Page 86 of His Wounded Heart

“Do you have any idea what Brantley would leave you in his will?”

“A big old pile of shit?”

Simon gives me a startled look and laughs. I feel a little bit better that I was able to make him laugh.

“Trenda, I think it has to be something else, otherwise his wife wouldn’t be sending you these emails.”

“I think it’s Carla, but why do you think it’s Carla?”

“From the story you told me. Brantley’s wife called you a whore, and one of the emails was titled that. Also it makes sense because she would be a beneficiary, so she wouldn’t want somebody else to possibly get a cut of her inheritance.”

“But I just told you, Brantley wouldn’t give me anything.”

“Honey, he obviously did, or the lawyer wouldn’t be trying to contact you.”

“You just called me Honey; does that mean you’re not mad at me?”

His eyes zero in on my face. Again, I can’t read his expression. “Why would you think I was mad at you?”

“You looked so angry when you looked at the email, that’s why.”

He feathers his fingers along my cheek and I nuzzle against his hand. I can’t help myself. “Angry? Damn right I’m angry. I’m angry at this bitch for sending you threatening emails. Emails that contain pictures, not just of you, but of your daughter. How dare she do that. How dare she!”

I breathe a sigh of relief when I realize just how mad he is—on my behalf. He sounds like Drake, only he’s not my brother. It feels weird. Weird but wonderful.

“So, Honey, can you answer my question?”

“What question?”

“Why did you think I was going to be mad at you?”

“It’s just that I’m not used to somebody being mad on my behalf, at least someone who’s not family.”

Simon stares at me a bit longer than I would have liked. “Trenda, you’ve got an entire town that has your back. Think of that old lawyer who hired you back when you were pregnant, even though he’d replaced you, just so you’d get benefits while you were pregnant? Look at Harvey, Dave, and his mother Alice. Bernie Faulks thinks the world of you. I think if we were to poll the citizens of Jasper Creek, they would all have something nice to say about you.

“Then there’s me. I’m not quite sure what’s going on between the two of us, but being with you makes me happier than I ever felt with my ex-wife, and I’m sorry if that scares you. So hell no, I’m not mad at you. I’ll always have your back.”

I sat there, not with my mouth open, but it was a near thing. I can’t believe everything he’s just said. It’s too much to take in about the town. I’ll consider that later. But him? I made Simon happy?

“You make me happy, too,” I whisper.

This time he cups my cheek. “I’d kiss you, but I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Huh?”

“I told Florence at the diner I was a lousy kisser, and you tend to swoon when I kiss you, so I can’t kiss you in public,” he grins.

“Simon, what are you talking about?” Now I’m really confused.

“Never mind, Honey. Let’s get back to the email and letter. What do you want to do? What’s your gut reaction?”

I laugh a little. “Uhm, show them to you.”

“I told you, you were a smartass. I mean after that.”

“I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to call back the attorney, and that way Carla will know I’m not interested, and she can stop sending me threatening emails with pictures of Bella.”

“Honey,” he says in that low pitched tone that gets to me every time. “The lawyer won’t tell her whether he manages to contact you or not, that would be breaking confidentiality. She won’t stop.”