The Lies Uncovered Trilogy (Books 4, 5, and 6 of The Dancing Moon Ranch Series) by Patricia Watters
Authors: Patricia Watters
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since she was five, and we love her like she's a member of the family. Well, she is a member in a sense, with her dad married to Aunt Grace's sister. I've also known how you've felt about her for as far back as I can remember, but when the people we love take a wrong path, they're the ones who let us down most, maybe because we do love them, so it hits harder."
Still staring at his hands on the mug, Rick said, "Before she came this time I'd been looking at rings." Even though his gaze was on his hands, Rick could feel his father's eyes on him, and he didn't have to look up to know there'd be empathy there.
"Then you and Sophie had been discussing marriage?" Sam asked.
Rick shook his head. "Over the years we'd talked about what we wanted in marriage, and because she'd graduated from college and wasn't involved with anyone I thought maybe the time was right to start a relationship."
Sam leaned toward Rick, and looking directly at him said, "If Sophie was drunk and smoking pot at the party, and letting a guy put his hands on her, you need to think about this seriously before you start chasing after her. Nothing can mess up a man's life more than a messed up wife, whether she's an alcoholic, or doing drugs, or cheating on him."
"That's the problem," Rick said. "I know Sophie never did anything like this before. She's mad at her parents and she wants to get back at them."
"She might not have done it before," Sam said, "but she's giving you a look at how she handles things. Learning her step-mother slept around would be troubling for any girl as sheltered as Sophie's been, but there are a lot worse things in life than that. Sophie taking off and driving six-hundred miles and turning to drugs and alcohol to deal with it is definitely a side of her none of us have seen."
"I know," Rick said, in a glum voice. "I just don't know what to do about it."
"Maybe it's not a good idea for her to work here right now," Sam said. "I can talk to Jayne about cutting things short so she has to return home. It would give you time to think things through without the distraction of having her around, and there's no question, having a woman you love around leaves you open to rationalizing anything and everything, even having sex with her. Although I know that's the last thing you intend to do with Sophie, the desire to make things complete often overrides good judgment."
"That won't happen," Rick said.
"How can you be sure?" Sam asked. "Being in love does strange things to a man."
Rick raised his eyes from the mug, and said, "I already had the chance. When I brought her home from the party she tried to get me to have sex with her and I said no."
Sam patted Rick on the shoulder. "Then you're a better man than I am," he said. "And I'm proud of you."
Rick smiled, even though inside he felt about as desolate as he'd ever felt in his life. Then he glanced at his watch. Almost nine o'clock. Sophie and Buzz would be finished dinner by now, and then what? Go to Buzz's house for a nightcap? Puff on a joint? Have sex?
Sam refilled Rick's mug. "Just like you're doing, I went through hell when I suspected your mother was cheating on me. The reasoning side of your brain tells you she's with another man because she doesn't love you and to forget she exists and get on with your life. Then your heart tells you there's no life without her, and you're back trying to reason through it. All I can offer right now is for you to help Sophie get through this thing with her parents, but then you need to give it some space and see how Sophie handles other problems in her life. After your mom and I divorced I gave it time and waited for the right woman to come along and it paid off. With Jayne, my life is truly blessed. The only thing I regret is that I couldn't give her a child. I would like to have given you the brother you've always wanted."
Rick thought about that, and about what his father told him about becoming sterile from chemotherapy. He also knew he'd
Still staring at his hands on the mug, Rick said, "Before she came this time I'd been looking at rings." Even though his gaze was on his hands, Rick could feel his father's eyes on him, and he didn't have to look up to know there'd be empathy there.
"Then you and Sophie had been discussing marriage?" Sam asked.
Rick shook his head. "Over the years we'd talked about what we wanted in marriage, and because she'd graduated from college and wasn't involved with anyone I thought maybe the time was right to start a relationship."
Sam leaned toward Rick, and looking directly at him said, "If Sophie was drunk and smoking pot at the party, and letting a guy put his hands on her, you need to think about this seriously before you start chasing after her. Nothing can mess up a man's life more than a messed up wife, whether she's an alcoholic, or doing drugs, or cheating on him."
"That's the problem," Rick said. "I know Sophie never did anything like this before. She's mad at her parents and she wants to get back at them."
"She might not have done it before," Sam said, "but she's giving you a look at how she handles things. Learning her step-mother slept around would be troubling for any girl as sheltered as Sophie's been, but there are a lot worse things in life than that. Sophie taking off and driving six-hundred miles and turning to drugs and alcohol to deal with it is definitely a side of her none of us have seen."
"I know," Rick said, in a glum voice. "I just don't know what to do about it."
"Maybe it's not a good idea for her to work here right now," Sam said. "I can talk to Jayne about cutting things short so she has to return home. It would give you time to think things through without the distraction of having her around, and there's no question, having a woman you love around leaves you open to rationalizing anything and everything, even having sex with her. Although I know that's the last thing you intend to do with Sophie, the desire to make things complete often overrides good judgment."
"That won't happen," Rick said.
"How can you be sure?" Sam asked. "Being in love does strange things to a man."
Rick raised his eyes from the mug, and said, "I already had the chance. When I brought her home from the party she tried to get me to have sex with her and I said no."
Sam patted Rick on the shoulder. "Then you're a better man than I am," he said. "And I'm proud of you."
Rick smiled, even though inside he felt about as desolate as he'd ever felt in his life. Then he glanced at his watch. Almost nine o'clock. Sophie and Buzz would be finished dinner by now, and then what? Go to Buzz's house for a nightcap? Puff on a joint? Have sex?
Sam refilled Rick's mug. "Just like you're doing, I went through hell when I suspected your mother was cheating on me. The reasoning side of your brain tells you she's with another man because she doesn't love you and to forget she exists and get on with your life. Then your heart tells you there's no life without her, and you're back trying to reason through it. All I can offer right now is for you to help Sophie get through this thing with her parents, but then you need to give it some space and see how Sophie handles other problems in her life. After your mom and I divorced I gave it time and waited for the right woman to come along and it paid off. With Jayne, my life is truly blessed. The only thing I regret is that I couldn't give her a child. I would like to have given you the brother you've always wanted."
Rick thought about that, and about what his father told him about becoming sterile from chemotherapy. He also knew he'd
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