Read Online The Lies Uncovered Trilogy (Books 4, 5, and 6 of The Dancing Moon Ranch Series) by Patricia Watters - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Watters
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surprised. "I'm sorry," she said. "Your mother seemed so nice. So... ordinary. But the look on her face… she didn't hear me coming up the stairs, but when she saw me standing in the doorway she got the most horrified look on her face, like she just wanted to die. That's when I ran out and called you."
"We'll need to file a report," Rick said, "if not tonight, then at least by tomorrow."
"She's your mother," Sophie replied, "and Kenny isn't exactly an innocent boy. He's almost eighteen. At least talk to your mother first. This might be a one-time thing."
"I'll talk to her," Rick said, "I'll give her a chance to turn herself in and go through counseling, or face us filing a report."
"I suppose you're right," Sophie said.
Before getting out of the truck, Rick sat gripping the wheel while staring out at the night, as if digesting things. Sophie wanted to put her arms around him and let him know she was there for him too, but from the hard look on his face she knew he wouldn't welcome it, that he had to deal with this in his own way.
Saying nothing more, Rick got out of the truck and started up the porch steps. Sophie jumped out and caught up with him. When they stepped into the house, Sam was waiting for them, but when he started asking about what happened, Rick waved him off, and said, "We'll talk about this later, Dad. I'm putting Sophie in my room tonight. I'll stay on the couch." He took Sophie by the arm and walked with her down the hallway and into his room.
"I'm sorry about this," Sophie said. "If I hadn't insisted on staying with your mother this wouldn't have happened, or at least you wouldn't have known about it and felt obligated to do something."
Rick said nothing, but the dark look on his face said it all.
At least she understood his resentment towards his mother, but now she wondered how he could ever want anything to do with such a woman again. "You'll be okay then?" she asked, before Rick left the room.
Rick shrugged, and said, "I'll put some towels and a pillowcase in the bathroom for you."
And Sophie knew the subject of his mother was closed.
***
When Rick returned to the living room, he found his father sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for him. He closed the door to the hallway, not wanting Sophie to hear them talking, then sat in a chair across from his father and said, in a lowered voice, "Where are Jayne and Becca?" He knew he didn't want to get into this with either of them tonight.
"Grandma got back late this evening so they're over there," Sam replied. "They should be home soon. So, what gives?"
Rick tried to put together the words to explain what Sophie had seen. It was a side of his mother he knew his father didn't know about. Unable to find a diplomatic way to tell him, he started in, pretty much parroting what Sophie told him. When he finished, his father studied him for a few moments, as if trying to assimilate what he'd heard, which he qualified by saying, "You sure he's only seventeen?"
Rick nodded. "If it's reported she'll be arrested, and even the most hardened women in prison don't put up with this kind of crap. And Sophie will feel like shit since she'd have to be the one to file the report, but Mom has to be stopped. This guy's almost eighteen, but she could start hitting on younger guys. Tomorrow I'm going to give her a chance to turn herself in and ask for counseling and let children's services decide what to do. At least she'll be stopped, and Sophie will be off the hook for reporting it."
Sam reached across the table and squeezed Rick's hand, and said, "Son, I've been proud of you over the years. You've always had a good head on your shoulders, and what you're faced with has to be the hardest thing you've ever done, but you're doing the right thing."
"Yeah, and when the shit hits the fan the whole family will be adding their two-bits too."
"I'll have a good long talk with each of them and make sure they don't," Sam said. "As for your mother, it's hard to separate
"We'll need to file a report," Rick said, "if not tonight, then at least by tomorrow."
"She's your mother," Sophie replied, "and Kenny isn't exactly an innocent boy. He's almost eighteen. At least talk to your mother first. This might be a one-time thing."
"I'll talk to her," Rick said, "I'll give her a chance to turn herself in and go through counseling, or face us filing a report."
"I suppose you're right," Sophie said.
Before getting out of the truck, Rick sat gripping the wheel while staring out at the night, as if digesting things. Sophie wanted to put her arms around him and let him know she was there for him too, but from the hard look on his face she knew he wouldn't welcome it, that he had to deal with this in his own way.
Saying nothing more, Rick got out of the truck and started up the porch steps. Sophie jumped out and caught up with him. When they stepped into the house, Sam was waiting for them, but when he started asking about what happened, Rick waved him off, and said, "We'll talk about this later, Dad. I'm putting Sophie in my room tonight. I'll stay on the couch." He took Sophie by the arm and walked with her down the hallway and into his room.
"I'm sorry about this," Sophie said. "If I hadn't insisted on staying with your mother this wouldn't have happened, or at least you wouldn't have known about it and felt obligated to do something."
Rick said nothing, but the dark look on his face said it all.
At least she understood his resentment towards his mother, but now she wondered how he could ever want anything to do with such a woman again. "You'll be okay then?" she asked, before Rick left the room.
Rick shrugged, and said, "I'll put some towels and a pillowcase in the bathroom for you."
And Sophie knew the subject of his mother was closed.
***
When Rick returned to the living room, he found his father sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for him. He closed the door to the hallway, not wanting Sophie to hear them talking, then sat in a chair across from his father and said, in a lowered voice, "Where are Jayne and Becca?" He knew he didn't want to get into this with either of them tonight.
"Grandma got back late this evening so they're over there," Sam replied. "They should be home soon. So, what gives?"
Rick tried to put together the words to explain what Sophie had seen. It was a side of his mother he knew his father didn't know about. Unable to find a diplomatic way to tell him, he started in, pretty much parroting what Sophie told him. When he finished, his father studied him for a few moments, as if trying to assimilate what he'd heard, which he qualified by saying, "You sure he's only seventeen?"
Rick nodded. "If it's reported she'll be arrested, and even the most hardened women in prison don't put up with this kind of crap. And Sophie will feel like shit since she'd have to be the one to file the report, but Mom has to be stopped. This guy's almost eighteen, but she could start hitting on younger guys. Tomorrow I'm going to give her a chance to turn herself in and ask for counseling and let children's services decide what to do. At least she'll be stopped, and Sophie will be off the hook for reporting it."
Sam reached across the table and squeezed Rick's hand, and said, "Son, I've been proud of you over the years. You've always had a good head on your shoulders, and what you're faced with has to be the hardest thing you've ever done, but you're doing the right thing."
"Yeah, and when the shit hits the fan the whole family will be adding their two-bits too."
"I'll have a good long talk with each of them and make sure they don't," Sam said. "As for your mother, it's hard to separate
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