“Mind if we come in, ma’am?”Sheriff Paulson asks.
She turns to Daisy.“That’s my cue.Hope you and Waylon are okay.”
“Thanks, Lainey, for everything.”
“What are besties for?”She winks, and then side-eyes me as she brushes past in a hurry to exit.“Excuse you.”
I step into the room and park my ass on the bed beside Dais.“You okay, darlin’?”
“Yeah, just a little shaken.He said some truly awful things.”
She recounts the ordeal to the Sheriff—which just makes me madder.Then she asks if they’re arresting Buck.
“That depends on if you’re pressing charges.”
She shakes her head.“I don’t wanna do that.”
“Are you sure?”I ask.
She nods.“He just gave us a fright, is all.”
“We can book him for harassment and disturbing the peace, ma’am.”
Daisy sighs.“I don’t think he really meant to harm us.Buck and his brothers have always been the first customers at my porch pickup.Every week, they were there like clockwork.I know they don’t have a good reputation, but they helped keep a roof over my head.I don’t feel right pressing charges.”
“Well, if you’re sure?”
“I am,” she says resolutely, as she tucks a sleeping Waylon into his stroller.“Thank you.”
I clench my jaw, gritting my teeth.I don’t like that they were on her doorstep first thing.I don’t like that they know where she lives or that Eddie left her in that position and I wasn’t made aware of her financials sooner so I could have given her a raise to cover it.Fucking Thorntons.I can just see them skulking around a single mother’s house before half the neighborhood was awake.
“Y’all are free to go then.”Sheriff says, and then whispers in an aside to me.“I’d make sure she isn’t alone tonight.Just in case there’s some kind of retaliation from the rest of the family.”
“I don’t plan on leaving her alone any night ever again,” I say.
He gives me a knowing smile.“Y’all take care now.Daisy, you call us if you need us.”
“Will do.”
He closes the door quietly behind him.I pull her into my arms.“I’m sorry, darlin’.Shurl was down a man, so it took a little longer to get the truck loaded.”
“It’s okay.”
I pull back, rubbing my hands up and down her arms.“You sure you weren’t hurt?”
“Just my ego and Buck’s reputation.”
“When I saw him standing there, with the two of you backed up against the wall?I could have killed him.I wanted to.”I shake my head.“All I could think was that Waylon is so small, and you looked so terrified.”
“I was headed back inside.I really was, and then I ran into Lainey and—”
“It’s okay, darlin’.It’s not your fault.”
“Take me home?”
“You bet.”I wrap my arm around her and push Waylon’s stroller with one hand toward the door.I don’t plan on letting Daisy and her son out of my sight.
One thing I know for certain though, if Buck ever comes near either of them again.I’ll kill him.
