Just be calm.He was worried. And she, well, she had just done another of those stupid things she did when life got out of control. She knew better than to take this kind of risk.
Another deep breath and she could talk. “I came to the cemetery to visit my father.”
Until he’d finished yelling, she held the phone away from her ear. When he was done, she dared to put it back. “I have something I have to do before I come back to the office.”
“Addy! You don’t need to—”
“I’m going to see my mother,” she said, shutting him up. “If you need me that’s where I’ll be.”
She closed her phone and shoved it back into its holster. He wanted to protect her. It was his job. Not just his job. He still had feelings for her. She couldn’t deny that any longer.
Memories from that morning rushed into her head, making her weak. Making her wish things were different.
Stop.This bastard was getting closer all the time. Escalating. No matter how hard Wyatt tried to protect her, this was going down.
There were things she had to do first.
Adeline needed to talk to her mother about the past. She couldn’t do that with Wyatt anywhere near her.
It was time she and her mother cleared the air.
If this bastard got to her, Adeline didn’t want any unfinished business between her and anyone she cared about.
That included havingthetalk with Wyatt.
Eventually.
29
4720 Miller Road; 3:38 p.m.
Adeline sat in the SUV and stared at the farmhouse that had been home to her for the first twenty-one years of her life. Seemed she’d been doing a lot of contemplating lately. It was like taking a huge step back into a place that hadn’t changed in the slightest. She had changed but everything here still felt the same. No matter how far she’d run, or where she’d run, the place and the people were still here. Waiting. Frozen in time and attitude as if her dramatic departure had changed nothing. As if her sacrifices hadn’t mattered.
How was that possible?
Her gaze roved over the house she’d played in as a kid. Where she’d fought with her parents during those rebellious teenage years. The place where she’d felt safe when the rest of the world had seemed crazy.
All except for that once.
Nine years ago, after Gage’s death, even this house hadn’t felt like a haven. Granted, her mother had still been grieving her father’s death. As had Adeline. Both their lives had been in utter turmoil. Nothing had felt right or real.
Except Wyatt.
And then he’d let her down, too.
Adeline shook off the bad memories. Sucked in a deep breath for courage and reminded her brain to stay out of the past.
There was enough crap going on right here in the present. No need to go digging up the past all at once. First, she had to talk to her mother. Get that out of the way.
She climbed out of the SUV and surveyed the condition of the house. Still in good shape. Her mother had stayed on top of the maintenance just as Adeline’s father always had. Adeline had felt a little guilty over the years that she wasn’t here to help out. Her mom had always insisted that she had everything under control. It was good to see that she hadn’t been keeping anything from Adeline. Both of her parents had always been far too protective.
Came with the territory of being an only child.
The house wasn’t nearly so imposing as the one Cyrus lived in just beyond the woods and fields to the east. As the oldest, Cyrus had inherited the family home. Adeline’s father had renovated the only remaining tenant farmer’s house. Carl hadn’t been nearly so taken with appearances and material possessions. He’d never had any desire to prove he was better or wealthier than anyone else.
Too bad Cyrus hadn’t taken a page from his younger brother’s book on how to live right. Cyrus Cooper liked owning things and people. No matter the price, usually levied on anyone but him.
Funny how the good guys always went well before the bad ones. By rights, Adeline’s father should be enjoying his golden years and that old bastard Cyrus should’ve been planted in that damned cemetery.