Haylee grabbed Sadie by the shoulders and turned her toward the stairs. “If you don’t get upstairs right now, I’m going to—I’m too tired to think through my threats right now. But just know you won’t like it one bit. Now, go!”
Sadie went, convincing herself she only did so to prevent Haylee from crying more.
Conner was draped awkwardly across Dad’s recliner that was older than Marc’s ancient coffee pot. The footrest no longer stayed propped on its own. One of his legs hung over the arm of the faded blue chair, the other leg stretched straight out to the floor. He looked so uncomfortable, yet just as dreamy as the first day she laid eyes on him.
“I tried to get him to take the couch.” The hushed timbre of Marc’s voice startled her. He nodded toward the kitchen before she could ask what he was doing here. Because she didn’t want to wake Conner, she followed him.
Marc leaned back against the kitchen counter and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked worse for wear. As if he hadn’t sleep in days.
“No coffee?”
“It’s three forty-five in the morning.”
“I thought it ran through your veins black at all hours.”
Marc lifted one corner of his mouth, surprising her so much she nearly tripped over her own feet. “Sometimes I drink water. Or beer.” He folded his arms over his chest, but it didn’t make him seem so intimidating as it usually did. “Look, I’m sorry.”
“Not this again.” Sadie held up her hand to stop him. “Marc, I don’t want your pity.”
“Pity?” He shook his head. “You’ll never get pity from me.”
“Then what exactly is this about?”
“I underestimated you in more ways than I can count. Conner’s been trying to get me to see it all along. Long before he told me all that stuff you didn’t want me to know. Which, by the way, he only told me because he was trying to find you. Trying to get it through my thick skull that it was imperative we find you before something bad happened. Which it almost did.”
“That’s a big fancy word for three forty-five in the morning,” she teased.
“And you were right.”
“Come again?” Sadie leaned closer, holding her hand over her ear. “I don’t think I heard you.”
Marc glared at her, letting her know exactly how uncomfortable this made him and how little patience he had for her antics. She enjoyed every second of it. “You were right. It’s not your fault Rebecca left. I’ve been blaming you all this time so I didn’t have to face the truth.” Marc shifted his weight, staring at the floor. For a man who was always so certain of himself, he looked downright squirmy. “Please don’t reach out to her anymore.”
“But—”
“Please, Sadie. This promise I need you to keep.”
She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from saying words he clearly didn’t want to hear. She didn’t know enough about his history with Rebecca to help. If he wanted her to stay out of it, that’s what she’d do. “I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“What happened to Aaron?” Sadie asked, uncertain if she wanted the answer. It was too much to hope he’d been arrested. That he might finally leave her in peace.
“Ryder caught him trying to skip town. He ran off the road and hit the town sign. Thing’s steadier this time around. It didn’t fall over like it did the last time it was rammed by a car. But his S10 was totaled.”
“Ed,” Sadie said, the thought warming her from the inside out. The moose she thought hated her was looking out for her in more ways than one.
“Sounds like he has some warrants out. He shouldn’t bother you again.”
“Good.”
“Ryder picked up his ex, too,” Marc said, nodding toward the living room. “Don’t fault him for that. For not calling Ryder first thing. I’ve known Conner a long time. He thinks everyone deserves a chance to do the right thing. His greatest fault is that he sees the best in everyone. Even those who don’t deserve it.”
“It’s also his best quality,” Sadie pointed out.
“That it is. Now, you better go wake that poor man up,” Marc said with a nod toward the living room. “He’s going to have aches he never thought possible if he sleeps in that old thing any longer.”
“You’re okay with this? Conner and me?”
