The rest of the time he’s harmless.”
Josh straightened and stood next to his dad, a fast-forwarded, gray-haired version of him. They had the same edge of concern in their stances. “What about Richard?”
Seth clicked his pen and began writing what Sarah assumed was Richard’s name. “Has your ex-husband been bothering you?”
“Not really.” Not before now, anyway.
“Show him your phone.” Josh nodded toward her purse.
“Mind your own business.”
“Show him, Sarah. Seth needs to see it.” They were going to have a serious discussion about that high-handed attitude of his.
Sarah handed the phone to the sheriff. He raised his eyebrows as he scrolled. “How long has this been going on?”
“I deleted his last few texts, so not long. This is the first time I’ve seen what he was sending.”
Seth gave a grim nod and handed the phone back. “I’ll have to speak to him.”
“Richard would never…”
Josh interrupted her. “You never thought Richard would send you love songs either.”
Sarah would have shrugged if she didn’t think it would hurt her shoulder muscles. “Okay, fine. Don’t expect to get much out of him.”
A side door slammed open, and a frantic man with thinning blond hair strode in. He was dressed in a white shirt and a mud-brown silk tie that had probably cost more than her car payment. “Where’s my wife?”
“Your wife?” Josh crossed his arms over his chest and stood ready to take on the newcomer.
Sarah stepped around the sheriff. “Richard?”
Chapter 6
HER ex-husband came at her with his arms spread out to embrace her. Sarah took a quick step back and almost tripped over her own feet in her effort to deflect the gesture.
“Richard, what the hell are you doing here?”
“I’d heard you had an accident, Sarah.” He spoke slowly to her, like she was a confused child. “Of course I would check on you. You’re my wife.”
“Ex-wife.”
He waved that away, easily dismissing her words, and her. “Sheriff, what happened?”
“Why don’t you ask your ex -wife? She was the one in the accident.” Josh’s jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed, taking Richard in and obviously not liking what he saw. Join the club .
Richard flicked an annoyed glance at Josh. “Why don’t you concentrate on your job? Fixing my wife’s car? Isn’t that what you grease monkeys do here?”
Josh took a step forward, and Kenny held him back.
Sarah repeated, “Ex-wife,” and set a hand on her hip. “Who told you about my car? And how did you know I’d be here this morning?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is…”
“Who?” Sarah wanted to make sense out of something today.
Richard sighed in exasperation. He never liked explaining himself. “I was over at the café grabbing my usual cup of coffee, and Gracie mentioned it when she rung me up.”
“How the hell did Gracie know? I’ve only been here about fifteen minutes.” The grapevine in Madison Falls must have gotten on Wi-Fi. News was traveling faster than ever. Sarah shook her head in disgust. “What I really want to know is why would she tell you ?”
Richard reached out to touch her shoulder, and Sarah flinched away again. It was disturbing that he thought he had the right to put his hands on her.
Josh moved past his dad to stand next to Sarah, getting in Richard’s space. They were practically toe to toe, and the difference between the two men was like night and day. One was washed out and soft and the other was Technicolor and hard. “Here’s a question. Why are you sendin’ Sarah love songs if you’re divorced?”
Richard’s practiced smile fell in feigned hurt feelings. “You showed him our song, Sarah?”
She did not want “our” anything linked with Richard. “It’s not our song anymore.” Thank God. “We’re over. If this is some lame attempt to bleed more money out of me, you can forget it.” Had he always had that weak chin? Sarah must not have noticed it
Josh straightened and stood next to his dad, a fast-forwarded, gray-haired version of him. They had the same edge of concern in their stances. “What about Richard?”
Seth clicked his pen and began writing what Sarah assumed was Richard’s name. “Has your ex-husband been bothering you?”
“Not really.” Not before now, anyway.
“Show him your phone.” Josh nodded toward her purse.
“Mind your own business.”
“Show him, Sarah. Seth needs to see it.” They were going to have a serious discussion about that high-handed attitude of his.
Sarah handed the phone to the sheriff. He raised his eyebrows as he scrolled. “How long has this been going on?”
“I deleted his last few texts, so not long. This is the first time I’ve seen what he was sending.”
Seth gave a grim nod and handed the phone back. “I’ll have to speak to him.”
“Richard would never…”
Josh interrupted her. “You never thought Richard would send you love songs either.”
Sarah would have shrugged if she didn’t think it would hurt her shoulder muscles. “Okay, fine. Don’t expect to get much out of him.”
A side door slammed open, and a frantic man with thinning blond hair strode in. He was dressed in a white shirt and a mud-brown silk tie that had probably cost more than her car payment. “Where’s my wife?”
“Your wife?” Josh crossed his arms over his chest and stood ready to take on the newcomer.
Sarah stepped around the sheriff. “Richard?”
Chapter 6
HER ex-husband came at her with his arms spread out to embrace her. Sarah took a quick step back and almost tripped over her own feet in her effort to deflect the gesture.
“Richard, what the hell are you doing here?”
“I’d heard you had an accident, Sarah.” He spoke slowly to her, like she was a confused child. “Of course I would check on you. You’re my wife.”
“Ex-wife.”
He waved that away, easily dismissing her words, and her. “Sheriff, what happened?”
“Why don’t you ask your ex -wife? She was the one in the accident.” Josh’s jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed, taking Richard in and obviously not liking what he saw. Join the club .
Richard flicked an annoyed glance at Josh. “Why don’t you concentrate on your job? Fixing my wife’s car? Isn’t that what you grease monkeys do here?”
Josh took a step forward, and Kenny held him back.
Sarah repeated, “Ex-wife,” and set a hand on her hip. “Who told you about my car? And how did you know I’d be here this morning?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is…”
“Who?” Sarah wanted to make sense out of something today.
Richard sighed in exasperation. He never liked explaining himself. “I was over at the café grabbing my usual cup of coffee, and Gracie mentioned it when she rung me up.”
“How the hell did Gracie know? I’ve only been here about fifteen minutes.” The grapevine in Madison Falls must have gotten on Wi-Fi. News was traveling faster than ever. Sarah shook her head in disgust. “What I really want to know is why would she tell you ?”
Richard reached out to touch her shoulder, and Sarah flinched away again. It was disturbing that he thought he had the right to put his hands on her.
Josh moved past his dad to stand next to Sarah, getting in Richard’s space. They were practically toe to toe, and the difference between the two men was like night and day. One was washed out and soft and the other was Technicolor and hard. “Here’s a question. Why are you sendin’ Sarah love songs if you’re divorced?”
Richard’s practiced smile fell in feigned hurt feelings. “You showed him our song, Sarah?”
She did not want “our” anything linked with Richard. “It’s not our song anymore.” Thank God. “We’re over. If this is some lame attempt to bleed more money out of me, you can forget it.” Had he always had that weak chin? Sarah must not have noticed it
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