“I went to see Robyn.”
Josh had barely registered that Maggie was on his doorstep before she spilled the words. He pulled her inside. “What did she say? Was Will home?”
“I think so. She didn’t say much. Couldn’t get me out of there fast enough.”
“So you didn’t learn anything?”
Maggie let out a humorless laugh. “She denied knowing Ethan, but she was obviously lying. She seemed... guilty.” Her lower lip wobbled.
“Oh, honey.” He pulled Maggie into an embrace. She was trembling, stiff in his arms. He held her tight as she wept. He closed his eyes, wished he could spare her this pain. He could hardly believe Ethan could’ve done this to her.
God, hasn’t she suffered enough?
“I didn’t want it to be true. Didn’t think it could possibly be true. But her behavior was so suspicious. As soon as I said I was there about her son, she rushed out onto the porch and closed the door behind her like she didn’t want whoever was inside to hear what I had to say. Once she found out what I wanted, she wouldn’t answer anything else and insisted I leave. The whole encounter took less than a minute.”
He rubbed her back, murmuring words of comfort until her tears stopped. Then he eased away, taking in her pain-ravaged face and feeling it like a kick in the gut. “Can you take me through it from start to finish?”
Maggie did as he asked while he listened intently.
“She was definitely evading the truth,” he said when she finished. He wished he’d known Maggie was going over there so he could’ve gone with her. Maybe it wouldn’t have changed the outcome, but he would’ve been there to support her. “I’m so sorry this is happening.”
“Part of me still can’t believe he’d do this, Josh. But the evidence is sure stacking up.”
He used his thumbs to brush away the remnants of tears. “What do you want to do now? How can I help?”
“I just want to go home and forget about all this.”
He could only imagine. But life wasn’t that simple. And there was an innocent young man involved.
She peered up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Do you think Will should be told?”
“This might be an unwelcome revelation since Ethan is—”
“Gone.” Maggie stepped from his embrace. “I think I should step back from this point on. I’ll leave the rest to you. That’s not really my place.”
She sounded numb, disconnected. Not at all herself—and who could blame her? But her demeanor sent a tremor of unease through him. “Let’s sit and talk awhile. I have some leftovers in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
She glanced around the room, seeming a little lost. “Thanks... but I think I’ll just head back to the house. Go to bed early. It’s been a long day.”
“Sure, honey.” As they headed toward the door, he took her hand. It was cold and lifeless. She’d had a shock. He wished he could take her in his arms and make the rest of the world disappear for a few hours. If only he had such magical powers.
When she paused at the door, he took her chin and searched her eyes. “Hey. I’m worried about you.”
She offered a wan smile. “I’ll be fine. I just have a lot to process. It’ll be easier to do that back home where I can be alone.”
Having his parents underfoot and unaware of the weight she carried left her no space to work through this. But the last thing he wanted was to be so far from Maggie right now. She needed support more than ever—and she sure wouldn’t get it from her mother.
He gave her chin a soft pinch. “I’ll be over in the morning to help you load up.”
“Okay.”
“And if you need to talk, just call me. Anytime, day or night.”
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks, Josh.”
“We’re gonna get through this.” He brushed her lips and found them as cold as her hand. “Love you, honey.”
“Love you too.” And then she was leaving.
