Free Yours Again (River City Series) by Dee Burks Page B

once
pasture were only dirt now. You could hardly tell there had been any sort of
rain last night. The ground must have absorbed the moisture like a sponge.
    “So
what happened to Tommy’s mother?” Samantha asked.
    “That
was the rough time I was talking about.”
    “Taos’s
wife?”
    “Ex-wife.”
    “They
actually divorced?” Samantha lowered her voice to a whisper. She knew of many
estranged couples, but none would tolerate the scandal of divorce and she’d
heard nothing of it at all in the few letters she’d exchanged with Darren in
the last nine years.
    “Yep.
Sharisse was a piece of work alright. Her old man was after the land and the
water from both ranches. He owns a spread downstream a ways. She never wanted a
husband, only a lifestyle. They baited the trap, and Taos fell for it hook,
line, and sinker.”
    “What
kind of trap?”
    “It
happened at a barn dance. One like they used to have over at the schoolhouse.”
    She
had watched her mother and father glide across the wooden floor of the
schoolhouse in each other’s arms all evening at those dances years ago. They’d
loved each other so much.
    “Her
father arranged for them to be caught in a compromising situation, which was a
complete set up.” He shrugged at Samantha’s raised eyebrows and lowered his
voice. “She basically threw herself at him, and they were married on the spot. Her
old man had the preacher ready and everything. By the time Taos knew what they’d
done, she was expecting Tommy.”
    “He
didn’t love her at all then?”
    “Oh,
I think he tried to make the best of it. He humored her spending habits, which
were unbelievable. I thought she was out to put him in the poorhouse, myself.”
    A
vision of Tommy clouded her thoughts. “I don’t understand how any woman could
leave her child.”
    “She
never wanted Tommy and she swore she wouldn’t let Taos near her after he was born.
It was pretty rocky.”
    Samantha’s
heart constricted. Tommy was the most adorable little boy she’d ever seen. “He
deserves better.”
    “Tommy
or Taos?”
    Both. She couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting Tommy. As far as Taos went, her temper
still simmered. He probably deserved any nastiness his wife could dish out. But
how could any woman not want him to touch her? Even she couldn’t tell that big
a lie. While she knew it was never going to happen again, she also knew she
would remember that touch for the rest of her life. “So what finally happened?”
    “Things
seemed to be smoothing out a little until she found out she was pregnant again,
and they got into a big yelling match. She said it caused her to lose
the baby and blamed him.”
    “Oh,
how sad.” Samantha held one hand to her chest.
    “It
seemed pretty farfetched at the time to everyone around here. I mean, about losing
the baby because of an argument. Sharisse was strong and healthy, and some
people talked about how maybe she caused it herself.”
    “Do
you think she would do that?”
    “Yep,
I do.”
    “So
what does Taos think?”
    “He
never talks about it. Even to me and Darren. He just paid her off and she
left.”
    “Paid
her off?”
    “I
don’t really know the details, I just know it cost him a lot, in a lot of
ways.”
    She
nodded, turning the information over in her mind. It certainly explained some
of his demeanor, though it didn’t excuse his treatment of her.
      “Anyway,”
He paused as if gathering his thoughts. “I thought I better warn you before we
got to town. Sharisse started a bunch of rumors before she left about how Taos
abused her and beat her.”
    Samantha
inhaled sharply.
    “Now,
not one of them is true,” He rushed his explanation. “I lived in that house,
Sammy, and I never saw him ever lift a finger to her, honest. Though if any man
had a reason to, he sure did.” He rubbed the leather reins with his thumbs. “People
still talk though.”
    “Does
she ever come around to see Tommy?
    “Nope.
Not once. I haven’t seen her in more