say.”
Lowering his chin an inch, Dustin said, “Okay.”
Rhett wanted to cross the room again and gather the boy up, tell him it would be fine, but that would be pointless. It wasn’t fine. And if they weren’t very careful, everything they’d built for the boy could be destroyed.
“I’m going to get my phone and call your mother, okay?” he told Dustin. Thank God, he’d left his phone on the bathroom counter.
A nod was all he received before he left the room.
When he reached his bedroom, he closed the door. Headed to the bed and sat for a minute, trying to find the inner place he went to when he was in a high–stakes game and the pressure was bone–cracking.
It wouldn’t come. He realized in that moment how different the stakes were in this situation. Rising, he found his phone and rubbed the pain in his chest as he called Abbie. Part of him prayed it would go to voicemail. After last night, he wasn’t sure she would pick up his call. If not, he would call Mac.
When she picked up, he closed his eyes.
“Hi, Rhett,” she said, her voice soft and hesitant.
His heart thundered for her, like a herd of wild mustangs racing across the prairie. “Hi,” he responded, not knowing what to say.
“I’m sorry I left…without saying anything.”
Well, this was encouraging. “Me too, but it’s not why I called.”
“Oh,” she replied, sounding deflated.
“But I’m glad to hear you’re sorry.” He took a deep breath. “Abbie, Dustin’s here.”
“He is? He said he was meeting his friend, Taylor.”
Yeah, some friend, Rhett thought. “Abbie, I don’t know how to tell you this in a way that won’t hurt you since there isn’t one, so I’m just going to say it. Dustin suspects that his father raped you.”
Her gasp was audible on the line. “But…how…I mean…God!”
“Taylor told him about the town council meeting for Mac’s hotel.” And he recounted his conversation with Dustin.
She was sniffing audibly by the end. “Oh God, no.”
He’d rather be strung up than hear her cry. “Abbie, I didn’t tell him anything, but he thinks it’s the reason you won’t marry me, and I’ve told him he’s not to blame.”
“Oh, Rhett.”
“Abbie, I think you and Mac need to come over. Dustin says he won’t leave my house until you tell him the truth.”
“But…this will break his heart.”
Like it had broken hers for over sixteen years.
“Abbie, it already has. Now we need to help it heal.”
She cried softly. He gripped his phone in a vice, wishing he could scoop her up and comfort her.
“Abbie, I’m here, and I’ll do anything I can to help. You aren’t alone.” No, he would never leave her. Any leftover bitterness from this morning had faded away. “Do you want me to call Mac?”
“No,” she said, clearing her throat. “I’ll…tell him. We’ll be over as soon as we can.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll sit with Dustin until you get here.”
“I know you will, Rhett.” And then she hung up.
His arm lowered to his side, and he rested his head against the wall. He finally understood the phrase of feeling bone–bruised.
After a moment, he threw the phone onto his bed and went out to join Dustin like he’d said he would.
He was hunkered down low in the leather couch. There were tear stains on his cheek, and his nose was red.
“Your mom and Mac are on their way, son.”
He walked over and sat next to Dustin, their sides touching. When the kid leaned toward him, Rhett put his arm around him.
“I wish I was your son,” Dustin whispered.
It took a moment for Rhett to speak through the blockage in his throat. “Me too, son. Me too.”
And as the light filtered in through the windows, he held the boy and remembered how his mama always told him Christmas was a time of miracles. And even though he was rusty at it, he offered up a prayer for the boy beside him, the woman he loved, and his best friend.
When he heard a car drive up, he squeezed Dustin one last
Lowering his chin an inch, Dustin said, “Okay.”
Rhett wanted to cross the room again and gather the boy up, tell him it would be fine, but that would be pointless. It wasn’t fine. And if they weren’t very careful, everything they’d built for the boy could be destroyed.
“I’m going to get my phone and call your mother, okay?” he told Dustin. Thank God, he’d left his phone on the bathroom counter.
A nod was all he received before he left the room.
When he reached his bedroom, he closed the door. Headed to the bed and sat for a minute, trying to find the inner place he went to when he was in a high–stakes game and the pressure was bone–cracking.
It wouldn’t come. He realized in that moment how different the stakes were in this situation. Rising, he found his phone and rubbed the pain in his chest as he called Abbie. Part of him prayed it would go to voicemail. After last night, he wasn’t sure she would pick up his call. If not, he would call Mac.
When she picked up, he closed his eyes.
“Hi, Rhett,” she said, her voice soft and hesitant.
His heart thundered for her, like a herd of wild mustangs racing across the prairie. “Hi,” he responded, not knowing what to say.
“I’m sorry I left…without saying anything.”
Well, this was encouraging. “Me too, but it’s not why I called.”
“Oh,” she replied, sounding deflated.
“But I’m glad to hear you’re sorry.” He took a deep breath. “Abbie, Dustin’s here.”
“He is? He said he was meeting his friend, Taylor.”
Yeah, some friend, Rhett thought. “Abbie, I don’t know how to tell you this in a way that won’t hurt you since there isn’t one, so I’m just going to say it. Dustin suspects that his father raped you.”
Her gasp was audible on the line. “But…how…I mean…God!”
“Taylor told him about the town council meeting for Mac’s hotel.” And he recounted his conversation with Dustin.
She was sniffing audibly by the end. “Oh God, no.”
He’d rather be strung up than hear her cry. “Abbie, I didn’t tell him anything, but he thinks it’s the reason you won’t marry me, and I’ve told him he’s not to blame.”
“Oh, Rhett.”
“Abbie, I think you and Mac need to come over. Dustin says he won’t leave my house until you tell him the truth.”
“But…this will break his heart.”
Like it had broken hers for over sixteen years.
“Abbie, it already has. Now we need to help it heal.”
She cried softly. He gripped his phone in a vice, wishing he could scoop her up and comfort her.
“Abbie, I’m here, and I’ll do anything I can to help. You aren’t alone.” No, he would never leave her. Any leftover bitterness from this morning had faded away. “Do you want me to call Mac?”
“No,” she said, clearing her throat. “I’ll…tell him. We’ll be over as soon as we can.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll sit with Dustin until you get here.”
“I know you will, Rhett.” And then she hung up.
His arm lowered to his side, and he rested his head against the wall. He finally understood the phrase of feeling bone–bruised.
After a moment, he threw the phone onto his bed and went out to join Dustin like he’d said he would.
He was hunkered down low in the leather couch. There were tear stains on his cheek, and his nose was red.
“Your mom and Mac are on their way, son.”
He walked over and sat next to Dustin, their sides touching. When the kid leaned toward him, Rhett put his arm around him.
“I wish I was your son,” Dustin whispered.
It took a moment for Rhett to speak through the blockage in his throat. “Me too, son. Me too.”
And as the light filtered in through the windows, he held the boy and remembered how his mama always told him Christmas was a time of miracles. And even though he was rusty at it, he offered up a prayer for the boy beside him, the woman he loved, and his best friend.
When he heard a car drive up, he squeezed Dustin one last
Similar Books
