He couldn’t make anything right for either of them, but with Sam’s help he’d found the truth.
Now what the hell are you going to do with it?
A knock sounded at his door.It was too late for housekeeping, and he hadn’t ordered room service.The only person who knew he was here was Sam.Maybe she’d come by to check on him.He didn’t know how he felt about that either.It was just as mixed up as everything else.
It’d be kind of nice, but he also didn’t want to face her.
But when Bo looked through the peephole, there was a man on the other side of the door.Bo didn’t recognize him.At least through the peephole.Maybe he was just at the wrong door.
Bo opened it.“Can I help you?”
The man was a little on the short side.Pretty nondescript.He didn’t look quite like he fit in around here.He wore tennis shoes instead of cowboy boots.Instead of a cowboy hat, he wore a baseball cap with a Kwik Trip logo on it—when Bo was pretty sure he hadn’t seen any of those in Montana.
So Bo kept a firm grip on the door because something about this guy felt… off.Especially when the man didn’t speak.Mom wanted him to come home and besafe.
Did she know more than she let on?Did she know he was in danger?Washe in danger?
“I think you’ve got the wrong door.”Bo started to close it.
The man shook his head.“No, I’m right where I want to be, Bo.”
The man saying his name sent a cold chill down his spine.He gripped the door tighter, made the opening smaller.“Who are you?”
The man smiled at him, but it was an oily smile.Bo didn’t trust it at all.
“I’m about to be your fairy godfather.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Crawford County Courthouse
Nate sat inthe driver’s seat of his truck, Sam in the passenger seat next to him.He’d pushed the truck into park, even turned the ignition off, but neither of them had gotten out of the truck yet.
Today was the day.
Mr.Vanderbilt’s plan was to start the family testimony with Nate recounting Dad losing it on him and beating the shit out of him after Mom’s funeral.Sam would go next—to corroborate that story, as well as give her own experience with fifteen years of investigating.
If they got through the cross-examination for both today, Landon would be called up, then Aly.Vanderbilt would lead them through what led them to change their minds about Ben.No doubt the cross-examination would harp on the fact Landon and Aly had been staunch supporters of Dad, but Vanderbilt believed the jury would see the evidence and Cal’s memory changing their mind as a good reason for them to believe both.
Cal would be last, and they probably wouldn’t get to him today.Vanderbilt wanted to spend the most time there and then follow it with an array of experts meant to support Cal’s traumatic amnesia.
Vanderbilt was hoping to rest by the end of the week.
Nate dreaded all of it.But if they got through this week, the rest had to be cake.Didn’t it?
Of course, there was still the Bo Lake brand-new-brother problem.Sam had checked in with Bo once, and he’d said he needed some time to sort through everything, but assured Sam he’d be there Saturday to clean again.
It gave Nate a week of not having to deal with Bo or what he represented, but Nate felt… guilty taking it.Torn.Because he didn’t know why Glenda wouldlie.It served no one, and Glenda might be a little out there, but she wasn’tevil.
So, they had a brother.Who their mother had saved.While Landon, Cal, and Nate had suffered.In so many different ways.Before and after Mom had died.
They hadn’t talked about it—no shocker there.Not him and his brothers.Not him and Sam.They would eventually.Nate wouldhaveto bring it up eventually, but so many things felt like anafter the trialproblem.
Because no matter how he sliced it, maybe Mom had saved one son over the other three, but she wouldn’t have had to try to save any of them if not for Dad.
So Benjamin Bennet needed to be put away.The end.
Everything else could be dealt with after that.
