She had fought fire with fire.Suddenly she wondered if she’d played her cards wrong.Nothing was settled.She went after him.“Where are you going?”
“Someplace where I don’t have to look at you.You disgust me.”
“That’s nothing new—”
He whirled on her so quickly that she fell back a step.“What’s new is that I’ve sold the house.”
She sucked in a breath.“You didn’t.”
“As soon as I heard you were seeing him.”
“To who?Who did you sell it to?”She’d just buy it back.
“It’s none of your affair.Nothing about Timiny Cove is your affair anymore.”
“It is!”she cried, her heart hammering wildly.“I loved that house!It was mine!”
“At my discretion.But you blew it.I gave you fair warning, and you blew it.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears.“You hated it.You wanted to sell it all along.You waited until you knew it would hurt the most, then you used me as an excuse.You’re a sadist, John.”
“Sadist or not, I’m your legal guardian.”
“Not for much longer,” she argued, and the meaning of that hit her.“I’m nearly eighteen.That’s why you did it, isn’t it?Once I’m of age, I can fight you.”
“You can try, but you won’t get very far.I run things around here.What I say is law.”He raised a finger in front of her nose.“And I say that you’ll keep your goddamned mouth shut and behave.You won’t call Cutter Reid.You won’t see Cutter Reid.Because selling the house is for starters.If I catch you anywhere near Timiny Cove or Cutter Reid, I’ll can him from the mine.”
Pam swallowed the thick knot in her throat.“You wouldn’t do that.He’s a leader there.He sticks up for the others.They respect him.Fire him, and you’ll have a rebellion on your hands.”
“Not,” he said, punctuating his words with jabs to her chest, “if I fire every goddamned miner he’s ever championed right along with him.”His hand formed a fist and fell to his side.“And I’ll do it, Pam.Times are hard.The old guys are dead weight.For every one of them, there’s another able-bodied man dying to work.Don’t think I don’t control the hiring and firing.And don’t think you can sneak off and see Cutter Reid without my knowing, because I’ll be watching.I’ll have people listening in to his phone calls—”
“That’s illegal.”
“Keep your mouth shut!”he roared, then quickly lowered his voice.“Judge Nowell, in Bangor, is a friend.He’ll make it legal with few questions asked.And it’s perfectly legal to hire a private investigator.You’ll have someone on your tail every time you leave this dorm.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Try me.”
She didn’t know if she dared, which made the agony that much worse.“Don’t do this,” she cried softly.
“Don’t see Cutter.”
Desperate, she clutched at his arm.“But I love him.”
He shook her off.“Then you’re a fool.He’s only after the name, don’t you see?He tried to get what he could from the old man, but he came up short, so now he’s shooting for you.”
“That’s not true,” she said without any doubt.“He loves me.”
“He loves who and what you are.”
“He lovesme.”
“You’re his ticket out, Pam, only you’re too stupid tosee it.”He was in control again, speaking with the voice of authority.“I know how guys like that work.They latch on to a good thing, get what they can, then move on to greener pastures.”
“But he hasn’t gotten a thing from me.”
With a sneer, John looked her up and down.“That wasn’t what you said a minute ago.”
