“Some fly fishermen found her this week in the river. One of their flies got stuck on something in the middle of the river. When they were right on top of it, they noticed that whatever the fly was hooked on was shiny and red. They called the authorities, and they sent some divers down. It was the snowplow that hit us. It looks like my mother tried to sink it into the river. But she didn’t think that far ahead and wasn’t able to get out of the truck in time before the cab filled up with water and she drowned. She was confirmed dead a couple of minutes ago.”
“Whoa.” I was so shocked I couldn’t come up with words.
A cry came from the house behind us, and Boone left me like a hot potato and hurried toward his one true love.
He picked her up and curled her close to his chest, cooing soft, soothing words to her as he did.
“Shhh, baby girl. Shhh,” he rumbled, which always calmed her down instantly. “I’ve got you, Margery Mae.”
The middle name that I fought so hard for slipped so easily out of his mouth now.
“What now?” I finally asked. “Do we finally get to go through her things and find out maybe why?”
“That’s the thing,” he said. “The apartment that she was staying at was rented to another tenant. The apartment put her stuff up for auction a couple of weeks after no contact and no payment. Since we weren’t listed as her emergency contact or contact people at all, they auctioned all her stuff off. There’s nothing left.”
“Well, shit.” I threw up my hands. “Nothing?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Dad’s been on the phone all day. I knew that there was a possibility that it was her, but since I was in surgery, I never got a chance to call you.”
“Great,” I sighed. “Now we’re never going to know anything. What about all that money?”
“It’s Dad’s, since they weren’t officially divorced,” he said. “Dad has access to all the money she’s hidden over the years that was in the States. But he’s going to have to work to get access to the stuff that’s in offshore accounts.”
“Damn,” I said. “What now?”
His eyes were excited when he said, “Now we get to live without fear of her showing up and ruining our lives.”
That was all that I’d ever wanted.
I pushed myself back into his arms and wrapped him up tight.
“I’m sorry, Boone.”
It was his mother after all.
“I’m not,” he admitted. “I feel like I’m free, Nettie. Finally free. Like my life is finally like it always should’ve been.”
I hummed and pressed a kiss to his chest.
For three months since Margie’s birth, we’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Boone was always hesitant to let me leave alone with Margie because we were worried that Gail would show up out of nowhere and harm us.
But now that threat was gone.
We were truly and finally free.
Speaking of free…
“I have a babysitter.”
He froze. “Okay?”
“I want to try.”
He hesitated.
“I think I’m ready.”
