planted his fists on his hips. “She’s not a cow.”
Chance remembered Ms. Reston’s warnings from the class and almost laughed despite his panic. “Trust me, I know that. But she’s about to run headlong into danger, and I’ve got to stop her.”
Quint said something more, but it was lost in the engine’s roar as Chance tore off to catch Cordy before she met his father.
Cordy woke up from a restless sleep, still pissed at Chance for leaving her hanging like that last night.
Okay, yes, when she thought about it, he was right. That somehow made her restlessness worse, though.
The vibrator sat untouched in her dresser drawer. If Cordy pulled it out, she’d have only flung it at Chance’s head.
When she saw him this morning, she wasn’t sure what she would do. But seeing the breakfast he’d left for her made her irritation go up in smoke.
The note left next to the plate read:Food’s for you. Coffee’s decaf. PS. Sorry about the vibrator thing last night.
Not the most elegant apology, but she was touched all the same. The eggs and toast were delicious, and she could barely tell the coffee lacked the most important ingredient.
