Page 78 of Mack

Mallory pressed her lips together and said nothing, which was as good as saying everything.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Georgia crossed the kitchen and took her daughter’s face in both hands as she had when Mallory was small, and Mallory felt the crack widen.

“He threatened Mack,” she said, and her voice came out smaller than she intended. “And T.J. He said if I didn’t stop seeing Mack he’d—” She stopped. “I can’t let him hurt them, Mom. I can’t.”

“So, you’re protecting everyone except yourself.” Georgia’s eyes were bright. “The same way you always do.”

“What else am I supposed to do?”

“Tell someone. Tell Mack. Tell your father.” Georgia’s jaw tightened. “Tell the sheriff.”

“If I do that Troy will—”

“Troy is a bully and a coward, with a criminal record.” Georgia dropped her hands but held her gaze. “He has far more to lose than you do, Mallory. He just wants you to believe otherwise.”

Mallory shook her head. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“No.” Georgia picked up her purse. “But I know what you’re capable of. And I know that little boy in there,” she nodded toward the living room where T.J. was watching television, “has been asking for Mack every single day.”

Mallory looked away.

“I’m not going to tell you what to do,” Georgia said. “But I want you to think about whether keeping this secret is actually keeping anyone safe. Or whether it’s just keeping Troy in control.”

She held Mallory’s gaze for a moment longer, then turned toward the hallway.

“T.J., sweetheart, let’s get your coat and boots on. We’re going to Nana’s.”

“‘Kay!” The thunder of small feet fell down the hall.

Mallory stood at the counter and listened to her mother getting T.J. into his coat, his boots on the wrong feet as usual, Georgia’s patient voice correcting him, T.J.’s giggle. All the ordinary sounds of a morning that felt anything but ordinary.

A few minutes later Georgia appeared in the kitchen doorway with T.J.’s hand in hers, both of them ready.

“Say bye to Mama.”

T.J. ran to her. She crouched down and held him tight for a moment longer than usual.

“Bye, baby. Be good.”

“‘Kay. Mama?” He pulled back and looked at her. “Can we call Mack today?”

She felt her mother’s eyes on her.

“We’ll see,” she said. “Go with Nana.”

She watched them go down the walk to the car, T.J. chattering about something, Georgia listening, and stood in the doorway until they drove away.

Then she went to get ready for work. She hated that her mother was right.

****

Mack entered the diner at lunch and stood beside the door waiting for a seat to open up. He should have just called it in. He pushed through the crowd until he reached the counter and got Connie’s attention.

“I’ll be right with you, Mack,” she said as she poured a cup of coffee.

“I just need my usual to go, Connie.”

“Alright, hon. Let me get that to Owen for you.” She wrote the order on a ticket, pinned it to the wheel, then disappeared into the kitchen. He’d stay where he was.