don’t necessarily believe she’s responsible for his actions. And dragging her in front of half the town won’t do any good. Even if she knew, even if she masterminded the whole thing, she has to proclaim her innocence. Doing anything else might turn this crowd into a lynch mob.”
Reverend Flores made a calming gesture. “No, this is a peaceable gathering. Chief Stacy is planning to be here to make sure of it.”
“Just to keep the situation under control? Or to help pressure her into selling her jewelry?”
“He invested with Skip, too. He’d like to get his money back same as we would. He has a boy and a girl to put through college, you know.”
Ted started to say something about the foolishness of investing money that was needed for living expenses, but he didn’t get the chance. When he heard the door open behind him and saw the reverend’s face, he knew Sophia had arrived.
Turning, he saw that she looked beautiful, as always. She was dressed to impress, too. But there were a few telltale signs that indicated she wasn’t doing as well as she wanted it to appear. For one, she was white as a ghost. He could see the blue veins under the alabaster skin of her cheeks. For another, she’d lost weight.
As she walked in, she held her head high, but she didn’t remove her sunglasses. Eve held on to her arm. She’d been pretty defensive of Sophia this morning, had even tried talking some of them into attending—to give Sophia moral support. But, considering how much Noah and Kyle had lost, that didn’t go over too well. None of them were hoping to make Sophia’s life miserable, but they weren’t ready to champion her, either. Cheyenne and Callie were two exceptions, but they both had other plans tonight.
“Mrs. DeBussi, thank you for joining us,” Reverend Flores said, not bothering to address Eve. Ted wanted to believe it was because Eve was agnostic and didn’t worship here on Sundays, so Flores wasn’t familiar with her. But he guessed it had more to do with the fact that Flores wasn’t interested in anyone other than Sophia. “I’m Mrs. DeBussi to you now, Reverend?” Sophia smiled coldly. “Does that give you the distance you need in order to feel better about what you’re here to do?”
“I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m trying to right a wrong.”
“I wish you could right it for me, too,” she murmured.
When Eve recognized Ted, her eyes widened, but she was so distracted by the men who were streaming down the aisle toward them that she didn’t say anything. Sophia didn’t even glance at him. She stiffened as if she wanted to run but wouldn’t let herself. Instead, she moved purposefully toward them.
“I’ve left my daughter at a friend’s, doing her homework. I’d like to get through this as soon as possible so she doesn’t get to bed too late.”
“It won’t take long,” Mr. Groscost assured her. He was far more solicitous now that he was confronting the beautiful Sophia face to face, but Ted knew nothing would deter him from his purpose. “Have a seat.”
“I prefer to stand if you don’t mind.” No one else seemed interested in sitting, either. They were too keyed up.
“Fine.” Groscost cleared his throat. “We wanted to meet with you to see what you plan to do to make things right for the people you and your husband cheated.”
She didn’t claim that she hadn’t been involved, didn’t try to defend herself. She merely lifted her keys and, when he held out his hand, dropped them into his open palm. “These are for the house. The furnishings, my clothes—that’s all I have left. Take what you want. I ask only that you stay out of my daughter’s room.”
She’d given in so quickly that Groscost didn’t seem to know how to react. His eyebrows shot up as he turned to Flores, who blinked and stammered, “Why—why, thank you for making this easy, Mrs. DeBussi. But I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re most interested in your wedding
Reverend Flores made a calming gesture. “No, this is a peaceable gathering. Chief Stacy is planning to be here to make sure of it.”
“Just to keep the situation under control? Or to help pressure her into selling her jewelry?”
“He invested with Skip, too. He’d like to get his money back same as we would. He has a boy and a girl to put through college, you know.”
Ted started to say something about the foolishness of investing money that was needed for living expenses, but he didn’t get the chance. When he heard the door open behind him and saw the reverend’s face, he knew Sophia had arrived.
Turning, he saw that she looked beautiful, as always. She was dressed to impress, too. But there were a few telltale signs that indicated she wasn’t doing as well as she wanted it to appear. For one, she was white as a ghost. He could see the blue veins under the alabaster skin of her cheeks. For another, she’d lost weight.
As she walked in, she held her head high, but she didn’t remove her sunglasses. Eve held on to her arm. She’d been pretty defensive of Sophia this morning, had even tried talking some of them into attending—to give Sophia moral support. But, considering how much Noah and Kyle had lost, that didn’t go over too well. None of them were hoping to make Sophia’s life miserable, but they weren’t ready to champion her, either. Cheyenne and Callie were two exceptions, but they both had other plans tonight.
“Mrs. DeBussi, thank you for joining us,” Reverend Flores said, not bothering to address Eve. Ted wanted to believe it was because Eve was agnostic and didn’t worship here on Sundays, so Flores wasn’t familiar with her. But he guessed it had more to do with the fact that Flores wasn’t interested in anyone other than Sophia. “I’m Mrs. DeBussi to you now, Reverend?” Sophia smiled coldly. “Does that give you the distance you need in order to feel better about what you’re here to do?”
“I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m trying to right a wrong.”
“I wish you could right it for me, too,” she murmured.
When Eve recognized Ted, her eyes widened, but she was so distracted by the men who were streaming down the aisle toward them that she didn’t say anything. Sophia didn’t even glance at him. She stiffened as if she wanted to run but wouldn’t let herself. Instead, she moved purposefully toward them.
“I’ve left my daughter at a friend’s, doing her homework. I’d like to get through this as soon as possible so she doesn’t get to bed too late.”
“It won’t take long,” Mr. Groscost assured her. He was far more solicitous now that he was confronting the beautiful Sophia face to face, but Ted knew nothing would deter him from his purpose. “Have a seat.”
“I prefer to stand if you don’t mind.” No one else seemed interested in sitting, either. They were too keyed up.
“Fine.” Groscost cleared his throat. “We wanted to meet with you to see what you plan to do to make things right for the people you and your husband cheated.”
She didn’t claim that she hadn’t been involved, didn’t try to defend herself. She merely lifted her keys and, when he held out his hand, dropped them into his open palm. “These are for the house. The furnishings, my clothes—that’s all I have left. Take what you want. I ask only that you stay out of my daughter’s room.”
She’d given in so quickly that Groscost didn’t seem to know how to react. His eyebrows shot up as he turned to Flores, who blinked and stammered, “Why—why, thank you for making this easy, Mrs. DeBussi. But I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re most interested in your wedding
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