A Heart for a Heart by Pierson Cheryl

Author:Pierson, Cheryl [Pierson, Cheryl]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Fire Star Press
Published: 2014-08-22T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Later, as they started out the door, Kiera handed Sam her car keys. “Feel like driving?”

He slanted her a grin. “If you want. But I have to tell you, I'm not one of those guys who gets all balled up if his woman drives. I'm a good passenger, too.”

Kiera laughed. “Then it's up to you. Whatever you want. I know you're tired.”

“Hey, the excitement of getting a real Burger World meal has got my blood flowing,” he teased. He handed the keys back to her. “But you know where you're going so, here. I'll take a rain check.”

Sam noticed a shadow cross her face as they got into the car. She turned the key and started to back out.

“Sam, when we get to the Landrums, don't be surprised by the way they act. They're—weird.”

“Why do you say that?”

Kiera kept her eyes on the road, maneuvering the car down the street to turn onto the main thoroughfare from the neighborhood. “Charlie Landrum is—odd. And his wife, Linda, is a mouse. What he says goes in their household.”

“Has he been mistreating Cory?” Anger rushed in his veins, but he managed to keep it to a dull roar.

“No. Not—not physically. But there are other things—things he's said, that weren't exactly appropriate.”

“Because Cory's Indian?” She was hesitating, and Sam knew what she was worried about. “I'm not gonna deck him, Kiera.”

She glanced at him, and he could see her wonderment at how he'd known her thoughts. His lips quirked. “Much as I'd like to,” he muttered under his breath.

“He's ignorant.”

“Yes,” Sam agreed. “That's what the common excuse is for rudeness. But believe me, we're used to it. Of course, when you're young, like Cory, it still cuts.”

Kiera bit her lip.

“What's he been saying? Do you know?”

She shook her head. “No. Not all of it. We were talking today when you came in.”

“Doesn't matter.” Sam looked out the window, seething, but he knew Kiera wasn't fooled by his calm façade.

She reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. “You won't do Cory or yourself any favors if you beat the hell out of Charlie Landrum. Cory will be with us tomorrow.”

Sam felt his blood pressure drop at her touch. Her calm reasoning cooled his temper, though not completely. He screwed it down tight, telling himself that once Cory wasn't with the Landrums any longer, it wouldn't matter.

“I know it's hard. I've had to—to watch things happen that I had no control over—”

“With Landrum?” He turned to look at her, but she kept her attention on the road.

“No,” she said evenly. “With your brother and sister-in-law, Sam. You know, they weren't good parents.”

He gave a heavy sigh. “Matt wasn't always like that. Dad took off when I was five and Matt was twelve. Mom was barely making it. We were living on government handouts for as long as I could remember. Matt fell in with a bad crowd, but he protected me.”

“What happened to your mom? I've wondered.”

“She died when I was sixteen. She'd had a hard life—too hard, trying to provide for us and being alone.

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