glanced out at Sam, who was furious, yelling at Marcie again. This time, she couldn’t make out his words, and Marcie was crying harder.
“Oh, she’s just coming clean about something she should have told him long ago,” Diane said.
Marcie reached out for Sam’s arm, and he yanked it away so hard she almost lost her balance. That was when Zac stepped around Diane, tossing the dishtowel down.
“Zac, no!” she yelled and grabbed his arm. “Don’t go out there. Sam’s just angry. He wouldn’t hurt Marcie.”
They watched now as Sam stormed into the house, his gaze filled with such fury, and glared at Diane. “Did you know what she did, going to Lance Silver, making a deal with the devil behind my back?”
“She just told me.”
“She lied to me again,” he snapped. “So what else has she done that I don’t know about? I’m done. I’m taking my kid, and we’re leaving.”
Diane blocked his way so he couldn’t take one step down the hall toward Kyla. “Don’t you dare, Sam. I’m not defending her, but we had our backs up against the wall. Richard was going down for the murder. Maggie would have lost Ryley. You know this. She just had the guts to do what we should have done.”
Zac stepped outside, leaving Diane to calm the angry man who was pacing liked a caged lion in front of her.
“You wouldn’t seriously consider taking Kyla from Marcie,” Diane said. “You have another baby on the way. If you’re not going to sit down and talk to her calmly… Sam, she’s confused from going to see him again and again. She thinks he somehow knew her mother. Put yourself in her shoes. She has questions, and maybe instead of being so angry…” Diane stopped talking, because Sam wore a look of absolute fury and disbelief. For a minute, she thought he was going to walk out the door, and she wondered what she’d just said. She felt as if the blood had drained from her. “She didn’t tell you she’s been going to see Lance, or about her mother, just now.”
He set his hand on his forehead and shut his eyes, letting out a laugh that sent a shiver up Diane’s spine. Kyla cried from the next room. She was awake, wide awake. “Get out of my way, Diane,” Sam said.
“Sam, walk it off,” Zac barked. He stepped inside, a sniffling Marcie beside him. Her eyes were red rimmed, tears still pouring down her cheeks.
“This is my family, Zac. Don’t you dare butt in!” Sam yelled, raising his fist.
Zac stepped in front of Marcie calmly, one step, then two steps toward Sam. For a minute, Diane thought Sam was going to lunge at him.
“Don’t be stupid,” Diane said, grabbing Sam’s arm. He yanked it away.
“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t you ever treat Diane like that.” Zac had said it calmly, but Diane saw the flash in his eyes, the hardness in his face. He was suddenly protective and had gone completely alpha on her. She was astonished.
“This is my business, Zac. Stay out of it. I have a right to be furious,” Sam said.
“Yes, you do, but you don’t have the right to act like an idiot. You come back and talk to your wife when you’re calm. Go for a walk before you both say something you’ll regret.”
“She’s not my wife,” Sam spit out before walking out the door.
And Marcie wept.
***
Diane sat beside Zac in the small commuter airplane that was flying them to Sandpoint. She glanced across the aisle at Sam, who was resting his head against the seatback, his eyes closed. She was very aware of Zac beside her, his hand skimming hers, and she fought the urge to rest her head against his shoulder.
“Do you think your friend is going to be okay?” Zac stirred her from her thoughts. He was a man who filled more than his share of space; as he leaned closer, his arm pressed against her. She let out a sigh and moved closer just as he set his hand over hers.
“Which one?” she said.
Zac glanced over her head toward Sam. “He was pretty upset. I’ve seen it many times, a woman keeping
“Oh, she’s just coming clean about something she should have told him long ago,” Diane said.
Marcie reached out for Sam’s arm, and he yanked it away so hard she almost lost her balance. That was when Zac stepped around Diane, tossing the dishtowel down.
“Zac, no!” she yelled and grabbed his arm. “Don’t go out there. Sam’s just angry. He wouldn’t hurt Marcie.”
They watched now as Sam stormed into the house, his gaze filled with such fury, and glared at Diane. “Did you know what she did, going to Lance Silver, making a deal with the devil behind my back?”
“She just told me.”
“She lied to me again,” he snapped. “So what else has she done that I don’t know about? I’m done. I’m taking my kid, and we’re leaving.”
Diane blocked his way so he couldn’t take one step down the hall toward Kyla. “Don’t you dare, Sam. I’m not defending her, but we had our backs up against the wall. Richard was going down for the murder. Maggie would have lost Ryley. You know this. She just had the guts to do what we should have done.”
Zac stepped outside, leaving Diane to calm the angry man who was pacing liked a caged lion in front of her.
“You wouldn’t seriously consider taking Kyla from Marcie,” Diane said. “You have another baby on the way. If you’re not going to sit down and talk to her calmly… Sam, she’s confused from going to see him again and again. She thinks he somehow knew her mother. Put yourself in her shoes. She has questions, and maybe instead of being so angry…” Diane stopped talking, because Sam wore a look of absolute fury and disbelief. For a minute, she thought he was going to walk out the door, and she wondered what she’d just said. She felt as if the blood had drained from her. “She didn’t tell you she’s been going to see Lance, or about her mother, just now.”
He set his hand on his forehead and shut his eyes, letting out a laugh that sent a shiver up Diane’s spine. Kyla cried from the next room. She was awake, wide awake. “Get out of my way, Diane,” Sam said.
“Sam, walk it off,” Zac barked. He stepped inside, a sniffling Marcie beside him. Her eyes were red rimmed, tears still pouring down her cheeks.
“This is my family, Zac. Don’t you dare butt in!” Sam yelled, raising his fist.
Zac stepped in front of Marcie calmly, one step, then two steps toward Sam. For a minute, Diane thought Sam was going to lunge at him.
“Don’t be stupid,” Diane said, grabbing Sam’s arm. He yanked it away.
“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t you ever treat Diane like that.” Zac had said it calmly, but Diane saw the flash in his eyes, the hardness in his face. He was suddenly protective and had gone completely alpha on her. She was astonished.
“This is my business, Zac. Stay out of it. I have a right to be furious,” Sam said.
“Yes, you do, but you don’t have the right to act like an idiot. You come back and talk to your wife when you’re calm. Go for a walk before you both say something you’ll regret.”
“She’s not my wife,” Sam spit out before walking out the door.
And Marcie wept.
***
Diane sat beside Zac in the small commuter airplane that was flying them to Sandpoint. She glanced across the aisle at Sam, who was resting his head against the seatback, his eyes closed. She was very aware of Zac beside her, his hand skimming hers, and she fought the urge to rest her head against his shoulder.
“Do you think your friend is going to be okay?” Zac stirred her from her thoughts. He was a man who filled more than his share of space; as he leaned closer, his arm pressed against her. She let out a sigh and moved closer just as he set his hand over hers.
“Which one?” she said.
Zac glanced over her head toward Sam. “He was pretty upset. I’ve seen it many times, a woman keeping
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