sake.”
This victory of wills was small, but a first. Grady never did anything hat in hand. “I won’t help you or any of your carnies get out of jail. I’m done with that life, Grady. There is no going back for me.” Her normally controlled voice had slipped back into an accent she’d worked so hard to destroy.
“I wouldn’t be asking for me or any of those slobs that pretend to work for me.”
She shrugged. “Then why are we having this conversation?”
“I came about Sooner.”
Hearing the name smacked her gut like a one-two punch. She could feel the color drain from her face as she scrambled to remain stoic. The last time Charlotte had seen Sooner, the girl had been eight days old.
Regret and sadness scorched her, and for an instant she couldn’t draw in a breath. She’d thought about that baby often and of the night she’d left her behind. “You didn’t give me a choice, as I remember.”
“It wasn’t hard to get you to leave. You’d been dreaming about leaving for years.”
“Mariah had died. I couldn’t handle staying.”
“You didn’t have the grit to stay.”
“I was sixteen, Grady. Not more than a child myself.”
“Tell that to the baby girl who looks so much like Mariah that it’ll take your breath away.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and for several seconds she could not speak for fear her voice would crack. “You told me you were going to put Sooner up for adoption. You said she’d have a real home.”
He rubbed his clean-shaven chin. “I decided it was best she stay with me.”
“What?” Her head spun. Of all the scenarios she’d imagined over the years, this was not one of them. “You swore on Mariah’s grave you’d give her a real home.”
“I gave her a real home.” He straightened his shoulders. “I did right by the girl.”
“If you kept her, you didn’t do right by her.”
“She turned out all right. She’s smart and quick.”
Bitterness soured her stomach as she imagined that innocent baby growing up in the grit and dirt of the carnival. “Where is she now, Grady?”
“Got herself arrested for shoplifting from a store owner.”
“What kind of store?” Dark, heartbreaking scenarios swirled through her mind.
“Crystals, cards, bracelets. Knickknack shit. She’s always liked that kind of stuff. Makes sense I suppose since she is the new Madame Divine.”
Anger choked her throat. “You put her to work in the tent?”
“She wanted to work.”
“Why isn’t she in school?”
“She got herself a good education. Homeschooled but it’s worked out fine. She’s smart as a whip.”
All the hopes and dreams she’d had for Sooner dried up and blew away like dust. “Not so smart. She’s been arrested.”
“She didn’t do it. She said the shopkeeper made a pass at her, and when she told him to fuck off, he got mad. He called the cops, whining about stolen crystals. He held her until the cops showed.”
To cope with emotions too extreme to name, she focused on the facts. Her mind clicked through the consequences of shoplifting. “What was the item?”
“Some fancy crystal. Expensive from what I hear.”
“Does she have an arrest record?”
Gray eyes thinned. “No. She’s a good kid.”
“Where is she now?”
“In court. Arraigned today. Maybe right now.”
Charlotte stared at him a long moment. Nothing could have dragged her back into Grady’s world. Nothing. Except Sooner.
And he knew that.
“I’ll get my briefcase.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No, don’t. In fact, I don’t even want to see you near the courthouse. You don’t mix well with cops, and I don’t need to deal with your temper on top of everything else.”
“I won’t lose my temper.”
That made her smile. “Of course you will. You always do.”
Grady slid his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “You’ll take care of it then?”
“I will.” She checked her watch. “What’s her full name?”
“Sooner Mariah
This victory of wills was small, but a first. Grady never did anything hat in hand. “I won’t help you or any of your carnies get out of jail. I’m done with that life, Grady. There is no going back for me.” Her normally controlled voice had slipped back into an accent she’d worked so hard to destroy.
“I wouldn’t be asking for me or any of those slobs that pretend to work for me.”
She shrugged. “Then why are we having this conversation?”
“I came about Sooner.”
Hearing the name smacked her gut like a one-two punch. She could feel the color drain from her face as she scrambled to remain stoic. The last time Charlotte had seen Sooner, the girl had been eight days old.
Regret and sadness scorched her, and for an instant she couldn’t draw in a breath. She’d thought about that baby often and of the night she’d left her behind. “You didn’t give me a choice, as I remember.”
“It wasn’t hard to get you to leave. You’d been dreaming about leaving for years.”
“Mariah had died. I couldn’t handle staying.”
“You didn’t have the grit to stay.”
“I was sixteen, Grady. Not more than a child myself.”
“Tell that to the baby girl who looks so much like Mariah that it’ll take your breath away.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and for several seconds she could not speak for fear her voice would crack. “You told me you were going to put Sooner up for adoption. You said she’d have a real home.”
He rubbed his clean-shaven chin. “I decided it was best she stay with me.”
“What?” Her head spun. Of all the scenarios she’d imagined over the years, this was not one of them. “You swore on Mariah’s grave you’d give her a real home.”
“I gave her a real home.” He straightened his shoulders. “I did right by the girl.”
“If you kept her, you didn’t do right by her.”
“She turned out all right. She’s smart and quick.”
Bitterness soured her stomach as she imagined that innocent baby growing up in the grit and dirt of the carnival. “Where is she now, Grady?”
“Got herself arrested for shoplifting from a store owner.”
“What kind of store?” Dark, heartbreaking scenarios swirled through her mind.
“Crystals, cards, bracelets. Knickknack shit. She’s always liked that kind of stuff. Makes sense I suppose since she is the new Madame Divine.”
Anger choked her throat. “You put her to work in the tent?”
“She wanted to work.”
“Why isn’t she in school?”
“She got herself a good education. Homeschooled but it’s worked out fine. She’s smart as a whip.”
All the hopes and dreams she’d had for Sooner dried up and blew away like dust. “Not so smart. She’s been arrested.”
“She didn’t do it. She said the shopkeeper made a pass at her, and when she told him to fuck off, he got mad. He called the cops, whining about stolen crystals. He held her until the cops showed.”
To cope with emotions too extreme to name, she focused on the facts. Her mind clicked through the consequences of shoplifting. “What was the item?”
“Some fancy crystal. Expensive from what I hear.”
“Does she have an arrest record?”
Gray eyes thinned. “No. She’s a good kid.”
“Where is she now?”
“In court. Arraigned today. Maybe right now.”
Charlotte stared at him a long moment. Nothing could have dragged her back into Grady’s world. Nothing. Except Sooner.
And he knew that.
“I’ll get my briefcase.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No, don’t. In fact, I don’t even want to see you near the courthouse. You don’t mix well with cops, and I don’t need to deal with your temper on top of everything else.”
“I won’t lose my temper.”
That made her smile. “Of course you will. You always do.”
Grady slid his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “You’ll take care of it then?”
“I will.” She checked her watch. “What’s her full name?”
“Sooner Mariah
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