Read Online Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
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right out of this town, not to mention most of the county. You’d best let me take care of this.”
“I thought this was about Rachel being a vagrant, not about the past.”
“Stay out of it, Gabe.”
“She’s got a job. She works for me.”
“Since when?”
“Since yesterday morning.”
Rachel’s heart lodged in her throat as she watched the two men stare each other down. Bonner provided an imposing presence, and Armstrong finally turned away. Clearly unhappy about having his authority challenged, he slapped the handcuffs back on his belt.
“I’m gonna be checking up on you, Miz Snopes, and I’m warnin’ you right now that you’d better watch your step. Your husband broke nearly every law on the books and got away with it, but believe me when I tell you that you ain’t gonna be so lucky.”
She watched him walk off, and only when he had disappeared did she release her grip on Edward and let him slide to the ground. Now that the crisis had passed, her body betrayed her. She took several uneven steps and slumped against the trunk of a maple to support herself. Although she knew she owed Bonner her gratitude, the words stuck in her throat.
“You told me you were staying with a friend,” he said.
“I didn’t want you to know we were living in the car.”
“Get over to the drive-in right now.” He stalked away.
Gabe was furious. If he hadn’t interfered, she’d have run, and then Jake would have had the excuse he was looking for to arrest her. Now he wished he’d let it happen.
He heard her footsteps behind him as he strode back to the drive-in. The boy’s voice carried on a current of air.
“Now, Mommy? Now are we gonna die?”
Pain sliced through him. He’d been numb inside, just the way he wanted it, but the two of them were cutting him open all over again.
He walked faster. She had no right to barge into his life like this when all he wanted was to be left alone. That’s why he’d bought this damned drive-in in the first place. So he could go through the motions of living and still be left alone.
He made his way to his pickup, which sat in the sun next to the snack-shop door. The truck was unlocked and the windows rolled down. He jerked the door open and set the emergency brake, then turned to watch them approach.
As soon as she realized he was watching, her spine straightened, and she marched right toward him. But the boy was more cautious. He moved slower and slower, until he came to a stop.
She bent to reassure him, and her hair tumbled forward in a tangled flame curtain. A gust of wind shaped the worn fabric of her dress around her thin hips. Her legs looked frail in contrast to those big men’s shoes she was wearing. Despite that, his groin stirred unexpectedly, adding to his sense of self-loathing.
He shot his head toward the truck. “Get in, boy. You stay here and keep out of trouble while I talk to your mother.”
The boy’s bottom lip began to tremble, and pain clawed away inside him. He remembered another little boy who’d sometimes lost control of his bottom lip, and for a terrible moment he thought he was going to collapse.
But Rachel wasn’t collapsing. Despite his hostility and all that had happened, she stood squarely on her feet shooting him a dagger-sharp glare. “He’s staying with me.”
Her defiance was suddenly intolerable. She was alone and desperate. Didn’t she understand her powerlessness? Didn’t she understand she had nothing left?
Something dark and awful twisted inside him as he finally acknowledged the truth he’d been trying to ignore. Rachel Stone was tougher than he was.
“We can either have our conversation in private or in front of him. Your choice.”
He watched her bite back the obscenities she wanted to throw in his face. Instead, she gave the boy a reassuring nod and a gentle prod toward the truck.
Jamie would have bounced onto the seat in one joyous motion, but her kid had a hard time pulling himself up. She’d said
“I thought this was about Rachel being a vagrant, not about the past.”
“Stay out of it, Gabe.”
“She’s got a job. She works for me.”
“Since when?”
“Since yesterday morning.”
Rachel’s heart lodged in her throat as she watched the two men stare each other down. Bonner provided an imposing presence, and Armstrong finally turned away. Clearly unhappy about having his authority challenged, he slapped the handcuffs back on his belt.
“I’m gonna be checking up on you, Miz Snopes, and I’m warnin’ you right now that you’d better watch your step. Your husband broke nearly every law on the books and got away with it, but believe me when I tell you that you ain’t gonna be so lucky.”
She watched him walk off, and only when he had disappeared did she release her grip on Edward and let him slide to the ground. Now that the crisis had passed, her body betrayed her. She took several uneven steps and slumped against the trunk of a maple to support herself. Although she knew she owed Bonner her gratitude, the words stuck in her throat.
“You told me you were staying with a friend,” he said.
“I didn’t want you to know we were living in the car.”
“Get over to the drive-in right now.” He stalked away.
Gabe was furious. If he hadn’t interfered, she’d have run, and then Jake would have had the excuse he was looking for to arrest her. Now he wished he’d let it happen.
He heard her footsteps behind him as he strode back to the drive-in. The boy’s voice carried on a current of air.
“Now, Mommy? Now are we gonna die?”
Pain sliced through him. He’d been numb inside, just the way he wanted it, but the two of them were cutting him open all over again.
He walked faster. She had no right to barge into his life like this when all he wanted was to be left alone. That’s why he’d bought this damned drive-in in the first place. So he could go through the motions of living and still be left alone.
He made his way to his pickup, which sat in the sun next to the snack-shop door. The truck was unlocked and the windows rolled down. He jerked the door open and set the emergency brake, then turned to watch them approach.
As soon as she realized he was watching, her spine straightened, and she marched right toward him. But the boy was more cautious. He moved slower and slower, until he came to a stop.
She bent to reassure him, and her hair tumbled forward in a tangled flame curtain. A gust of wind shaped the worn fabric of her dress around her thin hips. Her legs looked frail in contrast to those big men’s shoes she was wearing. Despite that, his groin stirred unexpectedly, adding to his sense of self-loathing.
He shot his head toward the truck. “Get in, boy. You stay here and keep out of trouble while I talk to your mother.”
The boy’s bottom lip began to tremble, and pain clawed away inside him. He remembered another little boy who’d sometimes lost control of his bottom lip, and for a terrible moment he thought he was going to collapse.
But Rachel wasn’t collapsing. Despite his hostility and all that had happened, she stood squarely on her feet shooting him a dagger-sharp glare. “He’s staying with me.”
Her defiance was suddenly intolerable. She was alone and desperate. Didn’t she understand her powerlessness? Didn’t she understand she had nothing left?
Something dark and awful twisted inside him as he finally acknowledged the truth he’d been trying to ignore. Rachel Stone was tougher than he was.
“We can either have our conversation in private or in front of him. Your choice.”
He watched her bite back the obscenities she wanted to throw in his face. Instead, she gave the boy a reassuring nod and a gentle prod toward the truck.
Jamie would have bounced onto the seat in one joyous motion, but her kid had a hard time pulling himself up. She’d said
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