“I can’t.” It comes out a sad little husk of sound.

He blinks, and his expression goes oddly blank. “I can’t either.”

God. I can’t believe I’m doing this. That I’m pushing it. “Then what else is there to talk about?”

He shakes his head with a tired sound. “I’ll give you a couple of hours to come to your senses. Say, until midnight?”

It’s a kindness I don’t expect. It’s also fairly cruel, as it would be easier to jump without thinking.

“Fine.” I push to my feet. I need to get out of this beautiful house and away from this man. I need my bed and a good sleep before I can pull myself back together.

CHAPTER FIVE

Delilah

I’m searching for a silver lining. On my ceiling. Not the best plan, of course, but it’s all I got. I can’t do this. I can’t.

Yes, you can.

I try to think about laying down my pride and being under Macon’s thumb. And . . . can’t.

MamaBear: Delilah, this is your mother.

DeeLight: I know. I have your number programmed.

I have no idea what she wants, but since I’m not getting any sleep and have been staring at my ceiling for the past few hours, any distraction is welcome.

Yes, well. I tried to call Samantha. She isn’t answering her phone.

Under the cocoon of my covers, I flinch. This wasn’t the distraction I had in mind. With a sinking gut, I try to think of what to say that won’t cause my mother to panic.

Mama, it’s the middle of the night. Maybe she’s asleep. Why aren’t you?

I’m in my sixties and live alone. I never sleep. I watch HGTV and plot my girls’ weddings.

Maybe that’s why she isn’t answering.

Delilah Ann, stop trying to distract me. That’s why you called before, wasn’t it? You were looking for her because Sam has run off again, hasn’t she?

Well, hell. It’s one thing to gently query my mother about Sam. It’s another when my mother actually starts to worry. I had hoped she wouldn’t put two and two together.

It would seem so.

The phone rings in my hand. I’d been expecting it but still dread answering. “Hey, Mama.”

“Oh, that girl,” she says with exasperation. “Why is she always doing this?”

“I don’t know. I only know that she’ll eventually slink back.” And if she doesn’t, I’ll be completely screwed.

She sighs. “There are nights when I wake up terrified I’ll get a call telling me Sam has been arrested or has met a bad end.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose. “I know.”

“Do you know what she’s gotten herself into this time?”

Nothing much. Just a little grand larceny. “No.”

I hate lying to my mother. Hate it.

My mother makes a sound that’s suspiciously close to a sniffle; I hate her tears worse. “My heart can’t take it, Delilah. If something happened . . . I couldn’t . . . I just lost your daddy.”