Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong

Author:Kelley Armstrong [Armstrong, Kelley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: K.L.A. Fricke Inc
Published: 2019-06-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

I need to get Kim and Brandon out of my head. They aren’t my concern, and they’re interfering with things that are. After that Skype call, I plan my next weekend with Charlotte. We have tea reservations for Sunday. I’ll get her a new dress. We’ll do that on Saturday. Maybe I’ll ask Paul if I can have her Friday to make up for my last weekend.

No, not maybe. I will. In fact, I’m going to do that right now. At the very least, it’ll help me gauge how dire this situation with him is.

I send the text. Then I spend the next twenty minutes freaking out because he’s not replying.

Things have changed. He might have found out the truth over a year ago, but this has brought it all back. Maybe he was holding out hope that I had another explanation.

Robbery? Is that what Ruben said? Not at all. He’s a guy I knew back home. Yes, that shoulder injury is a bullet. It was a stupid thing—me and some friends—and I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea, think you married a redneck. Ruben’s just being a jerk.

He hoped for an explanation. I didn’t give one. So now he must accept that he married a thief. A woman who robbed homes and got shot and went on the run and hooked up with him to reinvent herself.

He’s going to take Charlotte away.

I’m not the person he wants raising his daughter.

He hasn’t quite decided that yet, but the idea is forming. He has the ammunition he needs to take her. As for depriving her of a mother, well, Gayle is a much better role model.

Stop that, Bree. Just stop.

He’s slow in responding because he’s considering my request. I had Charlotte for an extra night this week, and it was my choice not to have her today, so he’s thinking he doesn’t owe me Friday. He just doesn’t want to refuse and sound pissy.

I need to tell him that I have something planned. That ups the ante. If he still refuses me then, I’ll know something’s wrong.

As I pull up the calendar of local events, I remember there’s a pizza party at the library.

Pizza. Maybe Kim’s employers know—

I thrust the thought aside and compose the text to Paul.

Me: My library is having a pizza-and-jammies evening Friday. I’d love to sign Charlie up, if that’s okay with you.

Hit Send. Wait five minutes, counting it on the clock. Then I send another.

Me: I could give up Sunday night if it’s a problem. I’d drop her off after our princess tea.

Giving her up early Sunday defeats the purpose of having extra time with her. This is another test, though. Is he not answering because I’m asking for extra time? Or is he going to start blocking me when I request off-schedule hours with Charlotte, even for something special?

Five more minutes. Send another text.

Me: I understand if you already have plans.

Two minutes. I’m going to call at the five-minute mark. I’ll—

My phone buzzes as a text comes in.

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