Page 43 of Tethered

“Seems to be the day for revelations today.” I huff out a laugh before taking a sip of my drink, which is cold and sharp, just the way I like it.

“Oh?”

I tell her about the other encounters I’ve had today and watch her as she hears about Bettie.

“Oh, that poor family. I didn’t know about that. Mike told me Christian quit because he and Martin didn’t see eye to eye. And then a little while later, he said Christian came back looking for his old job back, and then caused a ruckus when he found out he had been replaced.”

“Mike lied.”

“Yeah, turns out my husband was good at that. But the thing is, I knew he was lying, not always, but sometimes. And yet I pretended to be oblivious for a quieter, easier life. That makes me just as bad as him.”

I don’t know what to say to that. Most of the town turned a blind eye to what was going on, and I guess it’s easier to follow the crowd than forge a path alone. Christian is proof of that.

“I don’t know if it was my dad or Mike, but one of them, or both of them, blacklisted Christian. They forced a man with a dying daughter to work a state away because they didn’t like being called out for their actions.”

She covers her mouth with her hand. I feel a bit shitty for laying it all out, but it would have come out eventually.

“I know I’m a day late and a dollar short, but what can I do?”

“Well, Christian needs help. I’m going to hire him back at the ranch, but Bettie will need around-the-clock care. I have no idea who would be a good fit.”

“Leave it with me. I’ll come up with some candidates, and I’ll even help Christian interview them. It’s the least I can do. Oh, and I can cook.”

I chuckle. “I know. Mike used to rave about your pie in one breath and complain about needing to go to the gym in the other.”

“Sounds about right. My point is, with the kids grown, I don’t cook much because it seems pointless when it’s just me. But I miss it. What if I cook some meals and bring them over to Christian so he can freeze them and reheat them when needed? That has to be easier, especially if he’ll be on the ranch all day.”

“That would actually be amazing.”

“I’ll get right on that. I’ll contact Christian myself.”

I bite my lip, wondering how receptive he’ll be toward the woman who was once married to the sheriff who fucked him over.

As if reading my expression, she reaches across the table and pats my hand. “I’ll go in person. We’ll talk, and I’ll apologize for my hand in what happened. I should have been more like him and his wife, and then maybe I wouldn’t be so ashamed to look in the mirror.”

“Everything seems easier in hindsight, but it’s different when you’re living it,” I tell her, surprised that I want to give her some grace.

She shakes her head. “I was scared for sure. I don’t think I really thought about that until now. Mike never laid a finger on me. He wasn’t abusive in that sense at all, but I don’t think I realized until it was too late that there are different types of abuse. He wasn’t always careful with his words, and he lived under the belief that he was the provider, which meant I stayed home and did everything else. My life was cooking, cleaning, raising kids, and looking pretty. There was no other option for me, and I had moments of yearning when I craved something more with every fiber of my being. He was quick to remind me it was his money, not mine. I had no access to his bank account. He gave me a small allowance for the children and some money for food, and that was it. I knew if I left, I’d be homeless, and he would take the children from me easily. And so, right or wrong,I stayed and closed my eyes to anything that might bring my crumbling house down faster.”

“Self-preservation is a powerful motivator. So is putting your own children’s happiness above your own. After knowing what he did to the Palmers, I have no doubt his fragile ego would have meant he’d have been even harsher with you, if only to teach you a lesson about a woman’s place.”

“It breaks my heart that you paid the ultimate price for it all.”

“I have plenty more years left in me to build the life I always dreamed of, and I have that chance now because my father is gone.”Kinda.“I have the ranch, and I get to turn it into something more, something different that I think my mom would have been proud of.”

“And something that would make your father roll in his grave?” she muses with a twinkle in her eye as she takes a sip of her drink.

“Oh, that’s just a bonus,” I admit, making her laugh.

“And what about boys? I know you haven’t been out long, but you know what small towns are like. I’ve heard you have a very handsome suitor living with you and that you also caught the sheriff’s eye. And don’t think I didn’t spot that hunk of deliciousness in the driver’s seat just now.”

I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment, though I have no clue why. I’m not ashamed of my actions, just unsure of them. I don’t know how to navigate the attention of one man, let alone three.

“I say good for you. You deserve a life filled with adventure and excitement. Oh, I wish I had gotten the chance myself, but times were different back then.”

“So what about now?”

“I’m sorry?”