It had to have been the hundredth question Lincoln asked me in the half-hour since he’d started his little game, the dreaded five-thousand questions spurt that Josie warned me about.
I’d had yet to experience it, but it was as exhausting as she’d warned as he pinged from subject to subject.
Why do lobsters have so many legs?
Why are they called fir trees if they don’t have fur?
Why does mommy laugh so loud?
It was a never-ending loop, and every time he opened his mouth, I dreaded him tossing out something I couldn’t answer like where do babies come from.
“You reel them in and take extra care getting the hook out,” I replied, throwing out another cast. “If they’re too big, you have to cut the line.”
His face scrunched as he looked back out at the water. “Why? I thought you want to catch big fish!”
“You want to catch big fish but not big sharks, bud. They’ll eat you.”
“Like a bear?” he asked, smirking, the infamous half-smirk he’d gotten from his mother.
“Yup.”
“Mommy said we have bears here. That’s why I’m not allowed to play outside alone.”
I nodded, slowly reeling in, hoping to catch something weird so he’d stop his game. “Yeah, we have lots of bears here. You have to be careful.”
“Have you seen one, Luke?”
“Yup. I’ve seen lots out here.”
I hadn’t seen any since they moved into the cottage. Maybe the bears were afraid of the question game.
“Do you like it here?” He mimicked me, reeling his line in too.
“I love it here.”
“Oh, I don’t love my house. Mommy said I’ll love your house.”
“I hope you will. We’ll have fun.”
I was more than ready to have us all under one roof and be free of Dan. I hoped he’d list the place again, so I could buy it and rid us of the trouble once and for all.
“Are you happy to live with us?” he asked, eyeing me nervously.
“Of course, I am.”
Happy didn’t even begin to describe how I felt about it.
“Oh.”
I flipped his little game on him. “Are you excited to live with me?”
“Yeah!” he boomed, rocketing in the air in true Lincoln fashion. “And Tally!”
Her tail thumped against the dock at her name.
The crunch of gravel caught my attention, Josie’s SUV pulling in the driveway. She’d been out shopping with Trish, a trip that hopefully went well. I wasn’t going anywhere, so at least one of her parents had to get used to the idea of us together, or we were in for some awkward holidays.
Her car door open and out popped a red-faced Josie, face streaked with tears.
Oh shit.
“Hey, Lincoln, can you take Tally in the house and give her a scoop of food and some treats? She needs to practice sitting if you can help.”
It was an offer too good to pass up, even more than fishing.
“YES!” He stared at the fishing rod in his hand before looking back at me.
“I’ll take care of it,” I assured, reeling in mine quickly before taking his and doing the same.
“Tally, in!” I ordered, and she took off towards the house, Lincoln bounding after.
Hopefully, whatever happened was just frustrating and nothing more. If Ed had said or done anything, I’d rip his arm off and beat him with it myself.
I met Josie halfway as Lincoln disappeared into the house.
“What’s wrong?” I pulled her into my arms, where she practically collapsed, her legs almost giving out on her entirely.
She didn’t answer, her arms trembling as she clutched at my shirt. She was trying to say something, but nothing I could understand, a mix of gasps and cries the only things escaping.
Holy fuck.
I touched her face, tilting it towards me. “What happened? Is everyone okay?”
Her head shook violently, hands still pulling at my shirt. “No!” she wailed.
“Who’s hurt? Liv? Trish?” I asked, studying her face. “Where do we need to go, baby?”
If we hit the road right away, I could make it to Portland in twenty-five minutes. Maybe twenty if I hit one-twenty.
“That fucking bastard!” she screamed, making me jump. “He’s such a fucking pig!”
“Who? What happened?”
Ed.
I was going to kill him.
“Your dad? Did he hurt you?”
If he touched a hair on her head, he was finished.
“HE FUCKED LYNETTE STEPHENS!” she screeched.
And just like that, the truth I’d done my damndest to shield her from came flying from her lips.
I cradled her head against my chest, stroking her hair as she sobbed, the one thing I knew would hurt the most coursing through her blood like poison.
And there was nothing I could do to fix it.
* * *
My world crumbled in my arms while I desperately tried to keep it standing. I offered assurances between sobs, rubbing her hair and letting her cry as much as she needed.
Lincoln came running after he was done with Tally and took one look at his mother and started crying himself, both of my hands suddenly cradling someone in tears.
I told Lincoln she got stung by a bee, Josie too inconsolable to make sense of. He helped me coax her in the house to get ice for her booboo, though ice wasn’t going to help.
Nothing would.
She was borderline catatonic on the couch while I made dinner for Lincoln, knowing I couldn’t start trying to fix anything with him listening.
Once he was settled in the spare room with a movie blasting on his tablet, I headed back out to the couch, Josie nestled amongst the throw pillows staring blankly at the wall.
“I’m sorry, babe.”
“It’s not your fault.” Her voice was hoarse from crying, the spasm of sobs still jerking her shoulders.
The truth churned in my gut, wanting to confess everything since she somehow found out, but I couldn’t, the words like acid in my mouth.
“He cheated on our family! What if he was screwing her while Mom was in the hospital?”
There was no way Ed had confessed. Lynette must have told her. But why?
“How do you know…” I trailed, her eyes flicking to my face and stopping me in my tracks.
“The bitch has a son with
