“I’ve been staying at the hotel, but I’m going to be staying at Pap’s house.”
Cash’s face became concerned. “That place has been empty for a long time. Be careful. Several of the men around town have been using it while you’ve been gone.”
“The house or the property?”
“The property.”
“If they stay away from the house, then it’ll be fine.”
“You have a gun?”
Sutton rolled her eyes. “What do you think?”
“Good. Keep it loaded. If you have any trouble, call Knox. He’s a friend of mine and the sheriff now. I’ll let him know you’re staying out there and to keep an eye on you.”
“Thanks, Cash.” Sutton didn’t look at him, keeping her eyes on Rachel’s expression. The two were going to have a massive fight when she left.
“Congratulations on your marriage. I hope you both will be very happy.” Sutton glanced away, her voice choking with emotion. She had known Rachel hated her, but being faced with it was hard. At one time, she and Rachel had been extremely close.
“I better be going and let you two eat your breakfast. It was nice to see you both again.” Sutton moved away without giving them a chance to answer, stepping down off the sidewalk to cross the street toward her car. A horn blared as a hand reached out, grabbing her and tugging her back onto the sidewalk.
“That was close.” Sutton laughed shakily, her hand still in Rachel’s. She was shocked Rachel hadn’t pushed her farther into the car’s path.
A strange look crossed Rachel’s face as Sutton tried to pull her hand back. Rachel didn’t release it. Turning it over, she stared down at the palm of her hand then her wrist.
Sutton forcefully jerked her hand away, clenching her hand into a fist and dropping it to her side to hide the scars that were clearly visible.
“Bye.” Sutton tried to leave again, this time watching the traffic more carefully.
“Sutton … Why don’t you come to dinner this Saturday?”
She abruptly turned back to face Rachel, shocked. “I would like that.”
Rachel nodded. “Cash can text you directions to our home.”
“I’ll look forward to it, then. Thanks for saving my life just now.” Sutton waved her hand at the road.
Rachel’s gaze dropped to her hand. “I’m glad I was here to help.”
Sutton turned red as she stepped more cautiously into the road. She went to her car and slid inside, an uneasy feeling that Rachel had only invited her out of pity after seeing her hand and wrist foremost in her mind. It didn’t matter. Hers was one expression of sympathy she wouldn’t turn away from. Sutton would take anything she could get to have a chance to talk to her.
She turned her hand over on the steering wheel, staring down at the ugly scars marring them. Her nails had left permanent indentions into her palms, but it wasn’t the tiny circular scars that drew attention to themselves, it was the ones on her wrists. It didn’t a genius to realize they were the result of a failed suicide attempt.
Sutton started her car and pulled out into traffic cautiously.
She made no effort to hide the scars. Usually, she didn’t give anyone a chance to get close enough to see them, or if they did, she refused to feel embarrassed.
Every time she looked at them, she was reminded of how she had survived and been given a second chance, a chance to right old wrongs. Rachel was the one who haunted her the most. She was the one unresolved issue Sutton needed to fix so she could move on and leave the past behind where it belonged. She wasn’t the same weak, spoiled young girl who had left Treepoint behind. She was strong and could survive anything, even facing Tate and bring up all the old painful memories again. She had proved to herself that she wasn’t weak anymore. This time when she left Treepoint with her goals accomplished, she wouldn’t be coming back.
Chapter 6
“Who’s that Rachel and Cash are talking to?”
Tate dragged his eyes away from the window to answer Holly’s question. “That’s Sutton Creech. She used to live in town.”
“Oh. Rachel doesn’t seem too happy to see her,” Holly remarked.
“No, she doesn’t.” Tate watched as his sister and her husband talked to Sutton. He was about to get up from the table, seeing how upset Rachel was, when he saw Sutton move away, nearly getting run down by a car.
Holly gasped. “I hope she’s okay.”
“She seems fine.”
His sister’s expression had changed, and Tate relaxed back against his chair. He didn’t want to come into contact with Sutton any more than he had to.
A few minutes later, the couple came inside the restaurant after their conversation with Sutton ended. Tate critically surveyed his sister, trying to determine if she was upset from the encounter. When her troubled expression didn’t relieve his doubts, he shot Cash an angry look, which was returned with a direct stare.