“Uh, sure, but no one’s said anything to me.” Cait held on tight to the safety handle on Chad’s truck as he drove at a reasonable speed down the hill.
“Wife’s always the last to know.” Chad pursed his lips and kept his eyes on the road. “Anyway, I think we’re close enough to get a cell signal. Why don’t you call Linx and tell her you’re on your way? Then you can call your family and figure out how to help Brian.”
“I’m sure Brian’s innocent.” Cait put on a brave face and swallowed hard. Brian might be eccentric, but he was a kind and gentle man. He would never resort to violence to get his way. Hadn’t he kept Alana’s secret all those years? “It doesn’t make sense why he would tamper with his own brake lines.”
“Except he was the only one who had the opportunity to do so,” Chad said. “My brother really didn’t want to arrest your husband, but Mr. Thornton’s attorney presented a case on how dangerous Brian could be. He said Brian enticed Glen to run away from school, and someone from the gaming community sang like a little bird once she found out Glen was only twelve years old.”
Cait palmed her face. “I told Brian not to contact the kid. What are we going to do now?”
“Call my sister,” Chad said, turning onto the main street through the tiny town.
By now, the snow was falling heavily, and visibility was almost zero. Cait punched in Linx’s number and told her what had happened.
She wasn’t ready to call her parents and endure the avalanche of emotional outpouring that inevitably followed any sort of bad news among her clan. Besides, they would all blame Brian, especially her brother Grady who seemed to have it in for him.
That was because Grady didn’t know Brian, having left home as soon as he turned eighteen. He hadn’t spent holidays with the family, or been around when Brian drove people to the airport or helped with their yardwork or unclogged sinks or grilled steaks while everyone ate and partied. Brian was always part of the cleanup crew and he never complained about doing favors for family members. At this very moment, Cait’s parents were living at Brian’s house and they’d given them the master bedroom suite.
“Here we are.” Chad pulled up to the tiny house with the large yard full of dog runs where Linx ran the Mountain Dog Rescue.
Cedar bounded down the porch, and Linx scurried out after her.
“Cait, you have to tell us what happened.” She led Cait into the house. “I brewed some tea and made you lunch.”
“Thanks.” Cait gave her newfound friend a hug. “I have to make a bunch of phone calls, and then I’ll tell you everything.”
A large man stood from the couch when Cait walked into the parlor. It was one of the officers who’d arrested Brian.
“I’m Sheriff Todd Colson. I’ll need a statement from you. You can either sit here and have tea with my sister, or come to the station. Whichever you prefer.”
Cait whipped her head around and glared at Linx and Chad. She felt the ginger inside her snap. “You two set me up. How could you? I thought we were friends.”
“We are,” Linx said. “My brother’s only doing his job.”
“And you?” She snarled at Chad, the oh-so-gallant cowboy. “Were you following me?”
“I was actually on my way to your cabin to fetch you. Your husband’s in a lot of trouble,” Chad said. “You might want to let my brother know everything, so we can help.”
“I’m not saying anything until I have an attorney.” Cait backed from the parlor.
“We have one right here,” Linx said, opening the kitchen door. A pixie-haired brunette wearing a silver gray pantsuit gave Cait a finger wave. “My sister, Bec, short for Becca, short for Rebecca.”
“There are a lot of shorts in there,” Chad chuckled, clearly amused at his petite sister’s daintiness.
“I’m a lawyer,” Bec said to Cait. “I’ve already spoken to Brian, and now I need your side of the story. There are some pretty powerful people trying to get your husband locked up for good, but hopefully we can get him out on bail.”
Cait’s jaw dropped, and she stared at one Colson after the other. If she thought her family was aggressive, they were nothing compared to the Colsons who were forcibly taking her under their wings.
She could use friends right about now, and part of her was relieved that the sheriff’s family would want to help her, but the city girl in her couldn’t relax. What if the Colsons had been set up by the senator to worm their way into her life to get evidence against Brian?
What if they could prove Brian was an unfit parent? Then he’d never get to see his son or have a chance for custody.
“I’ll answer Sheriff Colson’s questions and no more than that,” Cait said, taking a hot mug of tea from Linx. “I want to get this cleared up as soon as possible so Brian and I can get back to the cabin and celebrate Christmas.”
“Of course,” Bec or Becca said. She took Cait by the arm and seated her at the kitchen table. “Todd, you can ask questions to Mrs. Wonder now.”
The sheriff stepped into the tiny kitchen and pulled out a chair. “Tell me in your own words what happened the day of the accident.”
Cait took a deep breath and licked her dry lips. “The truth is I don’t remember much. Bits and pieces. There was a black SUV who followed me after we left town to go back to the cabin. I was nauseous from the news, obviously, so I asked Brian to pull over in a turnout to let me throw up. I know, gross.”
