again.”
His voice was raw. The man had always been a moron, but booze turned him into a first-class jackass.
“It’s a good thing it’s not your house anymore then.” Miranda managed to sound in control but her fists closed tightly. “My father built it and it’ll go to Josh after me. Anyway, I’d like you to leave now. It’s late.”
“Don’t you dare order me around, woman.”
That was it. I wouldn’t let the man push Miranda around.
I stepped around her and looked down at him from the top of the porch.
“Mr. MacBride, please leave.” Having to say ‘please’ to him grated the inside of my throat, but after Miranda’s talk about letting the past go… well, MacBride was the part of my past I was more than happy to let go of.
“Just you shut up, you whore.”
“Jack!”
I held up my hand to keep Josh’s mother from coming forward and standing between her ex-husband-to-be and me.
I wished Josh was there. He was big and he had a way with words. I’d learned a few tricks listening to him talk though. “Mr. MacBride, I believe Miranda’s name is on the deed for this house. If you don’t get off the premise right now, I’m afraid you’ll be trespassing and we’ll have to call the sheriff.”
“Go ahead. I was just with Sheriff Cooper,” he answered with a smirk.
“Jack MacBride, if you don’t get the hell out of here now, I’ll grab that rifle you keep hidden under the staircase and I’ll aim straight at your sorry ass.”
My threat sounded real enough for him to take a step back. Good!
“I’ll make you pay, you skank. You’re no more than your mother’s daughter.”
Ouch! I’d used the word ‘skank’ so many times for Clarissa. It hurt to have it used against me.
Miranda joined my side and pulled me toward her. “Jack, Jeanine treated you badly back in high school, but it has nothing to do with Cassandra. I can’t believe you’re still not over it.” And I couldn’t believe MacBride hated me because my mother broke his heart at seventeen. Still, I heard the bitterness in Miranda’s voice and I was sad for her. She continued. “Please, it’s time to find some peace in our family. We’ll have our grandson back soon. Let’s try and make it good for him.”
“Our grandson?” he puffed and I swear I saw some spit fly out of his mouth. “That boy isn’t my blood. He’s a bastard.”
MacBride could use all the dirty names he wanted for me. I could deal with it because I despised the man. But when it came to Lucas, new rules. I tore myself away from Miranda and jumped down two steps. My eyes locked with his.
“Don’t you dare speak like that about my son, MacBride.”
“You threatening me?”
“I sure am and if you don’t like it, you can shove it up your own ass.”
“You don’t scare me.”
My upper body tilted forward as if I were about to head-butt him. I wasn’t dumb enough to think I could win this fight though. “I’m gonna get that gun.”
“You’re all talk.”
“Watch me.” My anger made me sound lethal.
MacBride’s bluster fizzled. He shrugged and stepped backwards. Relief seeped through me. One, I didn’t want to go to jail for murder. Two, his alkie breath smelled real foul.
Without turning his back on me, he got back into the Escalade, his finger pointing in my direction. “This isn’t over. I won’t let you get away with it.”
Couldn’t this man just let me be? I watched the spots of his backlights disappear at the turn of the road leading back to town.
“I’m sorry you’re paying for your mother’s sin, darling. He loved her bad.” Miranda stood right behind me and her warmth took some of the anger away.
“Love isn’t an excuse for hate.”
“It sure isn’t.” I heard her let a sorrowful breath out. “It sure isn’t.”
“When I found out I was pregnant, I was so scared. Even with Josh by my side, I couldn’t believe I’d be anything but a lame mom like my mother was. I still don’t know,
His voice was raw. The man had always been a moron, but booze turned him into a first-class jackass.
“It’s a good thing it’s not your house anymore then.” Miranda managed to sound in control but her fists closed tightly. “My father built it and it’ll go to Josh after me. Anyway, I’d like you to leave now. It’s late.”
“Don’t you dare order me around, woman.”
That was it. I wouldn’t let the man push Miranda around.
I stepped around her and looked down at him from the top of the porch.
“Mr. MacBride, please leave.” Having to say ‘please’ to him grated the inside of my throat, but after Miranda’s talk about letting the past go… well, MacBride was the part of my past I was more than happy to let go of.
“Just you shut up, you whore.”
“Jack!”
I held up my hand to keep Josh’s mother from coming forward and standing between her ex-husband-to-be and me.
I wished Josh was there. He was big and he had a way with words. I’d learned a few tricks listening to him talk though. “Mr. MacBride, I believe Miranda’s name is on the deed for this house. If you don’t get off the premise right now, I’m afraid you’ll be trespassing and we’ll have to call the sheriff.”
“Go ahead. I was just with Sheriff Cooper,” he answered with a smirk.
“Jack MacBride, if you don’t get the hell out of here now, I’ll grab that rifle you keep hidden under the staircase and I’ll aim straight at your sorry ass.”
My threat sounded real enough for him to take a step back. Good!
“I’ll make you pay, you skank. You’re no more than your mother’s daughter.”
Ouch! I’d used the word ‘skank’ so many times for Clarissa. It hurt to have it used against me.
Miranda joined my side and pulled me toward her. “Jack, Jeanine treated you badly back in high school, but it has nothing to do with Cassandra. I can’t believe you’re still not over it.” And I couldn’t believe MacBride hated me because my mother broke his heart at seventeen. Still, I heard the bitterness in Miranda’s voice and I was sad for her. She continued. “Please, it’s time to find some peace in our family. We’ll have our grandson back soon. Let’s try and make it good for him.”
“Our grandson?” he puffed and I swear I saw some spit fly out of his mouth. “That boy isn’t my blood. He’s a bastard.”
MacBride could use all the dirty names he wanted for me. I could deal with it because I despised the man. But when it came to Lucas, new rules. I tore myself away from Miranda and jumped down two steps. My eyes locked with his.
“Don’t you dare speak like that about my son, MacBride.”
“You threatening me?”
“I sure am and if you don’t like it, you can shove it up your own ass.”
“You don’t scare me.”
My upper body tilted forward as if I were about to head-butt him. I wasn’t dumb enough to think I could win this fight though. “I’m gonna get that gun.”
“You’re all talk.”
“Watch me.” My anger made me sound lethal.
MacBride’s bluster fizzled. He shrugged and stepped backwards. Relief seeped through me. One, I didn’t want to go to jail for murder. Two, his alkie breath smelled real foul.
Without turning his back on me, he got back into the Escalade, his finger pointing in my direction. “This isn’t over. I won’t let you get away with it.”
Couldn’t this man just let me be? I watched the spots of his backlights disappear at the turn of the road leading back to town.
“I’m sorry you’re paying for your mother’s sin, darling. He loved her bad.” Miranda stood right behind me and her warmth took some of the anger away.
“Love isn’t an excuse for hate.”
“It sure isn’t.” I heard her let a sorrowful breath out. “It sure isn’t.”
“When I found out I was pregnant, I was so scared. Even with Josh by my side, I couldn’t believe I’d be anything but a lame mom like my mother was. I still don’t know,
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