dismissed, and Maggie would no longer be bothered by Child Services. But you know what? The entire time I was there, he seemed to care for me. I know this sounds weird.”
Diane watched her friend, seeing how a man who was the scum of the earth had managed to weasel his way into her heart. “You care for him,” Diane said. She’d seen that blind devotion before. “Are you crazy? You sold your soul to the devil, and what did you promise him to get him to do all these favors?” My God, what had she done? What kind of mess had she dug herself into? Diane lowered her face into her hands. “You know what, Marcie? I always knew someone had done something, but I really wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, you know? I knew that if I didn’t ask too many questions, Maggie and Richard would have their lives back, but never in a million years did I think it was you.”
Marcie shrugged. “Someone had to do something. I listened and knew I had to call Lance.”
Diane shook her head. “You and I both know Lance Silver is a snake. You may think he cares for you, but it comes at a cost, Marcie. Powerful men like him don’t do anything for nothing.”
Marcie gazed at Diane, unblinking, with a look that wasn’t so much confused as understanding. She was confident in whatever she’d done and was completely at peace. “Well, this time, Diane, I believe you’re wrong. He did what he did with no strings attached. I’m not a fool. I don’t believe for a second that Lance Silver does things out of the kindness of his heart, but he did that for me and asked nothing in return.”
Diane didn’t know why, but she had to ask: “Marcie, you haven’t seen Lance again, have you?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she linked her fingers together, locking them tightly and then flexing them. “He invited me back, me and Kyla. He wanted to see her and know how we were doing.”
“Are you crazy? If Sam finds out, he’ll lose it.”
“I think he knew my mother.”
“In what way did he know your mother? Was he her drug dealer, were they involved, or did she work for him? What way are you talking about?” Diane couldn’t believe the way this conversation was going. Geez, what did she really know of Marcie’s past? Only what she’d said: The man she’d thought was her father was a predator, a heroin dealer, her mother was a drunk, and her brother had been murdered. Her granny had rescued her. Maybe there was a possibility that Lance and her mother had known one another.
“I don’t know who my father is, not really,” Marcie said. “I’ve thought a lot about it recently and asked Sally, Granny’s old friend. I know she knows.”
“I thought your granny and Sally made sure Lance Silver would stay far away from you. Did you at least tell her?”
The look Marcie gave her was no surprise.
“Unbelievable, Marcie.”
She shrugged. “Sally wouldn’t understand.”
“I’m not sure I do, either.”
The door opened behind them. “Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but lunch is ready,” Zac said.
Diane got up and reached for Marcie’s hand. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
Marcie took her hand and stood up. The expression on her face was so sad. “I’ll talk to Sam,” she promised.
Chapter 14
Diane was in the kitchen, helping Zac wash the dishes and clean the table. Sam was outside in the backyard with Marcie. Diane watched silently as Sam threw his hands in the air and turned to walk away before spinning around and stalking back, yelling, “You lied to me! How could you?”
Marcie lowered her face into her hands and started crying. Zac was beside Diane, and she could feel his comforting warmth. She wanted to be around him, and this familiarity was what she needed.
“Everything okay? Something I should know about?” he asked.
Diane looked up into the kindness of his gray eyes and didn’t miss the way he frowned and glanced over her head, first at the sliding doors and then back at her again. Diane
Diane watched her friend, seeing how a man who was the scum of the earth had managed to weasel his way into her heart. “You care for him,” Diane said. She’d seen that blind devotion before. “Are you crazy? You sold your soul to the devil, and what did you promise him to get him to do all these favors?” My God, what had she done? What kind of mess had she dug herself into? Diane lowered her face into her hands. “You know what, Marcie? I always knew someone had done something, but I really wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, you know? I knew that if I didn’t ask too many questions, Maggie and Richard would have their lives back, but never in a million years did I think it was you.”
Marcie shrugged. “Someone had to do something. I listened and knew I had to call Lance.”
Diane shook her head. “You and I both know Lance Silver is a snake. You may think he cares for you, but it comes at a cost, Marcie. Powerful men like him don’t do anything for nothing.”
Marcie gazed at Diane, unblinking, with a look that wasn’t so much confused as understanding. She was confident in whatever she’d done and was completely at peace. “Well, this time, Diane, I believe you’re wrong. He did what he did with no strings attached. I’m not a fool. I don’t believe for a second that Lance Silver does things out of the kindness of his heart, but he did that for me and asked nothing in return.”
Diane didn’t know why, but she had to ask: “Marcie, you haven’t seen Lance again, have you?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she linked her fingers together, locking them tightly and then flexing them. “He invited me back, me and Kyla. He wanted to see her and know how we were doing.”
“Are you crazy? If Sam finds out, he’ll lose it.”
“I think he knew my mother.”
“In what way did he know your mother? Was he her drug dealer, were they involved, or did she work for him? What way are you talking about?” Diane couldn’t believe the way this conversation was going. Geez, what did she really know of Marcie’s past? Only what she’d said: The man she’d thought was her father was a predator, a heroin dealer, her mother was a drunk, and her brother had been murdered. Her granny had rescued her. Maybe there was a possibility that Lance and her mother had known one another.
“I don’t know who my father is, not really,” Marcie said. “I’ve thought a lot about it recently and asked Sally, Granny’s old friend. I know she knows.”
“I thought your granny and Sally made sure Lance Silver would stay far away from you. Did you at least tell her?”
The look Marcie gave her was no surprise.
“Unbelievable, Marcie.”
She shrugged. “Sally wouldn’t understand.”
“I’m not sure I do, either.”
The door opened behind them. “Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but lunch is ready,” Zac said.
Diane got up and reached for Marcie’s hand. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
Marcie took her hand and stood up. The expression on her face was so sad. “I’ll talk to Sam,” she promised.
Chapter 14
Diane was in the kitchen, helping Zac wash the dishes and clean the table. Sam was outside in the backyard with Marcie. Diane watched silently as Sam threw his hands in the air and turned to walk away before spinning around and stalking back, yelling, “You lied to me! How could you?”
Marcie lowered her face into her hands and started crying. Zac was beside Diane, and she could feel his comforting warmth. She wanted to be around him, and this familiarity was what she needed.
“Everything okay? Something I should know about?” he asked.
Diane looked up into the kindness of his gray eyes and didn’t miss the way he frowned and glanced over her head, first at the sliding doors and then back at her again. Diane
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