Hayley seemed to be looking at her rather intently. “Or maybe when this is over he just goes home and you go on with your lives.”

“No!” It broke from her harshly. “I can’t let him go on feeling that way when it’s not true. And I just know what I yelled at him in the hospital that day was the start of him feeling that way, because nobody else believed it except stupid me.”

“Grieving you,” Hayley corrected softly, “which makes it much more understandable.”

“But not acceptable,” Amanda said with renewed determination.

“Luckily, he’s here now, and you have time to fix it.” She gave Amanda a wry smile. “At least now we know why Cutter acted the way he did at the cemetery.”

“What?”

“That look he gave Quinn? That’s his ‘fix it’ look. He knew something was very wrong between you and Adam, and that was his signal that we, Foxworth, needed to help.”

You and Adam.

Even being coupled together in a sentence like that sent an odd sort of sensation through her. And the thought she’d had a moment ago, about Hayley’s brother, echoed in her mind.

A man who kept his word even when it hurt.

Adam had done that. He’d stayed here, to protect her, even when she’d made it clear what she thought of him. Even as she’d proved her own ignorance and judgmentalism time and again. That it had been born out of her own unbearable agony wasn’t an excuse, not after all this time.

She wasn’t sure if this bridge could be repaired.

She might just have to build a new one.

Chapter 22

“I don’t think it was him,” Quinn said as he sat at Amanda’s table, Cutter at his feet and clearly delighted he was back. “Nothing fit, no strange visitors. He’s had the same cell mate all along. And he seemed genuinely surprised by my showing up and asking questions.”

Adam imagined Quinn Foxworth didn’t get fooled often, so he accepted his determination without much doubt. But he did voice the little he had. “You don’t think he might just be out for revenge, for her putting him in there?”

“I didn’t get the vibe, but I could be wrong.” Quinn looked thoughtful for a moment. “In fact, I didn’t get the angry lifer vibe, either. He seemed...strangely content.”

“Some cons are like that,” Adam said. “We arrested a guy once who admitted he’d let himself get caught because he wanted to go back inside. The outside world was too chaotic for him, he liked the regimented life and not having to worry about anything more than ticking off one of the gang leaders.”

Quinn nodded. “There’s a mentality that fits that existence. Don’t get it myself, but that’s just me.”

“And me,” Amanda put in rather fervently.