Chapter Twenty-Four
Tania got out of thetruck and went inside the clubhouse.She didn’t know who was in the common room, if anyone.She didn’t know if anyone spoke to her, she could only think of getting upstairs to the room.The room she only had because of Smokey.The safety she only had because of him.
Because her family had stolen from her.And they’d been planning it for God knew how long.
As she made her way up the stairs and down the hall, she couldn’t help but remember her childhood, when she’d spent more time with the Hamiltons than with her own parents.When on the occasions her parents had hosted an event with the Hamiltons, she’d always gotten lectured on her behavior later.Now that she thought back on it, she realized she’d always been able to relax around Smokey’s parents, to be herself around them when she couldn’t even be herself around her own family.There was always some part of her she had to hide or change in order to fit in.
She let herself into the apartment she shared with Smokey and their son and stared at the playpen.She couldn’t imagine stealing from her child, much less planning to do it.That’s when all of it hit her.Her parents had presented her with Rod.They’d urged her to see him.When he’d proposed after only a couple of weeks, she’d thought it was too soon.
But then she’d discovered she was pregnant.She’d been in a panic.She knew something had happened with Carter.She didn’t remember exactly what but she had enough flashes of memory to know it could be his.But that had been just once.She’d been with Rod more than that.Odds were the baby was his.She’d considered going to him, telling him what was going on, but knew that if anyone in town found out, they would talk about her.
In her parent’s opinion, there was little worse that could happen than to have the people in town talking about you.She didn’t want to think about what the mysterious ‘they’ her parents had always warned her about would say about her leaving Rod to move in with Smokey.Or at least she thought he wanted her to stay.Maybe all he wanted was his son.
But he had called her his woman, surely that didn’t mean he was only looking for another fling.
She was so confused.
Unsure what to do, she pushed through the door into the bedroom.Sitting on the edge of the bed, she toed off her shoes before scooting up and lying down.She curled up into a ball and gave in to the tears she’s been fighting since Smokey had told her about the money and that her parents, along with her husband and in-laws, were conspiring to steal from her and from Carter.
Who would do that to someone they supposedly love?
Tania didn’t know how long she lay there, but she was still sobbing when she heard the creak of the door.She should get up.She shouldn’t let Carter see her this way.
Before she could summon the will to get up, or to stop crying, she was rocked backwards as someone climbed onto the bed behind her.Warmth curled against her back as an arm wrapped around her and pulled her close.The familiar scent of gasoline, oil and soap, mixed with a touch of baby powder told her it was Smokey.
“Let it out, sweetheart, I got you.”He didn’t try to stop her crying.He didn’t give her false promises by telling her it would all be okay.It wouldn’t be, at least not for a long time, and she knew it.But with Smokey at her back, she thought she could handle it.Whatever came their way.
