Free The Comeback Girl by Debra Salonen Page A

actually be living with you much of the time because I’ve taken a job that requires me to travel a lot. You and your mother would move into my house and she’d watch after Lucas.”
    “We’d have to move?”
    “Yes. I have a big house at the edge of town. Sarge would feel right at home. My mother lives with us now, but she has to go to Texas to take care of my aunt.”
    “Zach, we’ve known from the start Jenny’s house was only temporary,” his mother said. “If someone buys it, we’d have to look for another place to live, anyway.”
    She looked down and said in a soft voice, “In all honesty, this isn’t just us doing a big favor for Donnie. He’d be helping me, too. Like he said, we wouldn’t have to pay rent and we’d have medical insurance.”
    Zach frowned. He knew they didn’t have much money. He always hated it when his mom looked sad because she couldn’t buy him the things he wanted. He suddenly regretted having said he’d go to live with his father.
    “What about…you know. My dad? What would he think?”
    “I don’t know, Zach,” his mother said. Her tonewas tired—the way she used to sound when she was working so hard in Ashland. Some nights she’d fall asleep with her clothes on. “Ty and I haven’t talked. But I’ll call my lawyer in the morning and see if we can set up a meeting.”
    The cop cleared his throat. “Just so you understand, this was my idea, not your mom’s. She said the final decision would be yours and Lucas’s. He’s with his mother at the moment, but I’ll talk to him as soon as I can. If you’re both against the idea, we’ll drop it.”
    Zach’s impulse was to say, “Fine. Drop it.” But he didn’t. “Can I go to my room?”
    His mother closed her eyes and nodded. She sank back on the couch. If the cop weren’t here, Zach might have hugged her, but he couldn’t look like a baby in front of the man his mother was planning to marry. Zach needed to think about this. Why couldn’t his mother be like other moms? Why couldn’t their lives be normal?
     
    K RIS BRACED for a door slam, but it didn’t happen. She opened her eyes and found Donnie on one knee in front of her. His dark eyes were narrowed with concern.
    “That went well, don’t you think?” she quipped.
    His lips turned up slightly. “I think you’re very brave, and you handled that with style and grace.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Very funny. I just told my son I was prepared to lie to the world in order to get a decent health care plan.”
    The smile disappeared. “That’s not it at all. You offered to help, and I took it to the next level. You want to hang this on someone’s shoulders, put the blame where it belongs.”
    She sat up straight. “Here’s the deal. I won’t say anything about the plan to anyone until we’ve worked out the details, but if we decide to do this, I won’t lie to my family. I’ve lied to them for nearly half my life. I won’t do it again. If you and I can talk our sons into supporting this decision, I will need to tell my sisters and Ida Jane the real reason we’re doing this.”
    He nodded. “My mother has to know, too.”
    Sooner or later the truth about their marriage would become common knowledge—this was Gold Creek, after all, but gossip wasn’t admissible in court. Was it?
    Donnie reached out and took her hand. “I can see your brain churning. Let it go for now. If it doesn’t work out, there’s always plan B.”
    “What’s that?”
    He grinned. “I have no idea.”
    Something tight loosened in her chest and she could smile again. Donnie had always had that effect on her.
    He helped her to her feet. “I’d better go. You look like a stiff breeze could knock you over.”
    She followed him to the door. He was right. She was exhausted. But for some reason, she was loath to let him go.
    He didn’t turn back, just strode purposefully to his vehicle. “Sweet dreams,” he called out.
    Hah. She’d be lucky to sleep. Period.
    She locked