the ceiling, “…like eight o’clock, and you end up in bed with your ex-husband on the same night?”
She jerked her head back. “That’s none of your business.”
“Sure it is, Meghan. I’m the sheriff in this town. I’m the good guy. But for some unknown reason, you just keep going back to that loser, ever since we were kids. Why? Answer me that. Do you get turned on by scum bags with rap sheets or something?”
“Stop it.”
“Or maybe you just like a guy who destroys the things you care about.” He stepped closer to her, into her personal space. “Because I can do that too, Meghan.”
She saw Liam a second before Ricky did, his hands already yanking Ricky backward and away from her, spinning him around to connect his fist with Ricky’s face. It was his cheekbone that made the sickening crack, though two of his teeth were also knocked loose by the blow.
“Don’t you touch my wife, asshole.”
Ricky staggered to his feet, his cap on the floor, his hand on his bleeding mouth. “You just assaulted an officer, and you’re still on parole. You’re going back in, Wheaton.”
“The only person who’s going to jail is you, Ricky,” said Liam.
A uniformed state police officer approached from the end of the hall. “Ricky Powell, you have the right to remain silent.”
Patty followed behind the officer, her eyes weary as she approached a confused Meghan. “The night of the fire at the old mill, your father and I were coming home from a concert. I saw Ricky riding his bike a block from the river, with a gas can tied to the book rack. Then we saw the flames shooting up from the old mill.”
Meghan’s jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
She watched as her mother worked to get the words out. “I thought it was odd. But the Powells were friends of ours. I thought there must be an explanation.”
“What kind of explanation, Mom? Boys will be boys, burning down buildings and such?”
Patty hugged herself tightly, her eyes glassy and red. “I thought it was just some kids playing around. I knew Ricky might have been involved, but…”
“ But he was one of us ,” said Meghan. She stepped closer to her mother, baring her teeth. “And when Liam took the blame, you figured that was okay, too.”
Patty held up her hands. “Loraine Spaulding said she saw him with that pocketknife earlier in the day. So he must have been at the old mill that day.”
“He was there, mom.” She walked over to Liam and held his hand in her own. “He was there with me.”
Tears fell down Patty’s cheeks as she nodded. “When you two ran away, you took my whole world with you. I could barely be a mother to Becky, barely function. Then Liam came back alone. He wouldn’t tell me anything. I hated him. I had so much anger. He wouldn’t help me find my baby girl.” She was openly sobbing now.
Liam stepped forward, placing his hand on Patty’s shoulder. “I didn’t know where she was, Patty.”
Patty cried harder. “I know, I know. Can you ever forgive me?”
“That depends.” He looked at her with kindness in his eyes. “Will you be a good grandma to Fiona?”
“I will.”
“Let her date whoever she wants.”
“I will.”
To Meghan’s astonishment, he nodded.
“You did what you thought was right at the time,” said Liam. “That’s not so hard to forgive.”
The doctor appeared in the hallway. “Mr. and Mrs. Wheaton, can I have a word with you, please?”
Meghan tensed at his serious tone.
“It’s okay,” he said, smiling widely. “I have good news.”
~~~
2013
The Christmas tree glowed with tiny colored lights, enchanting the living room with its fresh pine scent. The family was gathered in the large formal dining room, every leaf in the table to accommodate the crowd.
“Hush up now, and let the old Jewish woman say grace,” yelled Rhea, chuckled erupting around the table. She held out her hands, Fiona on one side of her, Chip Wheaton on the other.
“I love
She jerked her head back. “That’s none of your business.”
“Sure it is, Meghan. I’m the sheriff in this town. I’m the good guy. But for some unknown reason, you just keep going back to that loser, ever since we were kids. Why? Answer me that. Do you get turned on by scum bags with rap sheets or something?”
“Stop it.”
“Or maybe you just like a guy who destroys the things you care about.” He stepped closer to her, into her personal space. “Because I can do that too, Meghan.”
She saw Liam a second before Ricky did, his hands already yanking Ricky backward and away from her, spinning him around to connect his fist with Ricky’s face. It was his cheekbone that made the sickening crack, though two of his teeth were also knocked loose by the blow.
“Don’t you touch my wife, asshole.”
Ricky staggered to his feet, his cap on the floor, his hand on his bleeding mouth. “You just assaulted an officer, and you’re still on parole. You’re going back in, Wheaton.”
“The only person who’s going to jail is you, Ricky,” said Liam.
A uniformed state police officer approached from the end of the hall. “Ricky Powell, you have the right to remain silent.”
Patty followed behind the officer, her eyes weary as she approached a confused Meghan. “The night of the fire at the old mill, your father and I were coming home from a concert. I saw Ricky riding his bike a block from the river, with a gas can tied to the book rack. Then we saw the flames shooting up from the old mill.”
Meghan’s jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
She watched as her mother worked to get the words out. “I thought it was odd. But the Powells were friends of ours. I thought there must be an explanation.”
“What kind of explanation, Mom? Boys will be boys, burning down buildings and such?”
Patty hugged herself tightly, her eyes glassy and red. “I thought it was just some kids playing around. I knew Ricky might have been involved, but…”
“ But he was one of us ,” said Meghan. She stepped closer to her mother, baring her teeth. “And when Liam took the blame, you figured that was okay, too.”
Patty held up her hands. “Loraine Spaulding said she saw him with that pocketknife earlier in the day. So he must have been at the old mill that day.”
“He was there, mom.” She walked over to Liam and held his hand in her own. “He was there with me.”
Tears fell down Patty’s cheeks as she nodded. “When you two ran away, you took my whole world with you. I could barely be a mother to Becky, barely function. Then Liam came back alone. He wouldn’t tell me anything. I hated him. I had so much anger. He wouldn’t help me find my baby girl.” She was openly sobbing now.
Liam stepped forward, placing his hand on Patty’s shoulder. “I didn’t know where she was, Patty.”
Patty cried harder. “I know, I know. Can you ever forgive me?”
“That depends.” He looked at her with kindness in his eyes. “Will you be a good grandma to Fiona?”
“I will.”
“Let her date whoever she wants.”
“I will.”
To Meghan’s astonishment, he nodded.
“You did what you thought was right at the time,” said Liam. “That’s not so hard to forgive.”
The doctor appeared in the hallway. “Mr. and Mrs. Wheaton, can I have a word with you, please?”
Meghan tensed at his serious tone.
“It’s okay,” he said, smiling widely. “I have good news.”
~~~
2013
The Christmas tree glowed with tiny colored lights, enchanting the living room with its fresh pine scent. The family was gathered in the large formal dining room, every leaf in the table to accommodate the crowd.
“Hush up now, and let the old Jewish woman say grace,” yelled Rhea, chuckled erupting around the table. She held out her hands, Fiona on one side of her, Chip Wheaton on the other.
“I love
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