“Thank you, Jolene. You’ve lifted my heart when I was set on beating myself up.”
“We women tend to do that when life takes a turn—we beat ourselves up. We all need to be kinder to ourselves.”
Rachel met Jolene’s smile with one of her own. “Yes, ma’am. We certainly do.”
* * * *
Brandon and Trace had both seen photos taken of the man, of course. Adam had several on file, including one taken just before he’d abandoned his family six years before.
“Am I wrong to be happy he hasn’t aged well?” Trace asked.
“No.” Brandon met his brother’s gaze. He couldn’t imagine blood brothers being as close in thought and purpose and heart as he and Trace were. Just one bolstering look as they entered the Roadhouse was enough.
They’d agreed to let Adam and Jake handle the situation. But looking at the man who appeared to be talking sincerely with Grandma Kate was enough to make his blood boil.
Brandon forced himself to analyze the situation as if he was entering a strategic meeting. Both Chloe and Aunt Bernice looked like they were afraid the son of a bitch carried a deadly bacteria.
Grandma Kate appeared to be listening sympathetically to the man—until he looked at her eyes.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen that woman coldly furious before. Brandon said a prayer right then and there asking God to stop him from ever doing anything that would cause Kate Benedict to look at him that way.
“So if you could convince Rachel to just meet with me, ma’am. That’s all I’m asking, a chance to speak with her, to…to plead my own case. I miss her, ma’am. I surely do.”
Kate knew they were there, because he caught her slight glance toward Adam.
She reached over and patted Cosgrove’s hand. “Of course, you do. I’m sure any man would miss a woman who devoted herself to him, to his comfort, for so many years. It’s just a damn shame that you couldn’t return a fraction of that caring. And don’t get me started on how I feel about your abandoning that sweet, beautiful Libby.” Kate sighed. Her voice was so sweet sounding, so soft, that looking at Cosgrove, Brandon could see the meaning of her words were slow to sink in.
“But then,” Kate said, “most malignant narcissists aren’t capable of caring about anyone but themselves.”
Adam chose that moment to place his hand on Buck Cosgrove’s shoulder. The man jerked then looked up, and whatever message he read in Adam’s gaze, he was smart enough to sit still and shut up.
“Aunt Bernice, Chloe…” Adam didn’t even have to ask.
Bernice Benedict nodded. “Chloe and I will be in Angela’s office,” she said.
“I won’t be long, sweetheart,” Kate said. Her smile to her daughter-in-law and Chloe Jessop was the real deal. Both women smiled right back at her. They started off, but Chloe turned around and sent Kate a thumbs-up gesture.
“Now, Mr. Cosgrove,” Adam said, “what brings you here today?”
“None of your business. I’ve got a right to be anyplace I want to be.”
“Not if the owner of this fine establishment has filed a restraining order against you,” Jake said.
“There is no such order filed, and we both know it. Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Jake Kendall. I’m Rachel Cosgrove’s attorney. This is my brother, Adam Kendall. He’s the sheriff hereabouts. And this lady you just tried to bullshit is our grandmother.” Then Jake’s gaze turned cold. “I’m also the attorney of record for Mrs. Stone, owner of this establishment. And there will be an order filed against you before you get back to Waco.”
“Look, I don’t know what the hell that fucking bitch, Rachel, told you…”
“My, such language!” Kate had no trouble interrupting him. Her tone was as sharp as Brandon had ever heard it. “You can always know the measure of a man by the language he uses in mixed company.”
Brandon had to bite the inside of his lip to keep himself from laughing. Then Kate sent him the kindest look, and he understood she’d interrupted Cosgrove out of consideration for him and Trace.
Grandma Kate just stopped us both from punching that bastard’s lights out.
She shook her head sadly as she returned her attention on Cosgrove. “You, sir, are not a good man.” She got to her feet and nodded to them. “I’ll let you gentlemen deal with this person as you see fit.”
As soon as Kate was out of sight, Brandon sat down across from Cosgrove, with Trace taking the chair on his right. Jake sat beside the interloper, and Adam grabbed up another chair, turned it around, and straddled it.
For the first time Buck Cosgrove seemed to notice him and his brother.
“Hey…I know you two! You’re those two johns my wife left here with last night. She must be paying you a pretty penny to fuck her. You’re just a couple of college kids. You could probably get nice young pussy just by crooking your fingers. Why bother with the old bitch? You that hard up for cash?”
“I didn’t complete the introductions. My bad,” Jake said. Then he pointed at Brandon. “This is First Lieutenant Brandon Gillespie, United States Marine Corps—Special Forces. He’s also Rachel’s fiancé.”
Brandon didn’t blink at the stretch. They hadn’t asked Rachel to marry them yet. Of course, in his heart, she was theirs. Period.
“Hey, Brandon, I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Adam sounded downright jocular. “Special Forces…you’re the guys who do all those dirty sneaky things and then hide the bodies...or not. Right?” Adam’s expression was serious as a heart attack.
Between him and Grandma Kate, they’re keeping the two of us safe from our very basic instincts.
“If I answered that question, Adam, I’d have to kill you.”
“Oh, and Trace, here, is a lieutenant too—I believe his specialty is working with fire.”
Buck turned to Jake. “You’re a
