“I don’t give a shit what I gotta do, Angel, I’m gonna make this okay.”
She pressed her lips together. Then she ducked her head and planted her face in his chest beside her hand for a second. Then she tipped it back again, caught his eyes and nodded.
“Take care of your horse,” he ordered. “I’ll see you inside.”
“All right, honey.”
Mike lifted both his hands, cupped her jaws, brought her up to him and kissed her forehead.
Then he went inside to corral Dean, Fin, No, Rees and Kirby to find a check.
*
“Mike?”
He heard it from behind him but just barely. He was standing in the kitchen doorway watching the game of Junior Trivial Pursuit being played in teams at the kitchen table. He opted to be odd man out, a fortunate occurrence that everyone was too focused on setting up the game and getting their favorite colored pie for anyone to dispute.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Rhonda there.
The last time he saw her, she’d been curled up on her bed while Dean and Rivera searched her room. They’d found the check in her nightstand. Clearly she’d not made much of an effort to hide it.
Dean burned it himself, throwing the ashes into the fireplace in the living room.
“Can we talk?” she asked, shifting and motioning behind her to the living room.
Mike didn’t want to talk to Rhonda. He was pissed at her because of what she’d done to her family. Obviously Dusty in particular but watching Fin and Kirb struggle through emotions they should not be having three months after their forty-four year old father died in the snow was something he would not forget. And he was pissed because they wouldn’t either.
But he jerked up his chin, pushed away from the jamb and followed her down the hall.
She didn’t close the doors and she didn’t delay.
Her head tipped back, her eyes sought his and she asked straight out, “You got two kids, do you think I’m doin’ wrong?”
“Absolutely,” Mike replied immediately and watched her flinch.
She recovered and told him, “I’m tryin’ to do right.”
“You’re failing,” he returned and got another flinch.
She pulled it together and started, “If Darrin were here, he’d –”
But Mike interrupted her. “He’s not here, Rhonda.”
That got him another flinch.
She struggled that time and Mike gave her the time to pull her shit together but that was all he was giving her. He knew he was being a dick but she was a grown woman and she’d hurt people he cared about. This had gone on too long, it started ugly and got uglier and she was part of the reason for that. It was time for her to step the fuck up.
Then she said softly, “I got you and Dusty together.”
She wanted to score points and he’d long suspected that was the reason behind her visit with the diaries months ago. Dusty had told him Darrin wanted them together and Rhonda had taken that in.
“Actually, we were already together and what you did nearly drove us apart,” Mike shared and she blinked.
“What?” she whispered.
“It was me who listened to you, read those diaries you left and acted like a dick who did it. That’s on me, I take responsibility for that. You might have had good intentions, like I see you believe you have with what’s goin’ down with this farm, but in the end, you betrayed her. You shared a secret that wasn’t yours to share. I acted on that knowledge for reasons of my own and I’m fuckin’ lucky she accepted my apology and gave me another shot or I would not have what I have now. You might have thought you were doin’ right but I’m seein’ a pattern here of you thinkin’ that and doin’ wrong. Darrin may have been your go-to guy to help you assess the decisions you made or he may have just made them for you. Whatever way that went, it isn’t there anymore. Day to day shit, Rhonda, you’re a big girl. You gotta take care of yourself and your boys. But the big shit, you can’t deal, you find someone to help and you be smart about that. Dusty was being harsh for reasons that were understandable and even deserved considering she’s gone way beyond the call of duty to take your back. But she was right. Debbie does not like you. She talks trash about you. And now she’s usin’ you. In this house you got three people who you can go to for advice. No, I’ll amend that and say four since Fin’s got a good head on his shoulders. Use them. They’d be happy to oblige.”
“Debbie talks trash about me?” she asked softly, her expression both surprised and pained.
“Debbie’s a bitch, Rhonda. She’s bitter. She’s twisted. And she’s usin’ you to hurt Dusty. It cannot have escaped your notice they don’t get along and I know this because you mentioned that exact thing to me. But Debbie has always been just that…Debbie. You picked the wrong advisor to guide you through this tough time in your life. It’s time to make a different choice.”
She held his eyes, swallowed then whispered, “Did this farm kill my husband?”
“No,” Mike answered instantly.
“Debbie says –”
“Debbie lied.”