Something sounded in the back. Her eyes shot up and her heart did a little rattle.
No, don’t work yourself up, Sadie. The last time you did that, it was just Nan.
Besides, she couldn’t live her life forever being afraid of every small noise.
Straightening her spine, she headed toward the back kitchen. She’d just entered the room when the door to the alley drifted open a bit in the breeze. What the heck? They’d left the back door open too? She’d noticed one of them using it to go back there to smoke, but Jesus, the decent thing to do was close and lock it when you were done.
The glass company would be receiving a less than happy customer complaint.
She was reaching out to close the door when something outside caught her attention.
Mr. Anderson—or the back of him, as he stepped into the liquor store next door.
She hadn’t seen him since he’d come in a couple weeks ago and made her feel uneasy. Whether he’d done that intentionally or not, she wasn’t sure. Honestly, after the Jamie stuff, she hadn’t given it much thought.
She pulled the door closed with a bit too much force. Time to call the glazier company and tell them exactly what she thought about them leaving the shop unlocked and open.
Her feet stumbled to a stop when she spotted a woman standing in the front of the store.
“Jamie,” Sadie gasped. “What are you doing here?”
Jamie had one hand on her hip while she leaned against the counter. Her eyes were cold and narrowed. “I should be asking you that question. I thought you left for Atlanta with…what was his name? Steve?”
“Scott. And that didn’t work out.” She kept the counter between them as she closed the kitchen door behind her. When she’d first started working for Jamie, the woman had always been friendly. Sure, a bit cold, but she’d never looked at Sadie like she was right now.
Jamie crossed her arms. “Tell me, was it always your plan to steal my family?”
Sadie’s brows rose. “Excuse me?”
“I hired you when you were a teenager. I thought you were sweet. Good for my kid. Never thought you’d try to take her—or my ex—from me.”
Anger lit Sadie’s spine that this woman actually had the gall to accuse her of anything after what she’d done. “I haven’t stolenanythingfrom you. Stealing would imply I took something that you still had.”
Jamie’s arms fell to her sides. “Avery ismydaughter, and Eastern is the father of my daughter.”
“I know that. Doyou?”
“Excuse me?”
“You left, Jamie. You abandoned her. And before that, you fired me so I wouldn’t see your drinking problem.”
Sadie hadn’t known the last part for certain, but the flash of guilt on the woman’s face confirmed her suspicions were correct.
Jamie opened her mouth, but Sadie spoke first.
“You were thinking aboutyou, not Avery. She needed me, and you let her struggle so you could keep drinking. Then, when her father moved back to town, you took off, once again prioritizing whatyouwanted.”
“You little bitch!” she snarled, taking a threatening step forward. “How dare you judge me?”
“I judge you because I love your daughter. That child deserves the world.” Tears burned at her eyes at the truth behind her words. “Are you here because you want to do better for her?”
“I’m here because I’m her mother and she’smine,” she said firmly, appearing completely unaffected by anything Sadie had to say. “And not that it’s any of your business, but I left because after eight years of being stuck in the same place, I finally had a chance tolive. So I took it.”
Sadie shook her head, not understanding how this woman’s mind worked at all. “You talk about being her mother like it’s a burden you can just walk away from.”
“He got his time—why shouldn’t I get mine?”
Was she serious? “He was serving his country in the military.”
