The 2014 R.L. Mathewson Chronicle Collection by R.L. Mathewson Page B

husband.
                  “They’re ummm, around here somewhere,” Trevor said, shooting another look around the produce section only to mutter a few obscenities about Jason when he didn’t spot his cousin.
                  Frowning, and clearly wondering why he was more concerned about his missing cousin than their kids, she pulled her phone out with a muttered curse of her own and announced, “I’m going to customer service and having them page the boys.”
                  Trevor’s expression became panicked as he reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her from taking another step. “No, you can’t do that!”   he whispered harshly, throwing another one of those nervous glances around them as though he was making sure that no one was listening.
                  “And why not, Mr. Paranoia?” she asked dryly as she went to pull her hand free and continue with her plan, but Trevor wasn’t letting her go.
                  “ Because they’ll know we’re here !” he hissed, tightening his hold on her hand to stop her.
                  “And that’s a problem because……….” she prompted, giving up on trying to pull her hand away
                  “ Because you brought that bastard with you !” Trevor hissed accusingly as he stepped back, dragging her with him until their backs hit the shelves lined with salad dressing.
                  “Actually, he tagged along,” she felt obligated to point out as she considered her choices. Should she call Uncle Jared to come get Trevor and bring him to the mental hospital on Ferth Street, where he could recover from his mental meltdown with happy pills and electric shock therapy, or if she should just lure him there herself with the promise of chocolate cake and sex?
                  “And you let him?” Trevor demanded, shooting her a glare full of disgust that had her narrowing her eyes on him and deciding that Uncle Jared could deal with the bastard.
                  “Why wouldn’t I? It’s just a grocery store,” she pointed out through clenched teeth as she moved to yank her hand away from his so that she could go find her boys, grab a cake, head home, eat a slice big enough to choke a Bradford and call that cute divorce lawyer from that commercial she saw last week.
                  “ Because it’s Jason !”
                  “And?” she said, really not seeing the problem.
                  “He’s banned!”
                  She couldn’t help but frown as she looked around. “From a grocery store?’
                  “Yes!”
                  “How exactly do you get banned from a-”
                  “We need to hurry and find the boys and get them the hell out of here before they realize that Jason is here,” he said, sounding close to panic as he pulled her towards the seafood section.
                  She was about to open her mouth and ask him what the hell he was talking about when she spotted the small group gathering around a man laying on the floor, curled up in the fetal position, sobbing quietly and mumbling, “Bradford,” over and over again.
                  As she stumbled over mini-cupcakes strewn about the floor and tried to ignore the disturbing sobbing, she couldn’t help but wonder what exactly she’d gotten herself into by marrying into this family.

Part VI
                   “I can’t believe you let this happen” Haley mumbled, massaging her temples as she waited for her father-in-law to park the truck, still struggling to understand how this happened.
                  “I thought she knew,” Jared said with a sheepish smile and a shrug.
                  “We don’t have money for bail right now,” Haley said, not pointing out that they wouldn’t have