We hop out of the truck, and Maggie hurries up to the porch.

“Can I help you? Wait. You’re the woman from the pub. The one that creep was harassing.”

“Uh, yeah. Right.” She clears her throat. “Um…my name is Heather, and I’ve been trying to reach you for a while now.”

Maggie takes a step back and clenches her fists.

“I want you to leave.”

Chapter 12

~Maggie~

I don’t want this.

I do not want her here.

I back up until I bump against Cameron’s chest, and he grips my shoulders to steady me. I can’t hear over the rush of blood in my ears. My heart feels like it might pump out of my body.

This is worse than when I found out that Joey was dead.

“Easy,” Cam whispers in my ear. His hands skim up and down my arms soothingly. “You’re okay.”

“I want her gone,” I say as I shake my head in denial. After everything I’ve already gone through, this can’t be happening.

“Please,” Heather pleads. “I only want to talk to you. I didn’t know about you until about three months ago, I swear. He lied to me, too. I only want to talk.”

Heather’s eyes fill with tears.

“I came from Texas. I’ve been trying to reach you by phone, but you always hang up on me.”

“So, you just show up? Me hanging up the damn phone should have been a hint that I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Just give me fifteen minutes,” she says. “Please?”

“Let’s go inside and not give the neighbors anything to talk about,” Cameron suggests, leading me toward the front door. “I’ll escort her out after fifteen minutes if that’s what you want.”

I don’t know how my numb legs carry me up the front steps. I feel disassociated from the rest of my body.

And I’m so damn angry.

Cam helps me unlock the door when my fingers tremble, and I miss the keyhole, then waits while we—Heather and I—walk into the living room and sit in opposite chairs.

I saw her the other night at the pub, but I didn’t really take her in. She’s pretty, with red hair and blue eyes, and she’s petite. Much shorter than I am. And curvy. I can see why Joey was attracted to her.

“I don’t want to hurt you or bother you,” Heather begins. “I just need some answers, that’s all. I didn’t know that Joey was married.”

I roll my eyes, and Heather shakes her head.

“I didn’t. I met him…oh, God, eight years ago? And I’ll spare you the details, but I ended up pregnant fairly quickly. Joey was thrilled. He even proposed to me. For three years, we lived together as a family, completely normal.”