Free A Fresh Start by Trisha Grace Page B

except when picking a fight.”
    Mrs. Bradley took a step into the tiny circle they had formed. “And I heard Justin had followed in his mother’s footsteps,” she said. “You’ve better be careful. You don’t want your roof falling over you while you sleep.”
    Clasping her arms behind her, Paige took a step back from the mother and daughter. “He isn’t like that.”
    She hadn’t spent much time with Justin, but each time he was with her, she felt safe.  
    He was quick to observe everything that was wrong in the house, even deducing that she was from New York and was hiding from someone.
    There was no way someone as alert as he was could be a drunk.
    “Do you know that the Webbers are divorced because of his mom? They weren’t the only ones,” Mrs. Bradley continued as if she hadn’t noticed Paige’s disgust with them. “And they say he was out with a different woman every night while he was at Cheyenne. Someone saw him.”
    Paige couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “There’s always a they say , but 99 percent of those aren’t true.”
    Mrs. Bradley laughed dryly. “I’m sure this is the one percent. Trust me. For someone with such a rotten mother, he won’t be far behind.”
    No wonder Justin and Mrs. Seymour didn’t like them.
    She pinched her lips into a thin line, drew in a deep breath, then continued. “I don’t know him very well. All I know is that he’s been extremely helpful. He has shown gratitude those who was there for him. And he’s big-hearted enough that despite what you say of his mother, he still rebuilt his old house for her.”
    Her short speech stunned the Bradleys.
    Mrs. Bradley gave a crack of scornful laughter. “He must be doing very well now. Can’t wait to snap up the money pot, huh?”
    “I’m sure Gloria would know that better than me. She was the one who came knocking on my door in hopes of getting Justin to go out with her.”
    The amiable facade on Mrs. Bradley’s face faded. She straightened and jutted her chin out, glaring down at Paige with stiff, pinched lips.
    “Paige’s right.” Mrs. Seymour burst in. “And why do you care? I distinctively remembered you being the one who declared to everyone in town that Justin would never amount to anything.” Mrs. Seymour arched her brow at the Bradleys. “Come on, Paige.”
    Pushing the Bradleys aside with her clutch, Mrs. Seymour dragged Paige along and pulled her back toward the car. “Vultures, I told you,” Mrs. Seymour muttered.  
    From behind, she heard Gloria screaming at Jane for something.
    Paige looked over, just in time to see Jane scurrying away.
    “They’ve been like that since high school. I don’t understand why Jane bother to hang out with them.” Moving over to the car, Mrs. Seymour continued. “Victor, you’re right. This girl has it in her. You should hear what she said to the Bradleys.”
    “What did you say?” Mr. Seymour asked as he slipped into the car.
    “The truth?” she said uncertainly.
    On the way back, Mrs. Seymour filled her in on the Bradleys.
    The Bradleys own the town’s grocery store. It was a successful business, and most people found Mr. Bradley to be a nice person.
    Mrs. Bradley, on the other hand, always thought she was better than everyone else because they were considered to be one of the richer families in town. So Mrs. Bradley did everything she could to make the town turn their back on Justin and his mom.
    To her, they were the outcast; the untouchables.
    “His life is like a soap opera,” Paige said her thoughts out loud.
    The Seymours laughed.
    “Maybe that’s why he’s unhappy. Being back here, facing the people and the memories,” she stated.
    “You believe that running away will solve everything?” Mr. Seymour asked.
    “Running away?”
    “He hadn’t been back here for nearly 10 years.”
    “10 years? I thought he was coming in and out of town due to his work.”
    Mrs. Seymour shook her head. “He left. He left for nearly 10 years. He’s