but had come up empty-handed. He was sick of this. All he wanted was to spend his nights and days in the company of the woman he loved, but he knew it was a danger he couldn’t risk. Today, he was going to some of the places he knew Samuel liked to frequent in Warren County. But damn if he wasn’t frustrated.
For a year, he’d noticed changes in his uncle. He’d been secretive about the places he went late at night, and he always had a wad of cash on him. For a while, Dalton thought he had a girlfriend and was waiting until the time was right to introduce her. Eventually though, the truth had come to light. In the end, it’d taken him almost four months to figure out what the fuck was going on. It wasn’t until he’d heard the conversation in the hallway of Wet Wanda’s that he’d known for sure his uncle was in trouble. Since that day, he’d been trying to figure out what to do. There was an expiration date on the amount of time Samuel had to come up with this money. If he didn’t have it by that date, they were all fucked. He cursed himself for not taking a stand back when all this had started, for not putting his foot down and throwing out an ultimatum.
Samuel had always been there for them, and Dalton hadn’t wanted to rock the boat. He’d had no idea how deep his uncle was in. No idea whom he was in with. If he’d known the little gambling problem that had always plagued them had turned into this —he would have made an appointment himself with Doc Jones and gotten Samuel into treatment. But here he was, chasing his tail, pissed off, and tired.
His heart tugged as he saw the Sonic at the end of Porter Pike. He and Mandy had spent many afternoons there in high school, and they’d enjoyed ice cream after late night rides. Needing some caffeine and wanting to feel a little piece of home, he impulsively turned his bike into the parking lot and headed for the drive-thru.
*
“I’m getting better and not picking up the phone to call him every night. I don’t let the phone ring long enough for the voicemail to pick up and listen to it.” Mandy gave a self-deprecating laugh. It was pathetic, even to her own ears. “I did text him last night, but he never responded.”
Doc Jones listened with a sympathetic look on her face as Mandy talked. Nodding her head every once in a while as the younger woman said something she agreed with. “Is it getting easier?”
Lifting her eyes up to meet the older woman’s, Mandy shook her head. “No, it’s not. I still want to talk to him, tell him about all the changes going on in my body. I had to buy new bras yesterday; I’m not sure how long I’m going to be able to keep this a secret. My brother and sister-in-law are already suspicious because of how sick I’ve been.”
“I think the question here, Mandy, is why do you want to keep it a secret? Why are you protecting Dalton? What are you trying to spare him for?”
She’d asked herself that a thousand times. Why did she care about him when he so obviously didn’t care about her?
“Because I know what my brother and dad are capable of.”
“Don’t you think he does too? Yet he continues to treat you this way. I think the question you need to ask yourself is this—how much are you willing to put up with? It’s something you definitely need to think about.”
Damn Doc Jones and her questions. Mandy felt this one like it was a kick in the gut. How much was she willing to put up with? “I don’t know how to answer that.”
“You do, Amanda. You know exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing.”
Anger coursed through her body, although she wasn’t sure whom it was directed towards. Dalton? Doc Jones? Herself? “I love him!”
“At the expense of what? Your sanity? This baby you’re carrying?” Doc Jones reached out, putting her hand on top of Mandy’s. “You’re under a lot of stress. You’re not handling morning sickness well, and I can see with my own two eyes the toll this is taking
For a year, he’d noticed changes in his uncle. He’d been secretive about the places he went late at night, and he always had a wad of cash on him. For a while, Dalton thought he had a girlfriend and was waiting until the time was right to introduce her. Eventually though, the truth had come to light. In the end, it’d taken him almost four months to figure out what the fuck was going on. It wasn’t until he’d heard the conversation in the hallway of Wet Wanda’s that he’d known for sure his uncle was in trouble. Since that day, he’d been trying to figure out what to do. There was an expiration date on the amount of time Samuel had to come up with this money. If he didn’t have it by that date, they were all fucked. He cursed himself for not taking a stand back when all this had started, for not putting his foot down and throwing out an ultimatum.
Samuel had always been there for them, and Dalton hadn’t wanted to rock the boat. He’d had no idea how deep his uncle was in. No idea whom he was in with. If he’d known the little gambling problem that had always plagued them had turned into this —he would have made an appointment himself with Doc Jones and gotten Samuel into treatment. But here he was, chasing his tail, pissed off, and tired.
His heart tugged as he saw the Sonic at the end of Porter Pike. He and Mandy had spent many afternoons there in high school, and they’d enjoyed ice cream after late night rides. Needing some caffeine and wanting to feel a little piece of home, he impulsively turned his bike into the parking lot and headed for the drive-thru.
*
“I’m getting better and not picking up the phone to call him every night. I don’t let the phone ring long enough for the voicemail to pick up and listen to it.” Mandy gave a self-deprecating laugh. It was pathetic, even to her own ears. “I did text him last night, but he never responded.”
Doc Jones listened with a sympathetic look on her face as Mandy talked. Nodding her head every once in a while as the younger woman said something she agreed with. “Is it getting easier?”
Lifting her eyes up to meet the older woman’s, Mandy shook her head. “No, it’s not. I still want to talk to him, tell him about all the changes going on in my body. I had to buy new bras yesterday; I’m not sure how long I’m going to be able to keep this a secret. My brother and sister-in-law are already suspicious because of how sick I’ve been.”
“I think the question here, Mandy, is why do you want to keep it a secret? Why are you protecting Dalton? What are you trying to spare him for?”
She’d asked herself that a thousand times. Why did she care about him when he so obviously didn’t care about her?
“Because I know what my brother and dad are capable of.”
“Don’t you think he does too? Yet he continues to treat you this way. I think the question you need to ask yourself is this—how much are you willing to put up with? It’s something you definitely need to think about.”
Damn Doc Jones and her questions. Mandy felt this one like it was a kick in the gut. How much was she willing to put up with? “I don’t know how to answer that.”
“You do, Amanda. You know exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing.”
Anger coursed through her body, although she wasn’t sure whom it was directed towards. Dalton? Doc Jones? Herself? “I love him!”
“At the expense of what? Your sanity? This baby you’re carrying?” Doc Jones reached out, putting her hand on top of Mandy’s. “You’re under a lot of stress. You’re not handling morning sickness well, and I can see with my own two eyes the toll this is taking
Similar Books
