Damn right!I fist pump the sky internally, proud of Ryder for standing up for not only himself, but forus, even in the face of his abuser. “That’s right. Now, if you’re done deflecting, why don’t you tell Sheriff Wilson where you were for most of my class before the barn went up in flames, making your grand entrance moments before?”
She turns her attention to the sheriff, reaching out to grip his bicep, but he shakes her off. “Sheriff, I can understand why thatwouldsound mighty suspicious, but I promise you, there is an excellent explanation.”
“Well, let’s hear it then,” I urge, extremely interested to find out what utter crap she cooked up.
“I—” she glances down at her scuffed ballet flats, kicking at the dirt.At least she has the good sense to look bashful.“I’ll admit that I was here to kick up a fuss,” she murmurs, my eyes growing wide, and Ryder must be sharing my thoughts, tightening his hold on me. “But Iwasn’t late because I was starting a fire, I swear it. You see, I ran across a baby turtle sitting right in the middle of the road. I just felt so bad, I had to help the little fella across the street.”
“You hate turtles, Lemmon, always complainin’ they carry salmonella,” Ryder says, tucking me under his arm, as if shielding me from her without realizing it.
“You must be misremembering, Ryder, sweetie. I mean—” She tosses her blonde waves over her shoulder. “It’s not like you paid much attention to me all those years we were together anyhow. You must be thinkin’ of Lola, perhaps.” She waves a hand through the air, her glare darting to me, but it softens when she peers over her shoulder at the damage the fire caused. “Never mind that. The sweet turtle needed my help, and I was happy to lend a hand. I came straight here, and well, you know the rest.”
“I’m sure, Miss Lemmon, but–”
She cuts the sheriff off. “And why in the world would y’all think I’d be responsible for burning down a building I’m inside of?”
“Making the victims your alibi,” I deadpan, but somehow, the words don’t feel right on my tongue.
“Well now, that’s just ridiculous. I’d never do such a thing, and in either case,there’s no proof.”
“And I’m sure you made certain of that,” Ryder mutters under his breath.
“I’m sorry, Lola. We’ll do everything we can in the investigation, but right now, we have no leads because I’m standing here talking to the three of you. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be getting to work on this,” Sheriff Wilson says.He tips his hat at us and trudges up the hill, leaving Lemmon gawking at his retreating form, dumbfounded and sweating like a whore in church.
Lemmon shakes herself out and spins on her heel, sauntering over to her baby-blue Volkswagen Beetle convertible without another word.
“That bitch has lost her goddamn mind,” Mayte grumbles from behind me. I turn to see her standing with her hands on her hips, a look aimed at Lemmon that could rival Medusa herself.
“That’d require Lemmon to have ever been right in the head,” Ryder comments.
“Let’s focus on making sure everyone is okay, and we can figure out what to do about this mess later,” I tell them, heading off to the crowd still standing in front of the partially burnt structure.
Thanks to the volunteers on site, the fire is out, and based on a quick glance, the structure is still salvageable. The paintings are no more, the oil paints only acting as fuel to the fire, the floor-to-ceiling mirrors all cracked from the heat, and the chair where Mayte sat with Isabela now little more than dust.
Chapter Fifty-Two
“DISTRACT ME, RY.”
FRIDAY, JUNE 20
To sayI’m exhausted would be the understatement of the century. My joints ache, and my eyes still sting from the tears I’ve been holding in.
Ryder takes my hand, leading me to the truck, driving us home in silence.
There’s nothing more to be said right now, nothing more we can do.
Bee offered to keep Nugget for the night so we can settle down and have a breather, which is unbelievably appreciated.
“Stay here for a minute, please. I want to check the house before we go in.” I’m too tired to argue, so I give him a defeated nod, letting him lock me in the truck.
I’m not sure anything would surprise me at this point.
My chest feels tight while I wait for him. I watch as each light flicks on inside, Ryder passing the windows and casting shadows that fill me with momentary fear. When he finally emerges on the porch, my shoulders relax for the first time since Lemmon showed her face.
Ryder opens my door and lifts me against his muscular body. My arms wind around his neck, and I breathe him in,allowing his strong arms to cage me like he’s physically grounding me to this Earth.
“I’m gonna take care of you, darlin’,” he assures me, bringing me inside, walking us through the living room and into our bathroom.
“I know, Ry. You’ve always taken care of me,” I whisper, staring at my reflection in the mirror, black streaks of mascara dried down my cheeks. My hair frizzy, eyes puffy and red.
